Morsko Castle (Bąkowiec Castle)

Bąkowiec Castle, also called the castle in Morsko, is the ruin of a medieval castle on the Tygrys rock in Skarżyce, a district of Zawiercie, in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. It is one of the so-called Eagles' Nests and lies on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests. In the heritage register the building is listed as Bąkowiec Castle in Morsko, because it was linked with that village from the Middle Ages.

Where the castle came from

The village of Morsko was first mentioned in 1220, but the castle itself has no such early documented history. The first timber stronghold may have been raised in the 14th century by the Toporczyk family, while according to other hypotheses a watchtower was built under Casimir the Great or the castle was built by Duke Władysław Opolczyk. The first certain mention of the castle, recorded as “Bancowecz”, dates from 1389. The heritage register dates the building to the 14th century.

In the summer of 1391 the castle was taken by royal troops during the fighting between Władysław Jagiełło and Władysław Opolczyk. From 1392 the burgrave and owner was Piotr of Marcinowice of the Lis coat of arms. At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries Morsko was held by the Włodek family, who are credited with building a new, masonry castle. In 1531 the owner was Piotr Zborowski. From the 17th century the castle lay in ruins, and the village and the ruins belonged to the Heppen family until the 19th century.

What it looked like and what remains

The castle was built on a tall rock on the plan of an irregular polygon, making use of the small area of the rock's summit and its surroundings. A stone gate, fragments of which survive to this day, led to a small courtyard surrounded by a wall and four-sided rooms. At the corners stood semicircular observation and defensive towers. The outer walls were made of carefully fitted limestone blocks, and the inside was filled with stone rubble set in lime mortar.

From the east a farm courtyard adjoined the rock, reinforced by a conical earthwork with an oval tower and a dry moat. On the south side the castle was protected by a stone wall, the remains of which are still visible. The upper castle could be reached only on foot, by a system of walkways and ladders.

A house built from castle walls, and conservation

Around 1927 the hill with the ruins was bought by the architect Witold Czeczott-Danilewicz, who before 1933 built a house here using the castle walls. After 1945 the villa was taken over by the Zabrze Coal Industry Repair Works (Zabrzańskie Zakłady Naprawcze Przemysłu Węglowego), which set up a holiday centre here with a café with a terrace and a ski lift. The ruins were secured in 1959-1961, and in 1967 they were entered in the heritage register under number 790/67. Since 2015 the castle has been managed by the Society of Friends of the Zawiercie Region (Towarzystwo Miłośników Ziemi Zawierciańskiej).

The castle in its surroundings

Bąkowiec is one of a dozen or so sites on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, which runs from Częstochowa towards Kraków. On this part of the trail the nearest is Bobolice Castle, about 7.2 km from here.

A little further, about 7.8 km from Bąkowiec, stands Mirów Castle.

About 2.6 km from the castle rises the rock massif of Góra Zborów, which contains the Jaskinia Głęboka cave, open to visitors.

Practical information

• Location: Skarżyce (part of Zawiercie), the former village of Morsko. The site has the status of a monument entered in the register, and in descriptions online it appears as the ruins of a castle.
• The rules of entry, opening hours and any restrictions could not be established in open sources. Before you visit, check with the manager, that is the Society of Friends of the Zawiercie Region, or with the Zawiercie tourist information office.
• The castle is a ruin, so do not expect accessible interiors. Fragments of the gate and walls survive.