Ogrodzieniec Castle
North of Krakow, in Poland there is a tourist route, called the eagle nest that allows tourists to walk through some of the most important and beautiful historic castles of the country.
Between Czestochowa and Krakow are scattered ruins of several palaces and those of the Ogrodzieniec castle are one of the most interesting to visit not only the route but also in Poland.
Ogrodziniec is located near the town of the same name, located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The castle stands 2 km east of town on a 504 m high limestone hill, the height of which has a beautiful view of the stranger Polish territories.
Castle Ogrodzieniec, in 14 century is a not particularly impressive royal medieval fortress, which is replaced by the beautiful baroque palace in 1545 when it became the property of incredibly rich and influential Polish Boner family - Krakow bankers and advisers of Sigismund the Old (1467-1548).
Head of the family Severin Bonner hired Italian architect to transform the Gothic castle into a beautiful Renaissance castle. At that time Ogrodzieniec is filled with beautiful mahogany furniture, Renaissance paintings and stained glass.
The castle consisted of an upper house, three high observation towers and massive outwork. Ogrodzieniec had fairly stable protective structure with towers and places of firearms.
In 1655 the Ogrodzieniec castle was seriously damaged by the Swedish invaders. Four years later the palace was purchased by Stanisław Warszycki, which throws most of his assets for the restoration of the palace. Stanislav Graf was known in Polish land as a Count Dracula figure. His fame in general was good and his loyalty servant of his king and country was undoubted, while carrying a lot stories about his inhuman cruelty.
After another invasion of the Swedes in the 18 century Ogrodzieniec was abandoned and began to roll. Much of the structure, the fort and towers have been preserved to this day.
Between the years 1959-1974 Ogrodzieniec won status of protected historical monument and is now open for tourist visits.
