How to Visit Malbork Castle, and is Malbork Castle Worth Visiting?

A trip to Poland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the world’s largest castle. I’m not exaggerating here. Clocking in at 21 hectares, Malbork Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site that literally has the most land area not just in Eastern Europe, but of any castle standing today.

I set aside a whole day for it while I was planning out my Poland itinerary. And boy am I glad I did. Any less and I wouldn’t have gotten the full medieval experience—there’s just so much to see and explore.

I’ll show you the best way to manage your time so you can navigate the turrets, towers, hallways, and even amber collection waiting for you inside this magnificent 13th-century fortress.

Plus, I’ll answer: is Malbork Castle worth visiting? And how to get to Malbork Castle from Gdansk.

Read more from my Poland travel blog.

 

Is Malbork Castle worth visiting?

Crossing the bridge into Malbork Castle, the ultimate medieval fortress in Poland

 

For boys like me obsessed with fantasy novels and all things medieval, there is no better castle in the world than this. It’s the ultimate castle. There’s just nowhere else like it and it’s a must-have on your Poland itinerary.

Plus, you can also add nearby castle stops if you have the time. There are so many more to see in the area. I recommend Kwidzyn as a great next choice since it’s only a 45-minute drive away. Wawel Castle is another excellent stop if Krakow is the next city on your plan.

But if you only have time for one castle, this is it. This Polish royal residence is the king of the hill among all castles, in my humble opinion.

Here’s my overall ranking broken down into sections:

• Getting to Malbork: 9/10
• Value for money: 10/10
• Guides: 11/10
• Historical Significance: 10/10
• Exhibits: 10/10

That’s a perfect score of 50. It doesn’t get better than that.

So, is Malbork Castle worth visiting? Without a doubt.

 

 

How much time do you need to visit Malbork Castle?

Don’t even think about rushing it through Malbork Castle; take your time because Malbork Castle is worth visiting

 

I highly recommend putting aside a full day for the castle. I was so happy I did because there’s a ton of information to take in, and the full day gave me ample time to digest it all without feeling rushed.

To illustrate my point: I spent 4 hours inside the castle itself, not counting the outside and its jaw-dropping courtyards, and even that felt just too short.

Don’t forget to take into account the hour-long drive or train ride to get there from Gdansk, which is the best major city to access the castle from and was a great addition to my Gdansk itinerary.

 

How to get to Malbork Castle from Gdansk

It's about a 1-hour drive from Gdansk to Malbork Castle

 

By car

I chose to drive from Gdansk, which took me about one hour. I always prefer to rent a car when I travel (my go-to company is DiscoverCars—try it), so if you’re looking for convenience and flexibility, then this is a good option since the trip to the town of Malbork isn’t that long.

The only downside was the parking. It costs 15zl per hour (4 USD) to park in front of the castle, and the lot fills up fast, so you’ll want to get there as early as possible to grab a decent spot.

Tip: Park on the streets of Malbork instead. It costs just 2zl per hour (1 USD).

By train

The upside of taking the train is that it’s even shorter than the car trip—fast trains can get you there in 20 to 30 minutes—but they tend to be somewhat expensive. There are cheaper options that take a bit longer, so you can choose whatever works best for you.

To get to the train station from the castle, it’s a 20-minute walk through the town. If you don’t want to deal with that, you could always call a cab.

By guided tour

The easiest, but most expensive, option is a guided tour. It includes both pickup and drop-off directly from your hotel, so no need to worry about any navigation.

If you go for a human guide, you can choose between English and German speakers. However, if neither of those suits you, there are also options that combine a private ride with the audio tour included (Czech being one of the many language options, to my surprise).

More on that later.

 

 

Buying tickets for Eastern Europe's famous Castle of the Teutonic

Lost inside Malbork Castle in Malbork, Poland, and loving every second

 

The full ticket for Malbork Castle with the audio guide included is 80zl (22 USD). This will get you access to everything in the castle’s interior, including the amber collection and armory. Honestly, it’s surprisingly cheap given everything you’re able to see.

If you’re into architecture, you can also purchase a tour of the exterior for 35zl (10 USD) for a stunning view of the towers, courtyards, gardens, and even a burial chapel. I visited in the winter, so I opted for just the inside tour, but would highly recommend this addition if you're going on a summer trip.

Tickets are available both online and on-site, but I recommend buying online in advance to avoid long lines. Time is of the essence when it comes to Malbork Castle, so don’t waste it waiting when you could just quickly go in.

If you don’t have any Polish zlotý on hand, don’t worry: credit cards are also accepted both online and on-site.

 

Do you need a guide for Malbork Castle?

Gothic courtyard inside Malbork Castle

 

The audio guide is the true hero of the Malbork Castle tour. It works automatically as a GPS to help you walk around the grounds. Which is really useful since you aren't given a map.

It’s surprisingly short—just 2-3 hours worth of audio for the entire castle complex—but about half the information I learned came only from the guide. The texts inside the rooms are informative too, but don’t give you the full picture. The guide fills in the gaps, so by the time I left, I felt like an expert on Polish history.

You also absolutely need it if you don’t speak Polish. A lot of the signage inside the castle is in Polish only, which, in my opinion, makes no sense for a monument of this fame and size. Especially since like 99% of visitors probably don’t speak it. I mean, it’s not like it’s a common language offered in high school.

Thankfully, as I mentioned before, it has all the big languages, like English and Spanish. But it doesn’t have any Asian languages like Chinese and Japanese, which I thought was kind of strange.

 

What to expect at Malbork Castle complex, the largest castle in the world

Wooden bridge entrance to Malbork Castle in Malbork, Poland, and proof that Malbork Castle is worth visiting

 

Let’s start out with two top tips right off the bat:

• Before you even go in, stop at the wooden bridge across the river for some of the best photos you can get of the towers. This isn’t something you should save for later if you want to beat the crowds. The castle is located on the southeastern bank of the Nogat River, so passing ships get the ultimate view. This is a very, very close second.
• When you do go in, watch your head—the castle church's entryway is way too low, and I banged my forehead on it. Ouch.

 

You’ll quickly realize that the castle is so big, it feels more like a city than just one monument.

What’s particularly astounding about the Malbork Castle complex is that, despite its age, it’s built from brick. It really looks properly medieval, like something out of Braveheart. The Teutonic Knights did one hell of a job on these grounds.

You’re gonna want to get your phone out for the courtyards, both inner and outer. These are definite highlights and excellent photo ops for a view of the complex's outside.

 

 

A brief history of Malbork Castle: built by the Teutonic Knights, sold to the Polish kings

Inner courtyard of Malbork Castle

 

The Teutonic Knights began building Malbork Castle in 1274. After they finished it in 1406, it became a major administrative center for the Hanseatic League until they sold it to Poland in 1457. For 300 years, it was the seat of the Polish kings until Malbork became incorporated into Prussia courtesy of the Prussian army. Quite a shift from the Catholic Teutonic Order's monastic state to pagan Prussians.

Malbork rejoined Poland during the Second World War when, like most of the country’s other monuments, a significant portion of it was destroyed—approximately half in the castle's case. But it was meticulously restored not long after the war ended, towers and all.

Fun fact: the castle was never taken in battle in its early days, only sold. Yep. Rulers just sold their power away, starting with the Teutonic Order. Kind of lame if you ask me.

In all fairness, conquering the castle probably would have been next to impossible. First, you'd have to get past the tough defensive walls that make up the fortress. Then you’d reach the lower castle, all exhausted from your trek, and only then you’d realize there’s still a middle castle, AND a high castle to tackle. That’s a lot of work. This place was built to last.

But there are still plenty of epic battle stories to learn about in the Malbork Castle museum. In the 15th century, when Polish kings were reigning there, they employed Czech mercenaries who had gained experience in the Hussite Wars to fight for them.

The Hussites had revolutionized warfare with their tactical use of war wagons and were one of the first in Europe to deploy handheld firearms—including early weapons known as ‘píšťala,’ which is where we get the word ‘pistol’ from.

Pretty inventive stuff for back in the day.

 

A guide to Malbork Castle Museum’s historic sections

On a medieval mission

 

The information in Malbork Castle is not too overwhelmingly detailed, so you won’t get bored. Most of it is fun facts, and given the castle’s number of rooms, there are tons of those to discover.

The only thing to avoid is the Polish tour guides. It annoyed the heck out of me when they stopped in the middle of the room with their giant groups, hogging up the hallway and yapping away in Polish.

Just wait for them to pass by, and then it’s fine. Touring rewards the patient.

 

Attend the Middle Castle and its Grand Master's Palace

Inside the Grand Master’s Palace

 

Located in the middle castle, the Grand Master's Palace was the residence and main hub of the Teutonic Order in Malbork. With its high towers and ceilings, it's easy to see why. This classy structure was obviously built for a religious order and fit for grand masters to use.

In the Grand Master's place, you’ll find the Great Refectory and the Summer Refectory, which were built for banquets and other social events. I couldn’t help but feel jealous when I was walking through—I’ve never been invited to a dinner party anywhere this luxurious. How are 13^th-century knights going to cooler parties than me?

 

Explore the High Castle and its Chapter House

High Castle, home to the Chapter House and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

One of the most important rooms in the high castle, the Chapter House was the main meeting place for the highest-ranking members of the Teutonic Order. Officials like grand masters were elected here, and major political decisions were made. Kind of like a mini White House in the middle of the castle, but instead for medieval Polish offices.

To be honest, it was so empty and quiet in there, I found it hard to imagine it as a place where rowdy politicians debated their faces off. But I guess politicians will do that anywhere. Even the ancient ones.

Another interesting place in the High Castle is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was also damaged in the Second World War and restored to accuracy afterwards.

The chapel is small, but the statue of Mary is worth seeing, even if you’re not that into religious imagery. Personally, I’m more into knights and medieval stuff. Still, the Teutonic Order was very Catholic, so you won’t get the full historical experience if you skip the religious parts.

 

Soak in the amber collection

Amber collection and historic armor inside the Malbork Castle Museum

 

Amber was a hot commodity in medieval Poland, even referred to as “Baltic gold” in its heyday. It was one of the Teutonic Order’s most lucrative goods for trade and a major contributor to their wealth. If you had amber, you had power.

Because it was so valuable in the 14th century, Malbork Castle has a whole part dedicated to it… and it’s the biggest amber display I’ve ever seen, with over 2,000 items in the castle's collection.

This includes jewelry, altars, ancient religious artifacts, and even contemporary artwork. Want to see what something would look like in amber form? You’ll probably find out here.

There are amber-preserved items here, too. All I have to say is, wow. It’s amazing what can be caught in amber.

The collection even had theme music to help you feel immersed. I always appreciate it when curators add an extra touch to their exhibits. They really knew what they were doing.

 

Admire the Teutonic Order in Malbork’s strapping weapons

Armory collection featuring medieval weapons and early firearms

 

All sorts of workers lived inside the castle, including clergymen, merchants, grand masters of the Teutonic Order, and of course, Teutonic knights. So, a visit would be incomplete without stopping by the armory.

You’ll find tons of items belonging to the Teutonic knights here, notably the famous helmet from Age of Empires II. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever played the game.

There’s even a real Zweihänder—nowadays pretty rare in Europe compared to other medieval weapons. It’s every boy’s dream sword. I could just picture myself wielding it like a badass knight, slashing down enemies left and right. Hyah!

And naturally, no Polish armory is complete without hussar armor. It’s the quintessential Polish knight’s kind of getup.

The whole exhibit brought out my inner fanboy. What can I say? Once a fantasy nerd, always a fantasy nerd.

 

Final Thoughts: Is Malbork Castle Worth Visiting?

Exploring the massive courtyards of Malbork Castle

 

Being from Prague, I have pretty high standards when it comes to castles. But Malbork Castle did not disappoint since it’s even bigger than Prague Castle—and every other castle anywhere. No wonder it took the Teutonic Order so long to build. I mean, there's a separate low castle, middle castle, and high castle. That's basically a three-in-one castle deal.

Even though half of the castle is restored rather than original, it didn't take anything out of the experience for me. Honestly, when it comes to Polish monuments, it's almost impossible to find anything that escaped World War II unscathed. And it was such a stunning view, especially with the River Nogat snaking by in the background.

Much like enemy knights trying to get past those defensive walls, you’ll find it nearly impossible to tackle in one day. That’s why I recommend combining it with one day in Gdansk or Torun, or even heading over to Kwyzin Castle for an easy day trip. You could even do both castles in the same day if you’re really in the medieval mood.

If you’re hungry for more World War II history, Auschwitz is a can’t-miss destination.

So is Malbork Castle worth visiting? Slotting it into your itinerary will add to your knowledge and your camera roll. I'd say it's not just a must for Poland, but for all of Eastern Europe. I felt like a grand master of the Teutonic Order myself, exploring all the turrets, chapels, and courtyards galore.

Plus, it’ll give you bragging rights. When your friends ask you what you did on vacation, you can tell them, “I went to the biggest castle in the world.”

 

 

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