GHOTIC GRODNO CASTLE

GHOTIC GRODNO CASTLE

                          źródło: http://forum.mitsumaniaki.pl/

Description

On the steep peak of Choina Mountain (450 m. ASL) above the Bystrzyckie Lake soar the wonderful  ruins of Grodno Castle, formerly one of the biggest and strongest fortalices of Silesia. Built of stones, on the irregular plan is perfectly fitted to the shape of mountain’s shape. It consists of the oldest part- namely the upper part of castle and raised during the extension in 16^th century – lower castle with outbuildings and unique gatehouse decorated with sgraffito decoration depicting  lions standing on back paws. On the upper castle is a high tower, residential buildings and a small courtyard with a medieval cistern for water. The tower is currently available for tourists who can sate their eyes with the view of the surrounding area, in particular the Bystrzyca valley.  Inside one can see wonderful portals, one fully furnished chamber and exhibitions dedicated to ancient art of siege and penitential crosses. On the lower castle are two courtyards. There one can see among others: a well, a centuries-old judicial lime tree (under its branches were held trials on subjects) and cannon. Except of the tower, the castle was protected by fortified with buttresses defensive walls with 9 bastiles.  With one of them (No. 8 on the plan of the castle) are related stories of people who spent the night in there. The stories concern strange, mysterious sounds heard at night. On the way to the castle, on the right-hand side one can see the ruin of the palace built in 19^th century.

TITBIT The skeleton of Princes Trapped and chained skeleton which could be seen in upper castle alludes to the legend of Silesian Princes Margaret. Her father assigned her to be a wife of a rich old man. But she felt in love with a two times younger squire. Once on their tryst, they were caught by her father.  The girl was given the last chance but it didn’t change anything – she still didn’t want to marry an old man.  The cruel father ordered to throw the page from the rock and to chain and brick his daughter in the chamber which had a window faced on the place where her beloved squire was executed. The ghost of tragically murdered Margaret called White Lady appears at midnight on bright moonlit nights on the castle tower. The story of skeleton is also interesting.  It was shown to tourists in 19th century.  It wasn’t of course the same skeleton. Prof. Busching bought bones of some postman for 5 thalers shortly after he had bought the castle. Since that moment the bones served a role as the princes’ skeleton. Not conserved the bones wracked in the 60s of 20th century.  The real skeleton was changed with a plastic dummy which we know from biology lessons.  In 1974 a group of medics were visiting the castle,  so employees asked them for the feminine skeleton. Shortly after this request, it was delivered by an anthropologist from Wrocław. He used bones of the women which were dug up on the medieval burial ground in Czersk.  This bones are now a tourists attraction and to the dungeons where they lie visitors throw coins in order to return to these wonderful sides.                                                                           Źródło: http://static.scholaris.pl/

PLAN OF THE CASTLE

                                                               źródło: http://zamki.res.pl/

I-  the upper courtyard, II- the middle courtyard, III- the lower courtyard (western), IV- the Zwinger (fortification), 1-9 – bastilles, A- gatehouse with sgraffito, B- front of the gate, C- western wing of the upper castle, D- eastern wing of the upper castle, E- tower, F- residential building on the lower castle, G- former bakery 

HISTORY

The orgins of the castle date back to the end of the 13th century.  It was built by Duke Bolko I. The mountain fortalice occupied only the highest part of the hill and consisted of a storied building, a defensive tower, a gatehouse and defensive walls. Probably in 12^th century there was a gord belonged to Duke Bolesław Wysoki. This gord guarded the route from Wrocław to Czech Republic, although some researches claim it already was a castle. But the legend says that around the year 800 came to these sides the English knight and built on Choina mountain four-sided watchtower.

•  1315 year – the first mention in written documents about the castle as the property of the Duke Bernad of Świdnica-Jawor area. Burgrave of the castle was Kylian von Haugwitz.
•   The first half of 14^th century – the castle was extended by Bolko II. The castle consisted of a high tower, two buildings for servants, gatehouse,  wooden outbuildings and a large courtyard. It all was surrounded by a  defensive wall.
• 1392 year – the castle and whole duchy became property of the Czech Republic
• 15^th century –it was managed by few different knight houses, and finally was conquered by bandits. They used the castle for a place from which they could attack and rob local people as well as merchants. One of the knight robbers was Jerzy Puczek (Mühlheim), and after him the castle was ruled by house of Czettritz.
• 1535 year - Hieronim Czettritz sold the castle to the Krzysztof Hochberg from Książ.
• 1545 year – Emperor Ferdinand I handed over the castle to Maciej z Łagowa (von Logau)who  was a Secretary of the bishop of Wrocław Jakub von Salza. He started an alteration and extension of the castle in Renaissance style, continued by his son Jerzy. Then were built: the lower courtyard surrounded by defensive wall  with 5 bastiles, entrance gate with residential building, bakery, bathhouse and outbuildings, numerous portals of grey sandstone and ranked to the most beautiful in Silesia, portal decorated with sgraffito from 1570 year.
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Żródło: http://zamki.res.pl/

• 1588 year – from the former narratives one can find out that the castle “ was built with great workload and cost that even Duke could live in there without shame”.
•  The end of 16^th century- because of financial problems the widow after Jerzy z Łagowa had to get rid of the castle returned to property of Emperor Rudolf II. He handed the castle, for his contributions in the fights with Turks, to Moldavian hospodar Michał Waleczny.
• The first half of 17^th century- during the Thirty Years' War the Swedes partially destroyed the castle.
•  1679 year - the castle was besieged during the peasant revolt directed against the contemporaneous owner of Zagórze - Baron George von Eben. Peasants didn’t capture the castle and Baron was shortly supported by army from Świdnica. Two leaders of rebellion were hanged.
• 1774 year- the castle was abandoned.
•  1789 year – a southern wall and a western residential wing collapsed.
•  Beginning of 19^th century – the Eben estate was parcelled among the creditors. When the castle was taken over by local peasants, they began to pull down the ruin.
• 1823 year – the castle was rescured by prof. Johann Gustaw Gottlieb Busching from Wrocław. It was him who began protecting and reconstruction works. The castle was adapted for tourists purpose, was founded among others: restaurant and museum with old arming.
•  Between 1840 and 1907- further works were carried by his follower – earl Fryderyk Burghaus and baron Maksymilian Zeidlitz.
• 1869 year – the tower had been struck by lightning and burned.
• 1904 year - Zedlitz reconstructed paintings on the gatehouse.
• After 1945 year - vandalized and robbed after war the castle was handed over to the Wałbrzych divison of Polish Tatra Mountains Society, and then to Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society (PTTK) in Wałbrzych.
• 1951 year – the maintenance works started.
• 1965 year – due to cooperation with museum in Wałbrzych and Wrocław and engagement of Andrzej Pankowski the Regional PTTK Museum of Grodno Castle was opened.

źródło: zamki.res.pl

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• 2012 year – in the castle was discovered, previously unknown, a stairwell covered with rubble and a hiding place in fireplace (which was emptied before).
• 2016 year – on the initiative of municipality managing the monument,  the works which should reveal secrets and increase tourist attraction were begun. A local history finder Łukasz Kazek came across in old guides to information about the tunnel leading from the castle to the village which at the beginning of 20^th century was available. It was decided to find that tunnel by using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), like other hidden rooms in fortalice.

źródło: http://www.turystyczna13.pl/

TITBIT Nazi treasure In the 90s of 20th century, aroused  a big revelation about the letters of the Nazi sapper, sent without the return address to the editorial office of the Wrocław newspaper –Słowo Polskie (Polish’s Word), with information about hidden in the Grodno Castle trunks.  Settled after the war, in an unknown location in Poland, Captain Leonhard von Schreck described as in 1945 he was called by a high-rank SS-man and was shown plans of two places - an underground tunnel under a mountain and a medieval castle. Schreck was supposed to develop mine security of both places in order to hide extremely important things from coming Soviet forces. In the basement were placed two huge trunks. After his work, on the way back to Wrocław, during a halt Schreck got from the accompanying SS man shot in the back. He survived, but the decided to speak only after 50 years. About the great importance of trunks provides the fact, that long after the war, when he was visiting the castle with his grandson, in a group of German tourists he allegedly noticed SS-man who organized the entire action in 1945. Schreck made a condition, that next letters would be delivered to the editor office after their regular printing on pages the newspaper. So it happened, but it only caused confusion. Partially he repeated already described facts in the form  of fiction, but certain differences were noticeable like e.g. other surnames of Germans. Another letter was a last will of Schreck, written in strange archaic language in which he obliged his only friend- a lawyer  who was as well the creator of the will- to pass many important information in five subsequent letters so as to his family remain anonymous and safe. He gave also details of mining the castle and a few details related to the stronghold that aimed to authenticate his words. But it didn’t prove anything and implemented even greater confusion. The group of explorers went to the castle but they didn’t find anything special.  For many people it was only a game.  Unfortunately any following letter never was sent, so the case remains unsolved.

LEGENDS

There is a legend referred with castle’s well. A long time a ago, lord of the castle fought a victorious battle and took many prisoners. After a certain time, one of the prisoners who was a Turkish, asked  the Lord for a kind request, to release him because he wanted to return to his homeland. He heard the replay: you will get the freedom when you dig in the castle courtyard a well in which is water. Except of freedom you will get as well money and a horse for your journey. The Turk humbly thanked and willingly got down to digging a well. But he quickly realized where is the catch. Under the several dozen centimetres layer of earth came out hard, solid rock. Dreams of a quick return to his homeland receded. However he didn't give up and started to hew rock with sharp tools. The work was very hard and difficult. Only after 20 years of hard work he dug into the water. As was promised the prisoner gained freedom, money and horse so that he could come back to his homeland. Nowadays, the well is treated as a machine to fulfill the wishes.

ENTRANCE

Normal ticket – 5 zł; half fare- 2,50 zł;

The castle is opened every day, except of Mondays in 10-18 hr.

Since information about opening time and price of tickets quickly became outdates, I suggest you to check details on official page of castle: http://zamekgrodno.pl/

LOCATION

Southern part of Dolnośląskie Voivodship – 12 km o the east of Wałbrzych, 17 km to the west of Dzierżoniów.

źródło: http://lca.pl/

Arboretum in Lower Stradomia

Arboretum was founded in 1990, thanks to the forest nursery, taking part in the implementation of the national program for preservation of forest genetic resources. Since its foundation, it bears the name of Professor Stefan Białobok, who was one of the most prominent and well-known botanists in Poland. Arboretum is subject to the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznan, although the body which manages the facility is superintendency in Sycow. November 30^th 1993, the facility was opened by the Director of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Poznan, which can be admired in its current form, but only two years later, on November 10^th 1995, the facility was officially opened.

The total area of the arboretum is more than 150 hectares, which means that it is the largest facility of this kind in Poland. The aims of the facility are associated with active protection of the environment, restoration of the natural position of endangered species.  Therefore, it engages in all types of ecological projects, scientific research and also conducts environmental education for the public.

Although the arboretum in Stradomia is a relatively new facility, there can be found: alpinarium (the first one was established in 1997, the second one in 2005), dendrological collections (1 158 species and cultivars) and collections of protected plantsn (over 100 species), a complex of 5 joints and meteorological station. A plant nursery is also an important element because it annually produces about 200,000 tree seedlings.

The above-mentioned alpinarium is one of the worth a visit attractions. Many species of alpine plants, also those endangered or occurring only under specific conditions grow there. Plants were chosen so that they could flourished throughout the growing season and could be admired by visitors. Paths, bridges and scenic routes created to facilitate the movement of visitors.

Visiting the arboretum people can find the special tree, it is a 'papal oak'. Oak seedling was grown from acorns collected in 2003 from the oldest oak in Poland. One year later, arboretum employees went on a pilgrimage to the Vatican where the seedling was blessed by John Paul II. Since then, each seedling of this specimen is called papal oak.

Definitely this is one of the greatest natural treasures of Lower Silesia. Designed primarily for visitors so that they can see with their own eyes thousands of plant species from around the world, including those exotic. Arboretum is opened from April 1^st to October ^31st. Tickets: 3 PLN for normal ticket, 2 PLN for discounted ticket (students).

J.B