Gniew

Fot. Aleksandra Kołtońska

Built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, the castle was the residence of Teutonic Commanders and local officials. Currently Gniew Castle houses the Castle in Gniew Foundation, the Town Council, a branch of the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, the Chivalric Brotherhood of Gniew Castle Association as well as two restaurants, hotel accommodation for ninety guests and a conference centre. Since 1992 spectacles and historical pageants (Vivat Vasa!) have been staged here, knightly tournaments and ”living history lessons.” Gniew Castle is well known as one of the main centres promoting medieval traditions in Poland.

Bytów

Fot. UM Bytów

The main attraction in Bytów is one of the biggest Teutonic fortresses built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. Its western defensive wall is one of the highest and best-preserved curtain walls in Europe. The castle has been rebuilt many times and has been put to many uses, including a court, a prison and a border guard-post. Currently the castle complex houses the Western Kashubian Museum with its rich ethnographic collection, the Municipal Library, the Tourist Information Office, a hotel, the Zamek Restaurant and the Chivalric Brotherhood of Bytów Castle. Cultural events, meetings and varnishing days are organised here regularly.

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