The ruins of Bolczów Castle (The Bolzenschloss), Janowice Wielkie, Lower Silesia, Poland
One of the most picturesque and unique mountain castles in the Sudety mountains, in a state of permanent ruin since the 17th century. This relatively small complex designed on an extremely irregular plan retains a clear functional layout with its peripheral walls, courtyards as well as stone stairs and passages connecting the individual parts of the structure. The castle makes a perfect use of the shape and defensive features of the surrounding terrain, which has also contributed to its popularity as a scenic viewpoint from the first half of the 19th century onwards.
The ruins of the mountain castle, built on an irregular plan, are situated on the north-western edge of the Zamkowy Grzbiet (Castle Ridge) mountain in Rudawy Janowickie, above the Bóbr river valley, about 2 kilometres south of the Janowice Wielkie village. The complex, situated at the elevation of 550-561 metres above sea level, features an extremely irregular plan, occupying a triangular rock plateau with sides measuring approx. 50 metres, with two of its edges forming lines of precipitous rocks. The oldest, northern part of the complex - the upper castle - consists of a rectangular tower and a residential building which can be reached by following a flight of steps hewn inside a rock crevice. A wall connecting the rocks was erected, forming a relatively regular, pentagonal courtyard, in the middle of which a rainwater cistern was hewn in the bedrock. Utility buildings were located on the eastern side of the courtyard. Following the ravages of the Hussite Wars, the castle was extended, with a long, curvilinear curtain wall being added in the south-west, while another wall was erected towards the east and the south between the rock formations, thereby closing the defensive perimeter. An entrance gate and quadrangular gatehouse were placed on the spot where both walls meet, thus forming the southern corner of the entire complex. The effect of this arrangement was that a new, lower courtyard was formed. A number of utility buildings were erected there, although today only vestigial traces of those can be seen there. In the 1st half of the 16th century, the castle was adapted to the use of firearms in the course of the Renaissance redesign effort. It is in those times that the horseshoe-shaped barbican was erected, as was the roundel located east of the barbican and mirroring its shape. Both of these structures are surrounded by a dry moat with a bridge, located south of the castle. All of the new defensive structures came equipped with embrasures. The ruins of the tavern building in the upper castle date back to the late 19th century.
The castle is open to the public and forms part of a designated tourist trail.
compiled by Piotr Roczek, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wrocław, 23-10-2014.
taken from zabytek.pl/en/obiekty/janowice...
