Drahim Castle in Stare Drawsko

Drahim Castle in Stare Drawsko is the Gothic ruin of a Knights Hospitaller stronghold on a narrow isthmus between Lake Drawsko and Lake Żerdno, about 5.5 km north of Czaplinek. The castle was built in 1360-1366 on the site of a Slavic stronghold, and in the 15th to 17th centuries it was the seat of the starosts of Drahim. It has stood in ruins since 1759.

The stronghold, the Templars and the Hospitallers

The isthmus was earlier occupied by a stronghold of the Drawians tribe, which developed from the 7th to the middle of the 12th century. It was finally taken by the warriors of Bolesław the Wrymouth. At the end of the 13th century these lands were handed to the Templars, whose commandery had its seat in Czaplinek. After the order was dissolved in 1312 the estate was taken over by the Margrave of Brandenburg, and from 1345 it was held by the Knights Hospitaller, who also settled in Czaplinek. First, in 1350, a wooden castle was built here, and in 1360-1366 a masonry one.

The studies differ in detail: one speaks of the Hospitallers from 1345, another already from the end of the 13th century.

The starostwo of Drahim

In 1366 the estate was acquired by Casimir III the Great, who established a starostwo (a royal estate administered by a starost) here. From 1407 to 1668 the starosts of Drahim sat in the castle. In 1657 King John Casimir pledged the starostwo to Brandenburg, and when the pledge was not redeemed, from 1668 the castle was in Brandenburg hands. The Sejm in Grodno resolved in 1726 to redeem it, but the money collected for the purpose was squandered.

How it looked and how it fell

The complex stood on a mound artificially raised by 6 m, measuring 50 x 50 m. The castle was built of granite boulders and brick on a quadrangular plan of 41 x 46.5 m, without a tower but with defensive walls from 7.6 to 12.8 m high and a gate tower in the north curtain. It was protected by lakes to the east and west and by a moat to the north and south.

A fire in 1758, which broke out during the defence against a Cossack attack in the Seven Years' War, began the decline. The entry on the village says that the castle has been in ruins since 1759. In 1784 part of the walls was pulled down for material for the nearby church, today dedicated to All Saints. In 1818 Prussia sold the site to a private owner. Securing work and archaeological research were carried out in 1963-1968. The site has been entered in the heritage register since 1959.

Nearby

The castle lies near Drawsko Landscape Park. It is about 5-6 km to Czaplinek and Lake Czaplinek, and the village lies on voivodeship road no. 163 between Czaplinek and Połczyn-Zdrój.

Practical information

• Address: Stare Drawsko 10, Czaplinek municipality.
• The ruins are privately owned. The entry on the village says that the castle is open to visitors and that there are demonstrations of life in an old castle and knightly tournaments, but the site's own website did not open at the time of checking. Check the rules of entry and the hours before your visit.
• The site is a historic monument in ruins, so move around with care.