Krzyżacki Zamki w Dzin Urodzin Bryana (Teutonic Castles on Bryan's Birthday)!!!! - Day 3

Sadly we checked out of the Castle Hotel at Gniew and headed south along the Vistula River to...

Stop 14: Bydgoszcz
Unfortunately, Emily still had to work on Monday, so I dropped her off at a coffee shop in downtown Bydgoszcz, a bustling medium-sized university city bisected by canals that feed into a major bend in the Vistula River. More on Bydgoszcz later, though, because my castle tour continued solo at...

Stop 15: Bierzgłowo and the Teutonic Castle at Zamek Bierzgłowski
Bierzgłowo was a small village about 30 km east of Bydgoszcz. Driving through, I stopped to take in the beautiful brick gothic church surrounded by a dense cemetery, as well as the picturesque wooden windmill capping the ridge on the other side of a swiftly-moving stream.

Continuing 3 km south from the village I came upon the Castle, once home to a Teutonic Komtur, or regional commander. In this part of Poland, the edge of a high plateau runs parallel to the Vistula River about 10 km north of its banks. Surrounded by trees on its other three sides, the Bierzgłowo Castle sat on this ridge, overlooking the wide plain below and commanding one of the main roads ascending the ridge. The castle was a low L-shaped building with two high walls completing a square courtyard. Several outer buildings masked the main entrance, concealed the deep moat, and made the high castle seem much more extensive than it actually was. Now the building serves as a Diocese Center for Culture and is well maintained. I walked around for a bit and then proceeded up the road to...

Stop 16: Chełmża
The small town of Chełmża, located on the western end of the long, narrow Chełmżyńskie Lake, was one of the administrative seats of the Bishop of Chełmno, as role filled by Dantiscus from 1530 until 1537. It doesn't boast a castle, but it still contains a lively and extensive Old Town, a brick gothic plain church, and a brick gothic cathedral, where Dantiscus himself would have said Mass. It also had a beautiful wooden causeway extending out over the lake. I was amazed at the activity I found in Chełmża on this Monday morning. So many people were out shopping, eating, and loitering on the main market square. It seemed like a very fun place to live, especially for kids, even given its small size. It also provided a decent glimpse into how a small but bustling medieval city would have appeared on a typical week day...so fun!

Stop 17: Teutonic Castle site in Kowalewo Pomorskie
The sizable town of Kowalewo Pomorskie wasn't particularly appealing, but the site of the former castle was impressive. A tall, single, round hill stuck up out of the surrounding plain right in the center of town. While there is very little left of the original castle, a neo-gothic radio tower was built on top of the hill to replace the former castle tower. A few undulations in the terrain revealed the locations of former structures and a single bastion at the base of the hill gave away the former castle's grand size. From Kowalewo I wound my way through open farmland to one of the most impressive castles of the entire trip:

Stop 18: Teutonic Castle in Golub-Dobrzyń
Golub Castle was similar in construction to the Gniew Castle - square pattern, high walls, corner towers, spacious interior courtyard. Golub, however, had been partially rebuilt during the Renaissance with a new stone flourish around its top and a squat tower at the base of one corner. It was an impressive and regal sight, even before taking in the location. But when considering its solitary perch on a high, open promontory overlooking a bend in the Drwęca River and the cozy Old Town hundreds of feet below, Golub Castle was majestic and breathtaking. It commanded steep hills on three sides and was protected by a deep trench on the fourth side. It had 360-degree unimpeded views and was intimidating from any angle. It was glorious to see and was a perfect example of how castles were built to physically and psychologically dominate the landscape and population.

Stop 19: Teutonic Castle Ruins in Wąbrzeźno
This small town on the flat Polish plain was squashed between the end of two lakes. It's castle is only low ruins now, buried in dense woods where the lakes almost meet. Unfortunately, I was running short on time and could not stop, but it was interesting to see from the car how well the Teutonic Knights could take advantage of landscape - building a fortress with two sides naturally defended and squeezing any overland approach into two narrow roadways. Maybe next trip we'll get a closer look! ;)

Stop 20: Teutonic Castle Ruins at Radzyń Chełmiński
Amazingly, the ruins in the next small town were some of the most intact, the most impressive, the most accessible, and seemingly the most forgotten ruins that we encountered on our trip. I was astounded! The former castle sat on an artificial hill surrounded by an artificial moat, rising out of the swampy flood plain formed by several winding streams. The huge, square castle has an intact southern facade, fronted by a wide field that was partially enclosed by a 10-foot tall defensive wall. That field now contains a soccer pitch. While the castle interior was closed, one could walk freely all along the grounds, right up to the walls. The main road encircled the site on three sides, yet no one was walking around enjoying the views! The open expanse surrounding the ruins made their height so much more impressive. If only the interiors had been accessible as well!

Stop 22: Chełmno
The riverside town of Chełmno was another seat of Dantiscus when he served as bishop. It also sits atop a high ridge on the eastern bank of the Vistula River with commanding views of the river, the surrounding territory, and the overland roads. This is one of the most intact medieval towns in Poland, with the entire city wall remaining, 5 different medieval churches inside the walls, an unbelievably beautiful Renaissance Town Hall, an expansive main market square, and quaint cobble-stoned streets. The main church, the brick gothic St. Mary's, was the focal point of the skyline and occupied 4 city blocks. It was gorgeous inside, with brightly-colored arches, frescoes, tall stained glass windows, and ornate Baroque altars. The other medieval churches were also significantly larger than those of other Polish towns owing to the heavy presence of monastic order in Chełmno and its role as a popular stop along the river. In fact, the four main spires of the Old Town could be seen atop the ridge up and down the river for almost 15 km! The huge square was bustling with activity, but most intriguing aspect was the white and blue, square Renaissance Town Hall in its center. This adorable, relatively small-looking structure looked like a royal cupcake rising up out of the stone square, with a tall tower in its center, conservative entrance ways, and just the right amount of delicate decoration around the top - a perfect centerpiece for this beautiful and surprising town. I took off down the hill to cross the Vistula one last time on my way to the last stop of our castle tour...

Stop 23: Teutonic Castle in świecie
świecie lay low on the western bank of the Vistula, directly across from Chełmno, such that the towns spires were still impressive, even from across the wide river. świecie had a large brich gothic church surrounded by a high wall, and a winding Old Town set at the base of a rising ridge. Its castle sat on a former low island, now cut off from the river by shifting banks over the last 700 years. At one point it was the only Teutonic castle completely surrounded by water. A long raised causeway led from the Old Town to the drawbridge that fronted the castle gate. The current structure is a tall rectangular building with an even taller frontal tower, surrounded by a walled courtyard that filled the surface of the low hill. When it was an island, the castle certainly would have been unassailable. It was fascinating to see how in this instance the lower terrain was a distinct advantage, compared to the higher terrain chosen as the site for most of the other castles we visited.

From świecie I drove southward along the river, back to Bydgoszcz to collect Emily after her long day's work. We got dinner at a great Indian restaurant/brew pub on one of the city's developing canals, walked around Old Town for a bit, and then headed back to Warsaw. In a year full of amazing weekends, sights, and experiences, this one certainly stood out. Thanks so much to my incredible wife for one of the best birthday presents I have ever or could ever receive!

Krzyżacki Zamki w Dzin Urodzin Bryana (Teutonic Castles on Bryan's Birthday)!!!! - Day 2

...and off we went early on Sunday morning, heading eastward across the Vistula River to...

Stop 8: Teutonic Castle in Kwidzyn
Kwidzyn is a small city located on a steep ridge on the eastern bank of the Vistula River. It overlooks a wide floodplain and has a clear view of the hills on the opposite side of the river, including Gniew Castle. In Kwidzyn, the huge brick gothic cathedral is located at the peak of the ridge. The 3-sided castle is attached to the rear of the cathedral forming a square courtyard. The castle sits perched on the edge of the steep drop-off, with defensive walls extending along the ridge in both directions and gated entrance ways leading to steep staircases down the hill. Extending from the castle out into the open air is a 50-meter long covered causeway supported by massive arches and leading to a solitary tower. The tower, sitting beyond the defensive walls, once sat alongside a small offshoot of the river. It served as both the latrine and the castle's last defensive holdout. Many Teutonic castles, including at Malbork and Toruń, included this unique architectural feature.

Stop 9: Teutonic Castle at Brodnica
A 90-minute drive brought us southward to Brodnica, a small but curious town on the Drwęca, a small river that ran through several medieval Polish towns before draining into the Vistula at Toruń. The castle at Brodnica is little more than foundations now, but it does include an intact 54-meter tower open for climbing. The castle commanded a sharp bend in the river and from the tower one can see for dozens of miles in every direction. Brodnica also had an original medieval city gate, a medieval brewery, and a cobblestone Old Town with a large triangular market square and narrow, winding streets. Brodnica was particularly important as a medieval crossroads of both water and overland trading routes, particularly in fur, grain, and amber.
Stop 10: Teutonic Castle and Church at Lubawa
Even though we thought the Lubawa castle was only ruins, we had to stop there because Dantiscus had occupied the castle on several occasions during his first tenure as Bishop! But it was great to find that the Polish Ministry of Culture is reconstructing the castle, and the entire lower level is complete already. The square-plan castle had high, thin walls and four corner towers and was surrounded by a wide moat. The brick gothic St. Anne's Church, only a block away at the entrance to Old Town, was gorgeous and imposing from the outside, but unfortunately we could not go inside because there was a wedding taking place. But while walking around the castle, we read one of the informative plaques describing the castle's restoration, and who should we find but one of the inhabitants of the castle - Dantiscus himself!

Stop 11: Teutonic Castle Ruins at Szymbark
Our next stop - Szymbark - was perhaps the smallest village we visited. Well off the main road and in some thick woods, the village abutted a hidden, tree-lined lake and couldn't have had more than 6 houses. The well-preserved castle ruins sat almost at water lever, but the foundations were so tall that the castle seemed to be atop a high hill. A long driveway and artificial ramp led up to the soaring causeway bridge leading to the castle gate. The castle facade was remarkably well preserved for being left to ruin, and it seemed like the entire village was enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll around the ruins. It was an incredibly peaceful visit and really gave us perspective on some of the different ways that these ruins can blend into the modern landscape, especially in the villages.

Stop 12: Shenanigans at the Teutonic Castle Ruins at Rogóźno
Our late-afternoon stop was definitely our most interesting, even before we consider the actual castle. Rogóźno was almost as small as Szymbark. It was basically a few small tenement buildings along one street, which terminated at a barbed-wire-fenced military installation. in the middle of a forest. To reach the castle we drove through the village and down the narrow dirt road that swung around the outside of the military base. At first we thought the road just ended there, but a group of ragged-looking Polish men emerged from the trees and told us that we could hike around the rest of the base to the castle ruins. So off we went! As we picked our way through the trees and scrub, we could see the ground fall away steeply beside us for almost 200 feet - the castle was perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a deep gorge that cut through the forest! As we closely traced the base's brick wall, which also appeared to be a former part of the castle, suddenly a depression swung around in front of us and we could see the main part of the castle on a small forested plateau extending out into the gorge. Defensive walls lined both sides of the depression, and pillars of the former causeway extended up out of the slopes. The tall gatehouse tower sat just on the edge of the plateau, and a smaller tower sat closer to the outer edge of the plateau. We scrambled up the slope to the gatehouse and wandered through the ruins, taking in the view of the deep gorge below.
Stop 13: Grudziądz
The last stop of day was a castle town on the high eastern bank of the Vistula River. One of the best preserved medieval towns in Poland, Grudziądz was the capital of the inland grain trade in the medieval and early modern period. Grain from all over the Polish countryside would be brought there and loaded onto ships, sailed up the river to Gdańsk, and exported to Western Europe. To facilitate this trade, huge grain warehouses were erected on the ridge overlooking the river, with extensive tubes to transport the grain down to the boats on the river. These warehouses still form the outer edge of the Old Town and make a striking sight along the riverbank. On the highest peak of the ridge, another 100 feet above the warehouses, once sat the castle-fortress protecting the town. Now only the foundations exist, but they are being excavated and are on public display. A neo-gothic watch tower sits at the highest point and from its summit one sees amazing views up and down the river. After walking around Old Town, we headed back up the river to Gniew for our last night in the Castle Hotel.

Krzyżacki Zamki w Dzin Urodzin Bryana (Teutonic Castles on Bryan's Birthday)!!!! - Day 1

Map of Our Trip - blue is the route, letters are the stops,
and stars/squares are the ones we didn't get to!

We had such a wonderful Holy Week in Rome, that it is almost impossible to imagine a subsequent trip being nearly as enjoyable or amazing. Well, Emily's surprise for my birthday was up to that challenge! After renting a car, we spent Saturday, Sunday, and Monday driving around the countryside of northern Poland visiting as many Teutonic castles as we could find...and boy was it awesome!!!
Remembering back, the Krzyżacki (Teutonic Order) was the group of monk-knights from Germany who were brought to Poland to convert the pagan Prussians to Christianity. They built Ordensburgen (Order Castles) all over northern Poland, with their capital in Malbork. Most of the castles were built on hills overlooking rivers to command the countryside. They were typically designed in square patterns (like a monastery) and were constructed of brick over stone foundations. Dozens of these castles still dot northern Poland, either as intact structures, ruins, or modern reconstructions, and most of the intact castles house museums dedicated to the Teutonic Order.

First we traveled northward, and later swung down to the West. Altogether we made 23 stops, with 15 of those stops having either intact or ruined castles, and I dare not leave even one of them out! For the sake of organization and sanity, though, I will break the trip up into three posts (one per day per day). And away we go...

Stop 1: Shrine of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Rostkowo
We could not pass up the opportunity to visit the shrine of my patron saint - St. Stanislaus Kostka - whose birthplace in 1550 was a tiny village in central Poland, which is even tinier today. Despite the village's population of about 30 people, there is a beautiful neo-gothic church, several monuments depicting scenes from the saint's life, a well-manicured garden, and a grade school all located at his birth site. I was so grateful to have this opportunity, especially because this village was virtually inaccessible other than by car.

Stop 2: Teutonic Castle in Nidzica
Nidzica's castle was an impressive second stop. Built on an oblong hill overlooking an expansive Old Town, the high-walled rectangular fortress was imposing from all angles. Surrounded by trees and trenches, it had a long driveway and an enclosed gate-yard of cobblestones. The castle itself had two thick towers fronting an interior, cloistered courtyard. The palace occupied the highest part of the hill, which dropped off steeply on three sides. The town of Nidzica also contained a medieval brewery, monastery, church, and part of the town walls.
Stop 3: Teutonic Castle in Ostróda
Ostróda was quite a different setting. Located on a long, thin lake, this town had its two brick gothic churches on a hill while its castle sat right down at water level. The castle was perfectly square and rather squat. Its front and side faces were thick, windowed structures and its rear was simply a short wall enclosing the square courtyard. The yard had a covered wooden balcony along one side. The castle sat facing the lake next to where a large stream entered. The dug-out remnants of a moat still surrounded the structure. Ostróda is now a beautiful resort town with a developed waterfront and fashionable restaurants and parks overlooking the water.
Stop 5: Cathedral of Warmia in Frombork

After a long afternoon drive we arrived in Frombork in time for 6pm Mass. Frombork is the location of the cathedral where Dantiscus served as bishop, and the cathedral is amazing. It sat high on a hill overlooking a harbor on the Baltic Sea. The cathedral was fortified with tall outer walls, defensive towers, a moat, and barracks. It had four skinny towers on each corner and a grand entry portico. Inside it was spectacular. The walls and ceiling were pink plaster, and the soaring brick arches were painted with brightly colored stripes. Every column had an ornate altar in front of it, and statues of the saints lined every archway. The huge Baroque altar gleamed from the rear of the church, and the floor was covered with memorial stones from former bishops and priests. Outside after Mass, we walked down to the small harbor, past rows of small fishing boats and a group of fisherman packing the day's catch in barrels of ice. We walked out on the pier and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Baltic lagoon.


Stop 6: Elbląg
For dinner we stopped in the medieval port city of Elbląg. We briefly took in the giant brick gothic church located along the river, the long central market street, and the tall brick gothic church at the entrance to Old Town, before settling in for some Polish comfort food.

Stop 7: Teutonic Castle and Hotel at Gniew
Our last stop on Saturday was our hotel, located in the beautiful and imposing Castle Gniew, high atop a ridge overlooking the Vistula River and its large floodplain. The castle was square in pattern, with five-story-high walls, corner observations towers, and tall arched windows. The central courtyard gave us access to our room, which overlooked the tournament grounds and the sizable Old Town. What an incredible place to spend two nights in between our incessant castle-tracking!

What an amazing first day! More to follow tomorrow...

Niedziela Palmowa (Palm Sunday)

Like most religious holidays here in Poland, Niedziela Palmowa (Palm Sunday) is celebrated with gusto and has been given a unique Polish flavor. Easter decorations have been for sale in shops and adorning storefronts for a week or so now, but it wasn't until we stepped outside on Palm Sunday that we really got a taste of the Polish Easter Spirit. As soon as we stepped outside of our apartment Sunday morning, we could tell that there were far more people than usual out and about, especially on a Sunday morning. The square near our apartment was very busy and there were hundreds of people walking around outside the local church.

In addition, we quickly realized that instead of receiving simple palm branches to have blessed during Mass, Poles purchase for a few złoty these elaborate, colorful, woven bunches of dried plants, palms, and flowers. Booths and tables selling these Polish palms occupy almost every street corner, especially in the vicinity of churches. Every booth had lines of people waiting to purchase their palms, and the children especially were enjoying waiving their colorgul arrangements around. Here is a shot of Susan and us with our palms, just after Mass on Sunday!

Like in the US, Palm Sunday Mass began with an outdoor blessing of the palms followed by the whole congregation processing into the church together. This was the first service at out church that was so crowded that we needed to stand in the back! For the rest of the day, throughout the city, there were tons of people milling about, most of whom were carrying their brightly-colored palm arrangements. Once again, the Polish zeal for religious celebrations was a beautiful, amazing thing in which to participate and witness, and it made us sad to realize that we will miss experiencing Easter (Wielkanoc) in Poland. But not too sad, after all...off to Rome!! Happy Easter, everyone!

My, naród" (We, the people) - The other side of Polish politics

Ah, presidential primary season. Believe it or not, a surprising number of folks on this side of the Atlantic are aware of the intricacies of the current U.S. political situation. We've had friends ask candidly about our take on it and even go so far as to express concern since the U.S. has such an effect on the matters of the rest of the world. But it's with some relief that I can say we are not bombarded by the rat race every minute over here. Need a break? Let's talk Polish political shop! It may make you feel better...

We have not experienced much change day-to-day under PiS, the current governing party in Poland; however, we have been horrified to follow their actions since taking power (see this earlier post). Despite all of this I am optimistic, which one of my Russian teachers in St. Petersburg would have considered "very American" of me. It gives me hope to see Poles in Warsaw reacting in large numbers, especially an event we think may have been overlooked by Western media. It happened the weekend before last:

Saturday, February 27 - My, naród" (We, the people) protest
We were heading down to a museum in the afternoon until our tram stopped prematurely and forced everyone off. Aleje Jerozolimskie - the busiest thoroughfare in the city - was eerily empty of cars and buses and blocked off by police, and a helicopter circled overhead.

Walking east, we heard drums and the dull roar of a crowd. We squinted and saw a tidal wave of people in the distance crossing Most Poniatowskie, filling the wide street. The stream of marchers seemed endless as it passed us. We watched for about twenty minutes before joining, and still the bridge was full of people, tens of thousands of them. There were older couples, young couples with small children, students, parents, grandparents. Neighbors greeted each other. It felt universal. Everywhere you looked there were EU flags and Polish ones. The signs and conversations were
emotional, pointing to Poland's history and cherished national heroes, defending what their tragic history was for, and calling for a return to legitimate democracy. It was powerful. It ended in a historically monumental spot: Pilsudski Square, and the huge space could not have squeezed in any more people than it had. Police set the number at 15,000, but we feel it was much higher. The sponsoring organization K.O.D (Komitet Obrony Demokracji / Committee for Defense of Democracy) claimed 80,000.

I'm not sure what can be done but I hope some good comes out of the efforts of KOD and all of these Poles (perhaps a call for early elections like a decade ago). This isn't over yet, and we will be following it closely as we continue our lives here in Warsaw. We're certainly just observers here but have a lot of hope for this country - and our own. If Trump has his way, we can't help but wonder if Americans of the future will be like the Poles of today, scratching their heads wondering how the unthinkable happened and got them into the mess they're in.

Happy International Women's Day / Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji Dnia Kobiet!

Ladies, today is our day to be celebrated! Today is Dzień Kobiet, or Women's Day, in Poland.

Women's Day takes place on March 8th each year and is predominantly celebrated in Russia and Eastern/Central European countries, although it has recently become popular globally.

The celebration has a long history but was generally adopted by Socialist parties in the mid-20th century (and, in particular, the Soviet bloc countries) to glorify the ideals of women as hard-working contributors to the economy. Despite its Soviet origins, the holiday became part of the culture and is one of the biggest holiday celebrations in this region to date. It is an official holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and other eastern European countries.

Not to be confused with Valentine's Day - which was adopted by Poland once the fall of Communism permitted an opening for Western culture -Women's Day is a day to honor all of the women in one's life. Mothers, girlfriends, female friends and colleagues, and teachers are flooded with flowers, sweets, and small gifts, not only privately but also at work and schools. Tulips are especially popular, and Bryan said there were flower stands on every street corner with short lines of men waiting to purchase them.

Here's what my wonderful husband brought home tonight!

Happy Women's Day to our favorite female blog followers, especially our mothers who we know are reading<3