Trzewlin Castle

Trzewlin Castle is the ruin of a medieval knightly castle from the 14th century on the summit of Panieńska Góra in Wielka Wieś, in Wojnicz municipality. Only traces of a dry moat and small fragments of walls, hidden in dense vegetation, have survived to this day.

History of the castle

Construction began in the 14th century, and the first owners were the Białoń family of the Rawicz coat of arms, who styled themselves "of Trzewlin". The castle was part of the Dunajec defence system. In the 15th century it passed to the Wielowieyski family, in the 17th century it fell into ruin, and after the Swedish wars it was dismantled by townspeople from nearby Wojnicz. It has been entered in the heritage register.

What it looked like

The stronghold lay on the left bank of the Dunajec, 120 metres above the valley floor. It consisted of an upper castle on a square plan of 40 by 40 metres, surrounded by a stone wall, a lower castle in the shape of an elongated triangle, and a circular, fortified outer bailey. According to a legend recounted by Seweryn Goszczyński in 1832, the unfaithful wives of the knights of Bolesław the Bold took refuge on the hill.

Access and surroundings

A blue trail leads to the ruins from the market square in Wojnicz. At the foot of the hill lies the Panieńska Góra nature reserve, and a larger castle on the Dunajec is Melsztyn Castle.

Practical information

• Location: the summit of Panieńska Góra, Wielka Wieś, Tarnów County.
• It is a ruin without buildings: the sources give no visiting rules or hours, and there are no interiors.
• Take care on the hill; the ground is overgrown and uneven.