Reszel, the bishops’castle

The main attraction of the picturesque situated Nidzica is a famous historic fortress which now overlooks the town from a hill. The Teutonic castle „Neidenburg” was one of the strongest monastery fortifications which was to protect the borders of the Teutonic State and Mazovia.

The town was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1381 at the site of a former Prussian stronghold. In 1370 they built a Gothic castle „Neidenburg” as a residence for the Teutonic prosecutors, who soon gained the fame thanks to their crude judiciary. The castle has a square courtyard and richly decorated west wing (so called „big house”) with a chapel, a refectory and the prosecutor’ chamber. Two massive square towers at the corners of the east wing flank the access gate over which was an another castle chapel. The castle was not connected with a fortified city, but was surrounded by the marshes and the swamps. During the Swedish occupation, the World War I and World War II the fortress was badly destroyed. Now this well maintained and groomed medieval fortress serves as an urban center of business, culture and entertainment.
Nearby Nidzica lies the Tatars’ Stone which marks the spot where, as the legend says, the leader of the Tatars was killed in the 17th century thus sparing Nidzica from an invasion.