Castles and Forts in Europe in Poland

Former residence of Mazovian princes. Once the capital was moved to Warsaw from Krakow, the castle served as seat of the king and the government. Completely destroyed during World War II. Built in the 15th century, this castle served as residence of Mazovian princes. Once the capital was moved to Warsaw from Krakow, the castle served as seat of the king and the government. The castle has been renovated repeatedly and destroyed completely during World War II. It was rebuilt between 1971-1988 using castle remains and rubble. Today, the segment with the clock tower opens the way to the Old Town. Museum attractions include two original Rembrandt paintings as well as works by Bernard Bellotto, aka Canaletto, court painter to Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Canaletto's paintings were vital during Warsaw's post-war reconstruction. https://www.poland.travel/en/discover/castles-palaces/royal-castle-in-warsaw

The Rzeszów castle is undoubtedly one of the most interesting monuments of the city - not only because of its history, but also because of the fact that it is an interesting testimony to conservation thought from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when its present form was created. The castle was located south of the city, in the village of Staroniwa, at the end of an elongated loess headland surrounded on three sides by water obstacles: the Wisłok River and ponds or swamps. The intersection of this promontory with a moat substantially strengthened the defense of this place. In this area, during archaeological research, traces of prehistoric settlement (in the area of ​​the northern curtain of the bastion fortifications) and late-medieval (on the southeast bastion) were found. At present, the hypothesis about the existence of a defensive court, mentioned in the document from 1447, regarding the division of property between Jan and Stanisław Rzeszowski is unlikely to be verified, but this hypothesis is very likely. http://www.rzeszow.pl/miasto-rzeszow/historia/zabytki-rzeszowa/zamek-w-rzeszowie

Malbork castle was medieval Europe’s largest fortress. Picturesquely situated by the Nogat river, the three-castle complex was, for 150 years, the capital of the Teutonic state. The castle's origins date back to the second half of the 13th century. Beginning in 1309, Malbork was the seat of the grand masters of the Teutonic Order and the capital of one of medieval Europe's most powerful states. With a surface area of some 21 hectares, Malbork Castle is the largest Gothic castle complex in the world and a masterpiece of late-medieval fortification and residential architecture. In 1997 Malbork Castle was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the castle's must-sees is the exhibition of Amber Contexts, looking at the gemstone from a variety of possible angles. Tree resin fossilised millions of years ago, amber reflects the complexity of nature. It can be regarded in a number of contexts, including a natural scientific and artistic one. It can also be looked at from a functional perspective. The Malbork amber collection has earned a reputation as one of the world's best and largest. http://en.visitmalbork.pl/905,The-biggest-gothic-castle-in-the-world.html