Castles: Stargard

Castles in Stargard are in practice four towers of the defensive walls, a national monument, plus two palaces: the Shooting House and the palace in Giżynek.

There is no castle in the strict sense in this set. The tag covers fortifications that look like a stronghold from afar and two grand nineteenth-century residences. The whole town is covered under attractions in Stargard, and strongholds from across the region under castles in West Pomerania.

Which towers in the Stargard walls should you see first?

First the Red Sea Tower and the Weavers' Tower, as the two largest and best known. They stand in the Old Town and, with the collegiate church and the rest of the walls, were placed on the list of national monuments in 2010.

Baszta Morze Czerwone (Red Sea Tower) is 34 metres tall and was built in the later 1300s. You find it where Warowna meets Łokietka Street, and three terraces form its top. Wikipedia counts it among the peak achievements of Gothic fortification in Pomerania. Baszta Tkaczy (Weavers' Tower), known too as the Ice Tower, is 31 metres tall and comes from the middle of the 1400s. Its glazed brick façade forms a chequerboard and diamonds, and it is crowned with battlements and a cone.

The purpose of the walls, and how the town looked in the Hanseatic era, is explained in The Hanse in West Pomerania: Darłowo, Kołobrzeg, Stargard and Goleniów in the footsteps of merchants.

Where in Stargard should you look for towers by the Ina?

By the bend of the Ina stand the Białogłówka Tower and the Prisoners' Tower. The first lies by the Rampart Gate, the second in the southern part of the walls, so a fair stretch of walking separates them.

Baszta Białogłówka (Białogłówka Tower) from the early 1400s rises in the oldest part of the Old Town, on the edge of the former stronghold. About 30 metres high, it ends in a white cone. Inside are six floors, and the tower belongs to the European Route of Brick Gothic. Baszta Jeńców (Prisoners' Tower), also called the Little Powder or Smiths' Tower, is a round, 13-metre cylinder with four internal levels, each pierced by firing slits. You find it on Strażnicza Street, and it was raised around 1500.

The gate and canal that complete the picture of the fortifications are in the article The Mill Gate in Stargard: a gate over water and the canal that powered the town.

Are there palaces in Stargard?

Yes, two: the Shooting House in Panorama park and the palace in Giżynek in the western part of town. Both buildings are nineteenth century, but they stand in quite different districts.

Dom Strzelecki (Shooting House), also called the Panorama Palace, stands at Ochronna 9. The complex of three buildings from 1861 was built in the neoclassical style. Until 1945 it belonged to the Marksmen's Brotherhood, and today, after restoration, it serves as a hall for balls and banquets. The park beside it is described in the article Stargard parks: Castle, Piast, Panorama and others.

Pałac w Giżynku (Palace in Giżynek) at Giżynek 6 is a neo-Gothic brick building of the nineteenth century, entered in the register of monuments. It lies on the Giżynek estate, formerly Giesenfelde, where a state farm operated until 1991. You can plan a trip around town with the help of Weekend in Stargard: walls, towers, museums and parks.

Frequently asked questions

Does Stargard have a real castle?

Not in this set. The tag stands for towers of the defensive walls and two palaces.

Which tower in Stargard is the tallest?

The Red Sea Tower, at 34 metres. The Weavers' Tower measures 31 metres and the Białogłówka about 30.

What does a place on the list of national monuments mean here?

The defensive walls, towers and the collegiate church were declared a national monument by a regulation of the President of Poland of 17 September 2010.

Where is the Panorama Palace in Stargard?

At Ochronna Street 9, on the edge of Panorama park. It is another name for the Shooting House.