Malbork Castle

In the summer of 2015 we decided to visit eastern Poland. We started, however, further north. The first attraction was visiting the Gothic castle in Malbork.

You can only visit Malbork Castle with a guide or an audio guide, and both are included in the ticket. The Historical Route covers the whole castle with its rooms and exhibitions, while the shorter Walking Route (about 1.5 hours) only takes you through the courtyards, terraces and moats, without the interiors.

The castle was built in the years 1274-1457 and is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. It was the seat of the Teutonic Knights.

Fun fact: Malbork is the largest castle in the world by land area. Its outer walls enclose about 21 hectares. In 1309 the Grand Master moved the Order's headquarters here, and since 1997 the castle has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The route from Poznań to Malbork is easy thanks to the existing sections of the S5 expressway and the A1 motorway. The only exception is 3 km of DK22 around Tczew, which is cobblestoned. A cobblestone road?
On the website we read that there was major roadwork in Malbork and that visitors were advised to leave the car on the other side of the river. So we did. The castle can be reached by a footbridge. Walking across the footbridge with the children, we learned the name of a new river - the Nogat.

Parking the car on the other side of the river, unfortunately, meant that we had a fairly long walk to the ticket offices, which are located on the other side of the castle.

Tours take place in guided groups, which start every 15 minutes.  We got to the castle on a Monday and the indoor exhibitions were closed. Interestingly, we didn't find this information on the website. The prices at the ticket office were also different from those on the website. A bit chaotic. In the end that didn't matter, because the parking was more expensive than the ticket price.

The tour started by crossing the drawbridge leading to the outer bailey. Next we crossed a wet moat, reaching the courtyard of the Middle Castle. Later, we were guided across a dry moat to the High Castle. During the guided tour we got to know the history of the Teutonic Knights and the fate of the castle. We learned how one could become a Teutonic Knight and what each building and room was used for. We also saw the heating system used at the castle.

The castle was severely damaged during the war and reconstruction still continues. At the time of our visit, restoration work was being carried out on part of the High Castle. This work, however, did not interfere with the sightseeing. We were able to walk along a balcony in the High Castle, we also saw the toilet of the Teutonic Knights. On the way back, we walked through the cellars, where some of the museum exhibits were on display.

Although part of the exhibition was closed, we absolutely loved the castle. Mainly due to the guide, who spoke interestingly about the castle. At the exit to the castle grounds there were souvenir stands. We bought a fridge magnet with the image of Malbork Castle there - for our collection of magnets from the places we've visited.

After visiting the castle we went to the Baltic Sea, heading for Krynica Morska.

Practical info

We checked prices and opening times in November 2026.

Tickets

Ticket prices:

• the Historical Route costs PLN 80 (reduced PLN 60),
• the family ticket for 1-2 adults with children aged 7-18 is PLN 70 per adult and PLN 60 per child,
• children under 7 get in free, but you need to pick up a „0” ticket at the ticket office.

When to go

Off season (1 October 2026 to 25 April 2027) the Historical Route is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00-16:00, with last entry at 12:45.

Monday is a free day, but only the Walking Route is open, without the exhibitions and rooms.

With a pushchair

• you can leave a pushchair in a marked spot between the walls on the west side,
• next to the toilet in the ticket building there is a baby changing room,
• the road to the gate is cobbled and the gate has a high threshold.

With kids in summer

During the summer holidays (28 June to 31 August, Tuesday to Sunday) there is a family-friendly guided Family Route, PLN 65 (reduced PLN 50).

From Malbork we drove on to Krynica Morska and its lighthouse.