In a small town called Ujazd, in southeastern Poland, lie the ruins of one of Europe’s largest and most mysterious castles. Until the famous Versailles palatial complex was built in France, no other castle in the whole of Europe rivaled Krzyztopor in size. Its glory was shortlived, however. A mere 11 years after its completion in 1644, during the Swedish invasion of Poland known as “The Deluge,” the castle was invaded, ransacked and brought to a ruin, never again to be restored to its former glory.
Mystery abounds at Krzyztopor castle. The name, which is a composite of the two words “krzyz” (meaning “cross”) and “topor” (meaning “battle axe”), is both symbolic of the crusades and a play on words of the first name of its creator, Krzysztof Ossolinski, who is said to have been enamored with magic and spirits.
Intriguing is that despite the extensive research that has been carried out into the castle over the years, many of the oblique references and hidden meanings that have been incorporated into virtually every part of it remain unexplained to this day and no documents have been preserved as to the identity of the architect, the date of commencement or the date of completion. Whether this temporal ambiguity was intended is not known, but what is obvious at Krzyztopor is the embodiment of time in the very bricks of its ramparts.
Inspired by the number of days in a year, the castle was built with 366 windows, one of which was permanently shuttered, except during a leap year. In addition, there are 52 rooms, 12 large ballrooms and 3 bastions, said to represent the number of weeks, months and quarters in a year, respectively.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the perimeter measures 700 meters (766 yards), the surface area of all the rooms measures 70,000 square meters, the overall design is that of a pentagon and the total size of the complex is 1.3 hectares. Also, on the tower above the entrance gate to the castle, next to a carving of a battleaxe and a cross, there is a sign resembling the letter “W.” Some experts claim that this symbol, deciphered in accordance with the Aramaic book of the Zohar, means “eternal duration.”
As if compliant with this request, the castle today enjoys the legal status of a “permanent ruin.” But in the splendor and opulence of its pinnacle, the castle included a complex ventilation and heating system that was ahead of its time, plumbing that provided all rooms with fresh water and that was a rarity for the 17th century and, most exotically, a huge ceiling aquarium in the dining room of one of the towers which was fed by water from a natural spring that flows to this day.
Despite the fact that any serious attempts at renovation have failed and the castle ruins are in a state of disrepair, Krzyztopor continues to attract tourists and researchers alike, for whom the castle complex is an intriguing challenge.
