Elk Castle

Ełk, Poland

Teutonic Knights conquered the Ełk area in 1283. They built first a wooden castle to the site of former Old Prussian settlement and the town grew around it. It was first documented in 1398. The brick castle was built in 1497. In 1888 the castle was rebuilt - it became a prison and had that function until 1976. In 1958 during renovation of part of ther castle, under its walls, there was a collapsed tunnel found. After 1985 the castle doesn't have nor any function neither conservation care.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Zamkowa 1, Ełk, Poland
See all sites in Ełk

Details

Founded: 1497/1888
Category: Castles and fortifications in Poland

Rating

2.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Karolina “Pyxi” Nowak (5 years ago)
Not really a castle. Not much to see. It's closed from public.
TyCkle _ (6 years ago)
Pity that it is not restored.
Aurelijus Altaravicius (6 years ago)
Could not get in to look around. Looked shabby from what could see from the street
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.