Malbork – The biggest castle in the world

Why Malbork Castle is worth visiting?

The Castle is an impressive red brick wall as well as a belt of defensive walls with towers and gates. The Teutonic Castle in Malbork was also put on the UNESCO world heritage site list in 1997. It is the largest surviving medieval castle in Europe. The three-part defensive fortress in the Gothic style consists of the Low Castle, the Middle Castle and the High Castle. The most beautiful view of the castle is from the side of the river – the Nogat, and from the castle tower, there is a charming panorama of the area.

Thus, it is one of the largest castles of its kind in the world. Built of brick, the structure is 143,591 square meters and took 30 years to be built. The ground for the construction began to be prepared in the 13th century (1278) and the actual start of the castle construction on the right bank of the Nogat river can be dated back to 1280. In the years 1309-1457, it became the seat of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order. Then, until the 18th century (1772), the castle was one of the official residences of Polish kings. Currently, it houses the Malbork Castle Museum.

Top 10 interesting facts about Malbork Castle

Explore interesting facts about this facility and feel the magic of this place:

• Malbork Castle features impressive red brick walls as well as a defensive wall system with towers and gates. Visitors can admire the ingenuity of medieval builders while viewing the interesting and quite innovative for those times central heating system.
• The Castle Museum offers many attractions for visitors, including several exhibitions with ancient weapons, amber, porcelain and faïence products and handicrafts.
• Prisoners important to the state were kept in the castle – the fortress served as a state prison, among other things.
• Malbork Castle is the largest building of its kind in the world. Built of brick, the structure measures 143,591 square metres.
• Meanwhile, the Guinness Book of Records lists Prague Castle as the largest in the world. Located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, the construction of the castle began in the 9th century. Moreover, the castle is the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. But still.. central Europe holds the top castles in the world!
• The complex as it stands today is made up of between 12 and 15 million bricks. In the past, it was supposed to be much larger and consist of 30 to 50 million bricks.
• Malbork Castle was put to the test many times and remained unconquered for a long time. It succumbed during the “Swedish Deluge“. After a month of fighting, Polish soldiers had to capitulate. The Castle of the Teutonic was inhabited by Swedes until 1660.
• In the middle of the 19th century, many medieval towers and walls were destroyed during the adaptation of the castle for the military purposes of the Prussian army.
• The castle was used for many purposes in the past. Scenes for the film Teutonic Knights, directed by Alexander Ford, were filmed on the castle grounds. And.. in the 1930s the Germans organised Nazi celebrations on the premises during World War II.
• Whilst Malbork Castle reflects many world records, the largest inhabited castle in the world is Windsor Castle (United Kingdom). Originally constructed in the 11th century.
• Since the second half of the 15th century, Malbork Castle has been one of the main sources of fascination with medieval European history and its material remains.

Malbork Poland – The Residence of The Polish Kings and Top Castles in Europe

During the tour, it is possible to see all three parts making up the castle complex.

• In the High Castle, the visitors can see the castle chapel, the chapter house and the Kleš tower or the Bellhop’s house and the courtyard.
• In the Middle Castle, the chapel of the Grand Masters and the banquet and audience hall await the visitors.
• In the Low Castle, there is the North Gate, the tower and the former armoury. Numerous exhibitions also await visitors.

A visit to Malbork Castle can easily take several hours. There is definitely a lot to see in the castle courtyards, cellars, dormitories, chapels and many other rooms. Thanks to a dozen or so exhibitions prepared in various parts of the facility, visitors can learn in detail about the life of the builders and first inhabitants of the stronghold – the Teutonics. 

Malbork is also a beautiful city. Not far from Kazimierz Jagiellończyk Square, there is a model of the Teutonic Castle, which should not be missed while visiting this wonderful place. It allows looking at the castle from a different perspective. The land area of the fenced mock-up is entered through a gate and there are benches all around.

Malbork Castle: prices and opening hours

Malbork Castle is open to visitors all year round (with the exception of certain days). 

• The Castle Museum in Malbork is open from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• The historical route is available from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (the last entrance at 5:00 p.m.). 
• The Green Trail is available on Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and from Tuesday to Sunday from 5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (the last entrance at 7:00 p.m.).

Visiting One of The Largest Castle with Mr Shuttle

Explore one of the World’s Largest Castle with us! Malbork Castle Tour is a full day trip around the royal palace, which dates back to the 13th century.

The castle complex is an outstanding experience you should feel and touch. We guarantee that one of the biggest castles in the world listed on the UNESCO world heritage site will exceed your expectations! Malbork castle is located between two lake districts – Kaszuby and Warmia – perfect for sailing, biking or just chilling.

In addition, if you are a castle geek (e.g. you have seen a Prague Castle or Castle Windsor), you should take the opportunity and visit other similar places in Poland including Gdańsk, where we also prepared many attractions for you! If you are passionate about late tours.. Gdansk by night will definitely make your.. night! Or, if you stay in Gdansk, you can see Tricity & Westerplatte with MrShuttle just within 1 day!

Let us know what do you think in the comments!