LOCATION
Bytów is located about 100 km away from Szczecinek, about 50 km from Słupsk and 100 km from Gdańsk. The city is best reached by car. It’s possible to go by public transport, however it would take a long time to arrive. 17°30’E 54°10’N
SCENIC CHARACTER
The most important monument of Bytów on the Griffins Route is the castle. On the land, which the Pomeranian Duke Warcisław IV sold to the Teutonic Knights, they erected in 1390-1405 huge walls with corner towers from field stones. The castle was surrounded by a moat with a single drawbridge. After the Teutonic Knights lost the Battle of Grunwald, the castle was taken over by the Polish king Władysław Jagiełło, who handed it over to the Pomeranian Duke Bogusław VIII. After the Polish-Pomeranian friendship treaty was concluded in 1466, the Pomeranian Duke Erik II received permission to buy the city from the Teutonic Order. In 1500 Duke Bogusław X modernized the fortifications of the castle and surrounded it with yet another moat. The castle became one of the residences of Pomeranian Dukes. Barnim XI built a stately Ducal House, a knight’s hall and an armoury here. The Old Monstery House was designated for economic purposes and served as a space for various establishments, e.g. brewery, bakery and granary. In 1623, at the command of the last Duke of Griffins, Prince Bogusław XIV, the Widow’s House was built here for the widow of his brother Franciszek I. Destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War the castle was rebuilt by Anna de Croy, sister of Bogusław XIV. The castle was badly destroyed during subsequent wars. Nowadays, after the reconstruction, the castle can still be described as having impressive dimensions. The Museum of Western Kashubia, a cultural centre and a hotel with a restaurant are located here. In the Museum you can see e.g. an exhibition referring to the Teutonic times and the rule of the Griffins, where you can find famous Grand Map of the Pomeranian Duchy by Eilhard Lubinus and artefacts related to the introduction of the Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania. There is also a gallery of portraits of Pomeranian dukes historically associated with the Bytów castle. There are lectures available at the museum and in the last days of July you can witness are knights’ tournaments.
ATTRACTIONS
Wandering around Bytów visit the Gothic Tower of St. Catherine, the remains of the first Bytów temple, in which the archaeological monuments of Bytów land are exhibited, the Museum of the Polish School showing the history of Kashubians and their identity and Kashubian Styp-Rekowski homestead in Płotów, once a mainstay of Polishness on the land of Bytów. The city is surrounded by hills, forests and numerous lakes, which makes it extremely attractive in terms of tourism, fishing and hunting. There are many nature and didactic paths near the city that allow for walking, cycling or even canoeing.
