21/09/2023

Given the huge 20km+ stationary traffic jam we’d seen on arriving in Gdasnk, and being tired, we decided not to leave that evening, but to wait till morning. Very early the next morning. We hit the road at 6.15. It hurt! Lots of roadworks and one jam for us, but it was over in 5 mins.

When we arrived at Malbork we put our heads down for half an hour. J went into the castle first and I walked C. Then we swapped. I was a LOT longer than J as I picked up the included in the ticket audio guide. I skipped some sections. Skimmed others. It still took me 2 hours! It ain’t the largest brick castle in the world for nothing!

The Teutonic Knights ruled their independent state from here from C13. They ran out of money and sold to Polish royalty. Swedes invaded and improved. When the Germans took over, it wasn’t modern enough for them to live in. Then WW2 near destroyed. The chapel was only finally restored in 2016.
A beast of a castle!