Niepolomice Travel Guide

Since times of the king Sigmund August (16th century) the castle has a quadrangle shape and a renaissance courtyard inside.

The castle lost its significance since the attack of Swedish forces in the middle of 17th century. During Austrian occupation it was transformed in the barracks for soldiers.

Last time it was been renovated after 1991. Now there are a museum, culture center and restaurant. The authorities want to run a hotel here soon.

The king Kasimir the Great built in 14th century a huge gothic castle in the old volley of Wisla River nearby from Krakow. The castle was surrounded by settlement Niepolomice.

Kasimir and next kings used the castle as a hunting headquarters when they shot dear and other animals in the Niepolomice Forest. There was also a place of knights conventions and arriving at the decisions in the matters important for all the Polish state.

The root of this mound was a little hillock put up in 1902. The "Falcon" Gymnastics Society made it in the respect and sign of solidarity with Polish pupils from Wrzesnia, where under Prussic occupation in schools speaking Polish was strictly prohibited (Niepolomice were under Austrian rule).

But the real beginning of the mound was 1910, in 500 anniversary of the battle of Grunwald, where united Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated these of Crusaders and their mercenary knights from many European countries. This anniversary give an opportunity to celebrate a patriotic feelings under occupation. E.g. in Krakow the later prime minister Ignacy Moscicki founded a monument that reminds this victory. So in 1919 also "Falcons" from Niepolomice tried to do something for their motherland under three occupation zones. And then they started to heap up the mound in the place where the king Wladyslaw Jagiello and his followers had been resting before they entered in the city of Krakow after the victory in Grunwald.

The Poles from all over the world helped in the building. They gave money, collected soil from the battlefields where the Polish soldiers died. But the most of work was made by local people. The priest from the Niepolomice parish allowed to heap up the mound also on sundays and other holidays. Finally the mound was finished in 1915.

The mound's height is about 12 meters. On its top there is a simple obelisk with the inscription "Grunwald 1410-1910".

Although it is announced as a "viewpoint" the landscape is so-so. But it is still a great symbol of national unity between Poles who lived under various occupation and from a few continents.

To read about four other mounds look at my Krakow's pages.

Three years ago, Niepolomice Castle underwent a complete restoration, and is now open for general tourist visits. It also houses a superb restaurant, and in addition medieval banquets with musical and jousting entertainment are held in the courtyard during summer months.

Favorite Dish: Roast wild boar - fresh from the nearby forest - you won't find this in many other parts of Europe.