The World’s Largest Castle: Double the Size of Buckingham Palace
Malbork Castle in Poland, the largest castle in the world, is a place of history and grandeur. Dating back to the 13th century, it took 132 years to build and consists of an astonishing 30 million bricks. With an area covering 2.27 million square meters, it is twice the size of Buckingham Palace and is one of the best examples of gothic architecture. The castle is situated on the UNESCO World Heritage list, portraying its significance and grandeur.
The castle is a complex structure, consisting of three castles, several hundred houses, between two interlocking defensive walls, a huge maze of granaries and moats, staircases, towers, and halls. The foundations of Malbork Castle were laid in 1274 by knights of the Teutonic Order, and it served as their headquarters for nearly 150 years. The castle could store enough food for 400 people for two years and was home to 3,000 knights who wanted easy access to merchant ships coming from the Baltic Sea.
Over time, the castle faced different turns of fortune – it was captured by the Polish army in 1457, and later became the home of Polish kings. However, invasions caused the castle to decline, and it was finally placed under government protection in the 1800s. Today, the castle serves as a museum in its restored form, attracting over 300 thousand tourists from 84 countries every year. These visitors get to wander among the castle’s treasures, learning about the history and significance of this magnificent structure.
