Chęciny

The Royal Castle in Chęciny was erected on the crest of a rocky hill (367 m above sea level), at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.

The castle is divided into two parts: the older (upper), stretching between two round bastilles, and the younger (lower), with an ogival gateway and a quadrilateral bastille, which was added in the 15th century. The lower castle had an outbuilding function. In the middle of the courtyard there is a wellhole that was dug into the rock to a depth of 100 metres. This well and the underground corridor leading to the church in Chęciny were probably used to maintain communication during the siege, as reflected in a legend which claims that the castle was linked to the church on the Karczówka mountain.

According to other legends, in the underground dungeons there are still treasures left in a hurry by queen Bona Sforza, and a knight galloping on a black horse appears on the hills in the evening hours.

At present, the castle in Chęciny is one of the most frequently visited monuments of its kind in Poland. The mighty bastilles dominate the surroundings and are visible from the route to Kraków. The full perimeter of the outer ramparts, two towers, a bastille and the foundations of the residential buildings have been preserved to this day. In the eastern tower there is a vantage point, where in good weather you can see the tops of the Tatra Mountains.