Bydlin Castle

Bydlin Castle, located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, is a ruin of a structure built as part of the Eagle Nests system, dating back to the late 14th century. Perched on a rocky hill, it originally served as a defensive fortress and later as a place of worship, as confirmed by archaeological research conducted in 1989. Excavations revealed the foundations of buildings, including a gate tower, and a denarius of Louis I of Hungary from around 1370, suggesting that the castle walls were constructed during the Angevin period. From an architectural standpoint, only remnants of the walls and a moat have survived, forming a rectangular shape measuring 24 by 11 meters. The walls, built from local limestone, have an average thickness of just over 2 meters and reach a height of about 7 meters, with traces of arrow slits visible in their structure. The castle's history is rich and complex – over two centuries, it had many owners, including the Boner and Firlej families, who adapted the structure into a church. In the 16th century, Jan Firlej converted it into an Arian church, and his son Mikołaj restored its status as a Catholic church dedicated to the Holy Cross in 1594. The castle was destroyed by the Swedes in 1655 and later rebuilt, but in the 18th century, it was gradually abandoned due to the threat of looting. An interesting fact is that at the beginning of World War I, on November 17, 1914, Polish legionnaires occupied the castle hill, initiating the Battle of Krzywopłoty. The castle ruins are part of the Trail of the Eagle Nests, making them an attractive destination for hikers and cyclists, while their history and architecture draw enthusiasts of culture and heritage.