Easy hikes and walks in Czarny Las

Quite a steep climb, but the castle and views are worth the effort.

There is parking on the back road which is then a fairly level walk to the tower. If you park by the restaurant on the main road it is a steep & muddy when wet climb up to the site.

The castle is almost completely rebuilt, a beautiful view of the Dunajec and Zakliczyn

Melsztyn Castle was restored in 2022 and again in 2023 when the roof on the residential tower was completed. The castle can now be visited again without restrictions. Entry is free and possible at any time because the entire area is under video surveillance.

According to written records, the construction of the castle was started by the castellan of Kraków, Spycimire, in 1347. In the initial period, the castle was occupied by an eastern waporza. Steep and slender stols were an excellent protection for the castle. The castle consisted of a residential building with an oval light from a cistern and outbuildings. At the beginning of its existence, the castle functioned as a knightly residence of the powerful Melsztyński family. The stronghold was built in the 14th century. On the western edge of the hill, a high five-storey tower was erected on a rectangular plan. The third and fourth floors served as living quarters. The old and the new were themselves connected by a wall, enclosing the whole establishment with one defensive perimeter. From the west and south, a retaining wall was built to level the sweats in the courtyard and to strengthen the wall against sliding. At the bottom of the great, from the north-east side, there was a gatehouse through which the entrance to the castle led. Another extension of the defense system took place around 1461, which enabled the use of firearms. From the potnocnet side, an earth fortification was erected, which moved the first line of defense to a further distance. The main gate was also strengthened. In 1311, Melsztyn was sold and became the property of the Jordan family. In the middle of the 16th century, the oldest part of the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style into magnate residences. In the lower storey there were slit shooting ranges, while the upper storey had a representative and residential character. The castle survived almost unchanged until the end of the 18th century, despite the fact that its owners changed. From 1601 they were the Tarls, and from 1744 the Lanckoronskis. Resisting even the attacks of the Swedes in the 17th century The year 1770 turned out to be tragic for the Melsztyn castle, when it was first taken over by the Bar confederates and then conquered and burned by the Russian army. The first research work and securing the walls were undertaken in the years 1879-85 with the participation of architects and art historians. We owe it to Karol Lanckoronski and thanks to him we can still see the remains of the zambu today Local Action Group Dunajec-Biala