a mighty fortress! Malbork Castle was built in a few stages. The work started in 1278 after the Teutonic Order, German Catholic crusaders, had conquered the area of Old Prussia. They named the castle “Marienburg” to commemorate Mary, the mother of Jesus. It consists of three castles: High, Middle and Lower, all separated by dry moats and towers. All the rooms, the details of architecture, passages, and corners you find inside are so beautiful they definitely impress.

The Malbork castle is the mightiest fortress of medieval Europe. Its construction begun in the 13th century.  But major transformation begun in early 14th century, when the Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen moved his office to Malbork (statute of him further down).  The castle was promoted to the status of being the capital of one of the most powerful states on the southern coast of the Baltic.

The old structure apparently could not fulfil its new functions in its current form.  It took almost half a century to transform a convent house into a strongly fortified High Castle. Surrounded by deep moats and several rings of defensive walls, it housed several representative rooms. Among these are: the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, enlarged by a new chancel, and St. Ann’s chapel beneath it – the burial site for the Grand Masters. The old settlement outside the outer walls was also expanded, becoming a spacious and functional Middle Castle available to knights – guests from Western Europe. (from their website)