Olsztyn

Olsztyn is one of the largest cities in northern Poland. It is the capital city of the warminsko-mazurskie region, as well as a giant administrative, economic, educational and cultural complex.
Olsztyn is home to nearly 200 000 citizens at a surface of about 90 square kilometers. Before the partitions of Poland, it was part of the country, along with the entire Warmia.

The city is beautifully located in terms of nature and landscapes, upon the river Lyna at the Olsztynskie Lake District, in the neighborhood of the Napiwodzko-Ramucka wilderness.

The first mentions of the city originated in 1334. It began when Henryk von Luter built a watchtower, which was meant to protect local settlers from the attacks of the people of Lithuania. In place of this watchtower, a castle was later built. Before the early 15th century, these areas were ruled by the Teutonic order. Later, Olsztyn and its surroundings were briefly owned by the Prussian country, and after establishing the 1466 Torun peace, it was included in the Polish country. One of the world’s most famous people, who lived in Olsztyn, and even one of the most crucial stewards, was Nicolas Copernicus.

When describing the Olsztyn Castle, we should start with a fun fact – there are two Olsztyn castles in Poland, or more specifically – in two different Olsztyn cities. That’s because there is also a castle in Olsztyn in the Krakow-Czestochowa Jura. But we are here to talk about the castle in a different Olsztyn – the one in the Warmia. It was the owning and headquarters of Warmia until 1772. It also had a defensive function.

In the 14th century, in the place of the current castle there was a wooden-ground watchtower, which was rebuilt shortly afterwards. Similar to other defensive buildings, it gained a moat and defensive walls.
Over time, the building lost its defensive value and was redesigned for a rich residence, and since 1921, it holds a museum.