Świny Castle

Świny Castle

The history of Świny Castle is inseparably linked with the nearby Bolków Castle. In the 18th century, the castellany was located here which was abandoned by the Jawór-Świdnica prince Bolko I the Strict in favour of the newly built fortress in Bolków. Most likely during that time the castle went into the hands of the knightly family of Świnkowie. Interestingly, they adopted the family name after the castle name which they owned. They turned a small guardhouse into a sophisticated seat of the family.

In the 14th century a castle surrounded by the protective wall and a 4-storey residential-protective tower was already in place. In the subsequent centuries it continued to be expanded and its bloom lasted until the second half of the 18th century. The building, lightly worn away and suffering from lack of funds for the necessary renovations, was gradually turning into ruins. It also suffered several fires which tipped the scale towards complete devastation.

It managed to be avoided in 1905 when the ruins were passed on under the care of the Association of Bolków Gaj Friends. In the 30’s of the 20th century the castle performed the role of a tourist attraction. During World War II it constituted a storage for airplane parts produced in the nearby Bolków. After World War II, the castle which by then was falling into ruins shifted from hands to hands. Ambitious plans of subsequent owners remained in the world of ideas. Only in 2023, the fate of the castle flipped and life returned to the castle walls. Currently, extensive renovation works are under way and tourists successively obtain further castle rooms filled with legends and dark secrets to be discovered and admired.