Pilcz Castle in Smolen

The Pilcz Castle in Smolen is today really the ruins of the medieval, Gothic Pilecki (Toporczyk) castle, which rises in the heart of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, at the top of a hill covered with dense forest. This hill is a nature reserve "Smoleń" and together with the castle it is a beautiful place for a weekend trip, increasingly popular among tourists. The Pilcza Castle is still located in the part of the Silesian Jura, but the picturesque Water Valley, which is already on the border with Małopolska, stretches a little to the south.

History of Pilcz Castle

The first castle in Smolen was probably built in the 13th century, but in 1300 it was burned down. Another Gothic stronghold was built in the second half of the fourteenth century thanks to Otto of Pilica - the starost and trusted advisor of Casimir the Great. Through his daughter Elżbieta, the castle in the fifteenth century was inherited by Otto's grandson - John - the first of the Pilecki lines. Smoleń was called Pilcza until the 16th century. In 1577, the castle was bought from the Pilecki family by the Cracow bishop Filip Padniewski (some say that Seweryn Boner, the one who ruled the famous Ogrodzieniec castle), who later gave it to his nephew - Wojciech Padniewski - castellan of Oświęcim. He had already lived on a farm near the castle, and then built a palace in Pilica for himself. The abandoned castle began to fall into disrepair. The castle of Pilcz in Smolen, like many other strongholds in the Jura, suffered significantly during the Swedish flood, in 1655 the Swedes burned it down, and further destruction was carried out by the Austrians, who dismantled part of the walls in 1787 when they built the customs chamber. Further damage was done by the Russian-Austrian struggle during World War I, in December 1914. Since then, the stronghold has remained in ruins.

Visiting the ruins of Pilcz Castle

To this day, the defensive walls of two lower castles with two gates, the walls of the upper castle and the cylindrical tower of the upper castle, up to a height of 16 m, have survived. The condition of the castle in Smolen in 2010 left a lot to be desired, there was actually a ban on entry, because the walls threatened to collapse at any time, especially since Smolen is famous for the fact that there is the most snow in the entire Jurassic area, which additionally violated the walls of the stronghold. Therefore, in 2013, the castle walls were significantly secured and partially even reconstructed. The works were continued in the following years. Today, the nicely revitalized area of the castle can be visited for a fee. Wooden stairs were created, first to the castle, and then to the tower, to the top of which you can climb with metal stairs. There is a picturesque view of the secluded area from above. Stairs and wooden platforms also stood on the other side and now there are two entrances to the castle in Smoleń, both accessible with one ticket, which is bought at the ticket office near the parking lot, at the foot of the hill.

Jurassic Armory

At the foot of the castle, you can also visit the Jurassic Armory, where you will see, among others, a staging from the First World War. The armory is available as part of the same ticket as the castle, near the parking lot. Out of season, the Armory is closed.

Smoleń Reserve

The very picturesque and valuable natural castle hill in Smoleń has been protected since 1959 in the form of a nature reserve called the Smoleń Reserve. It is a landscape-forest reserve with rock outcrops and fissures often used by hibernating bats. The vegetation is protected here by overgrown Sudeten beech with numerous species protected in the undergrowth. In the vicinity of the Pilcz castle, you can also see an alley of multi-species monumental trees.

Juromania at the castle in September

In September, as in the entire Jura, the Juromania - the annual Festival of the Jura and the Trail of the Eagles' Nests - takes place at the Pilcza Castle. Then a tent is pitched under the Armoury, concerts and historical shows take place. This is a cool, family outdoor event that shows the history and atmosphere of the Jury well, and at the same time gives a great opportunity to have fun.

Practical information

IV-X Mon-Thu 9.00-17.00, Fri-Sun 9.00-18.00
XI-III daily 10.00-15.00
Tickets: normal PLN 12, reduced PLN 9, children under 5 freeParking: free
at the foot of the castle, from where you have to walk a few hundred meters up, on a paved path
The castle is not accessible to strollers
The castle is not accessible to dogs

Pilcz Castle in Smolen
Red Eagle's Nest Trail
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