The ruins of the castle in the village of Podzamcze, in the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska, built on the so-called Eagles' Nests trail, in the village of Podzamcze in the Silesian Voivodeship.
The gothic castle was built in the mid-fourteenth century. It is situated on the highest hill of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland - the Zamkowa mountain, rising over 515 meters above sea level. The ruins lie on the tourist trail of the so-called Eagles' Nests trail. It was the ancestral seat of the knightly Sulimczyk family. It was located in the place of the present upper castle. The stronghold was perfectly integrated into the terrain, it was covered with rocks on three sides, and the defensive perimeter was closed by a wall with a gate.
In the 16th century, when the Krakow Boner family became the owners, it was rebuilt and the Gothic castle was transformed into a magnificent Renaissance residence, the defense system of which already took into account the wide use of firearms. The entire complex consisted of an extensive, three-tower upper castle and a spacious outer bailey with farm buildings. The whole was surrounded by a wall, which was integrated into fancifully shaped rocks. The upper castle, apparently, was as splendid as Wawel in Kraków.
The castle was conquered by the Swedish army in 1655, and for almost two years of stationing, a significant part of the buildings was ruined. in 1702, during the second Swedish invasion, the castle also failed to defend itself against the onslaught of the Swedes. At that time, half of the upper castle was destroyed by fire and its reconstruction was not undertaken. The last inhabitants left the ruined stronghold over a hundred years later, around 1810. Currently, the castle is undergoing conservation and restoration, but it is made available to tourists.
The surrounding rocks are a great place to practice climbing and admire the surrounding landscapes.
I love old castles and have already visited a few, they tell their own story. But nowadays they are being forgotten more and more.