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Ruiny zamku królewskiego Lanckorona

Ruins of the Royal Castle in Lanckorona

Ruiny zamku, fragmenty ścian murów z kamienia i gruzowisko. W tle korony drzew i błękitne niebo.

Lanckorona, 34-143 Lanckorona Tourist region: Beskid Mały i Makowski

High above Lanckorona, on top of the Lanckorońska Mountain (545 metres above sea level), one can see the ruins of the once mighty Kazimierz Palace. The foundations of the two towers, the remains of the defence wall and the outline of the moat have survived to this day.

The stone, Gothic Lanckorona castle on the border between the lands of Kraków and the Duchy of Oświęcim was erected in the 14th century by King Casimir the Great on the site of a wooden castle from the 13th century. The times were turbulent for the castle, and it was expanded in the following centuries to become a strong fortress. In the 16th century it was plundered by the voivode of Sieradz, Albrecht Łaski, whose fortress was taken from him by Stephen Báthory. The castle was surrendered to the Swedes during the Deluge in 1655, which saved it from being destroyed. Over the centuries it belonged to magnate families, was the residence of the starosts of Lanckorona, and changed owners many times. In the 16th to 18th centuries it was ruled by the Zebrzydowski family and later by the Czartoryski, Lanckoroński and Wielopolski families. In 1768, the castle was the main fortress of the Bar Confederates, who fortified the building with the help of French engineers. In 1771, the confederates suffered defeat in a battle near the castle. After a long siege in 1772the fortress was occupied by the Austrians, who adapted the castle into a prison and later blew it up. Demolition of the ruins began in 1884.

The medieval fortress had a rectangular shape and two quadrilateral corner towers. The rectangular courtyard was enclosed by a residential building. In the 18th century, strongholds, a drawbridge and external earth fortifications with a fort were added to the corners.

The road to Lanckorona Castle is poorly signposted; it is best to set off behind the church from the Market Square Along St. John Street. At first the road is asphalted, then it becomes steeper and unpaved. The ruins are fenced off, but you can enter the site. There is not much of the castle left, but it is worth exploring the historic walls, which once were a beautiful fortress.


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