In the north of Poland, among glacial lakes, buried in the greenery of ancient woods, spreads a cozy town of Olsztyn. Its peace is guarded by a mighty medieval citadel, the iconic Warmian Bishops’ Castle, or the Olsztyn Castle.

A remarkable example of brick Gothic was founded in 1346 and for a long time served as the seat of the Warmian bishops along with the Heilsberg Castle in Lidzbark Warminski. The boundaries of the initial small brick fortress were soon expanded as they erected tall observation towers and robust and reliable defensive walls. Soon, it was turned into a mighty stronghold protecting the entrance to the town. Although the impregnable fortress belonged to the bishops, it was ruled by the Teutonic Order, which did the castle a disservice, making it a coveted trophy during the Polish-Teutonic wars. For more than a century, the castle was the Teutonic Knights’ abode, then the Warmian bishops’, until it lost its defensive purpose and became the en-route residence.

The great scientist Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived within the castle walls from 1516 to 1521, brought worldwide fame to it outside Poland. In the course of the existence of the Warmian Bishops’ Castle, many famous scientists and men of art stayed there, including the renowned poet and “father of Polish diplomacy,” Johannes Dantiscus, historian, cartographer, and personal assistant to two kings of Poland, Marcin Kromer, and later the “prince of poets” and clergy critic Ignacy Krasicki. In the 19th century, the castle was owned by the state, and the defensive moat was filled; an earth-fill barrage replaced the bridge leading from the town to the castle. The castle failed to avoid various reconstructions, including the remake of arched windows. And since 1946, the castle has become a history museum. At present, its premises host a variety of exhibitions, conferences, and presentations, as well as the annual Olsztyn Artistic Summer festival.