Szydłów

Szydłów is one of the most beautiful medieval fortified complexes.

The town owes its appearance to Kazimierz Wielki, who surrounded the town with mighty walls and turned it into a fortress. Four sections of the walls, about 700 m long, have been preserved in excellent condition. The town was once entered through gates. The only one remaining to this day is the so-called Krakowska Gate. The most important building in the royal city was a castle built of stone. This castle, founded by Władysław Jagiełło  can still be visited today.

The Royal Castles Museum functioning here is located in the so-called ‘Skarbczyk’, which is part of the castle. Here you can see models of castles, including two models from Szydłów,  the Palace of the Grand Masters in Malbork, Wawel in Cracow, and the imperial complex in Akwizgran, as well as realistic figures of famous personalities from the late 14th and early 15th centuries of Zawisza Czarny, the alderman of medieval Szydłów, King Władysław Jagiełło, and King Kazimierz Wielki – each made in 1:1 scale.

All this has been enriched with a multimedia layer thanks to which you can virtually light the fireplace to warm the chamber before the arrival of the  king, bring wine for the evening feast or take part in a knight tournament. At the castle, you can also sit on a throne and feel like a monarch. The entire exhibition is  completed with artefacts discovered during the archaeological exploration of the castle in Szydłów, including coins, tools, elements of clothing and weaponry, tiles, and  ceramic vessels.