Krzyztopór Castle

Ujazd, Poland

It is unknown when the construction of Krzyżtopór impressive fortress began. The first documented proof of the construction of the castle comes from 1627, when it was uncompleted. It was probably finished it in 1644, having spent the enormous sum of 30 million Polish zlotys on the work. The castle was inherited by Ossoliński's son Krzysztof Baldwin Ossoliński, who died in 1649 in the Battle of Zborów. After his death, the formidable complex was purchased by the family of the Denhoffs, then by the Kalinowskis.

In 1655, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, the castle was captured by the Swedes, who occupied it until 1657, pillaging the entire complex. The damage to the structure was so extensive that after the Swedes’ withdrawal it was not rebuilt, as it was deemed too costly. Several noble families (the Morsztyns, the Wiśniowieckis and the Pacs) lived in the best preserved, western wing, but the castle otherwise remained in ruins.

In 1770, during the Bar Confederation, Krzyżtopór, defended by the Confederate units, was seized by the Russians, who completed the building's ruin. Reportedly, last known inhabitant of the complex, Stanisław Sołtyk, lived there in the years 1782–87, after which time Krzyżtopór has been abandoned.

During the Second World War the complex was again ransacked. A partial remodeling took place in 1971, and in 1980 the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to rebuild it for use as a rest area for officers. This work was halted in 1981, when martial law was imposed in Poland.

Today the castle, without convenient proximity to main roads and rail connections, is visited by relatively few tourists. However, as walls, bastions and moat are relatively well-preserved, its magnitude is still very impressive. Though it is regarded as a permanent ruin, since around 90 percent of the walls have been preserved, reconstruction has been planned several times. Currently, efforts have been underway to roof the entire complex; however, this ambitious project lacks sufficient funding.

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Address

D758, Ujazd, Poland
See all sites in Ujazd

Details

Founded: 1627
Category: Castles and fortifications in Poland

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

LaVon (5 months ago)
Beautiful castle, good place for kids. Sometimes there are some events
Alina SG (5 months ago)
Easy to find, it was easy to park on a weekday, no wait at ticket office, facilities were available and clean. Not too busy so could explore at own leisure. Recommended if you are near by.
Magdalena Domaciuk (6 months ago)
Fantastic place with crazy history. RUINS of huge castle tajt in the times of prosperity was compared to Versaille
Mac B (6 months ago)
Fascinating place with great history behind it. Cool to see the walls still standing, it could provide some extra information boards thrown around the castle to provide a bit more detail on each room you're in, rather than just the general name of the room. Other than that, definitely worth the visit if you are a history nerd.
Andrzej Papiewski (Daemonum) (11 months ago)
A ruins of Krzyztopor castle is another must go venue to go and learn, enjoy and appreciate history. There is a car park nearby for your convinience, trails are easy marked, you cand spend a good few hours walking and exploring. We certainly enjoyed every minute ate the place for sure.
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