Malbork (or Marienburg) Castle is a World Heritage Site and is an extraordinary visit that will certainly take you a whole day. We absolutely recommend it.
The history of the castle is closely linked to that of the Teutonic order, whose knights were invited by the Poles to fight the infidels in Pomerania at the beginning of the 13th century. The order, then based in Venice after having been driven out of the Holy Land by the Mamelukes, began around 1290 the construction of a fortified convent, typical of the orders of chivalry (the Templars called theirs commanderies), which they named Mary's Castle: Marienburg. Thanks to military successes and the considerable increase in land under his control after the capture of Gdańsk, in 1309, Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen installs in Marienburg the headquarters of the Teutonic Knights, leaving the Veneto. The fortified convent became the political center of a powerful monastic state until its decline and the sale of the complex to the kingdom of Poland in 1457 after their defeat in the Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466). During these one hundred and fifty years, the administrative capital of the Teutonic State prospered, thanks to the control that the monks had over the very lucrative amber trade as well as the outlets of the Baltic trade. Their fortress, a symbol of their military temporal power, continued to grow and to mobilize the continent's greatest craftsmen. In many respects, the site is a unique architectural creation that presents the pinnacle of medieval Gothic architecture. Its construction, on an exceptionally large scale, was one of the greatest undertakings in medieval military engineering. Of particular interest are the superb summer refectory, with walls entirely covered with large windows on three sides, which is a masterpiece of medieval engineering, as well as the upper castle gate, great work of ironwork. The castle building site also creates architectural canons followed throughout the region, for example the practice of dansker, the tower-latrine separate from the fortifications.

The history of the complex continues after the departure of the order: in 1525 it became the seat of the voivodship. Partially destroyed during the Swedish wars of 1655-1660, after the first partition of Poland in 1772, the castle was transformed into barracks by the Prussians and gained modern ramparts, still made of red bricks, and visible near the tourist entrance today.

The interest of the site for its intangible heritage resides in the consequent works of renovation accomplished on the spot from 1882. For several decades, it was the object of a historical reconstruction faithful to the original, with a considerable effort by the Germans, anxious to preserve their historical heritage, to recover the old medieval techniques. This 19th century rehabilitation project is the precursor of the discipline of historical reconstruction used in the 21st century. Unfortunately for the architects of the project, very soon after its rehabilitation the site was severely damaged and almost destroyed during the Second World War, in a desperate attempt by the Nazis to use it for defensive purposes on the German border. It was then methodically rebuilt by the Poles according to its medieval model, which can be seen today. The site is divided into three parts:

The Low Castle (Zamek nizki). It corresponds to what is today outside the walls: the arsenal, the armory and Gothic defense structures.

The Middle Castle (Zamek Średni). Crossing the drawbridge over the wide moat. It was the center of the knights' political activities: it includes the palace of the grand masters, an amber museum with a fine collection, a military museum also well stocked (but not very well displayed), as well as the site restaurant.

The Upper Castle (Zamek Wysoki). This is the oldest part of the castle and includes the monastery. It includes the living quarters of the monk-knights, the treasury and the chancellery. The chapter house is beautiful and has inspired many film scenes. Walking through the terraces surrounding the castle, one arrives at the crypt of St. Anne (Kaplica Św.Anny), a burial chapel housing three 14th and 15th century steles of great masters of the order.

To visit the site it is advisable to take a full day and arrive well rested. Depending on the pace of the visit, it can take between 3 and 6 hours. We advise you to get there by train from Gdańsk, between 1h and 1h30 of travel (if everything goes well), prefer the Interegio to the SMK. We advise you to get there as soon as it opens at 9am: in winter you can watch the sunrise on the site and, above all, you can arrive before the crowds of tourists. Off season, it is possible to be alone in the middle of the fortress, which is ideal to marvel and explore the place at your own pace. The site has recently been revamped for tours, with a new visitor center and an audio guide, available in French, that describes each room and their use in detail, though it doesn't greatly enhance the experience. The on-site museums are easily forgotten.