15th-Century Knights' Castle - Hotel Podewils

In guidebooks from the early 20th century, Krąg Castle is described as follows: the castle has as many rooms as there are weeks in a year and as many windows as there are days in a year. Experts say that the number of entrances equals the number of months, and the four towers symbolize the four seasons. However, before one of the most magnificent residences in Pomerania was built, centuries had to pass, during which the history of this extraordinary place was written. Krąg Castle belonged to the von Podewils family, which was first recorded in the Sławno–Słupsk region as early as the 13th century. Adam von Podewils was associated with the court of the Pomeranian Duke Bogusław X. When, in 1475, the duke’s troops fought a battle against the townspeople of Koszalin, the knight saved the duke’s life. For this deed, Bogusław granted the knight land in Krąg. Adam built a castle on the lake. Originally, it was a residential tower erected on a mound surrounded by a moat. The structure was completed at the end of the 15th century; it was rectangular in shape, measuring 11.6 m by 14.6 m. It served the family until the late 16th century, when the old stronghold was expanded; four circular towers and a parapet were then built at the corners. A spacious hall with a fireplace and stairs leading to the upper floors was created. Around the mid-17th century, the castle was raised by one more story, resulting in the removal of the 16th-century attic. At that time, before the entrance to the courtyard, the church that still stands today was built to serve as the family mausoleum. Until 1860, the ashes of successive generations of the Podewils family were interred there (several family sarcophagi stand behind the altar). In the mid-19th century, the castle was sold. Subsequent owners continued to expand it and surrounded it with such beautiful flower beds that Krąg came to be known as the “Flower Castle.” Dr. Karl Alexander von Riepenhausen lived in the castle until 1944. However, he did not find much happiness there. He married an American woman who died along with their newborn child. In 1945, the residence was completely destroyed by fire. After the war, it first housed a forest district office, and then a school until 1956. Since then, the castle stood empty and fell into disrepair. In the 1980s, the forest district office attempted to save it, but the work was halted due to a lack of funds. In 1990, a private owner purchased the castle, completed the restoration, and opened the Podewils Hotel. The restoration was guided by the principle of returning the castle to its pre-1945 state, highlighting the structure of the Renaissance castle, the medieval cellars, and all later additions. The castle, restored with great care, won an award in a competition organized by the General Conservator of Historic Monuments. As befits a genuine and ancient castle, Krąg has its secrets. Locals believe that a tunnel runs beneath the castle lake, emerging in the church near the tomb of one of the Podewils family members. It begins in a buried cave that long ago claimed the lives of ill-fated lovers seeking refuge in the cellars. Legend also speaks of a mysterious traveler who arrived in Krąg one autumn. As night was already falling, the hospitable—though now impoverished—Podewils family offered him lodging. The stranger repaid their kindness by turning an apple lying on the table into a gold coin. Henryk von Podewils, witnessing the miracle, immediately offered the traveler a position. The traveler, however, refused. Podewils then imprisoned the guest in the attic and ordered him to smelt gold. The magician managed, through the use of magic, to escape from the castle, but to this day, a shuffling sound is said to be heard in the attic.

It is worth noting that beneath the castle’s wings, the stone-and-brick walls of three cellars from the medieval stronghold have survived. On the castle grounds, you can see the remains of the moat that once surrounded the Gothic residence. Just beyond the castle buildings, there are very well-maintained nature trails leading to a second, completely wild forest lake. Bicycles can be rented at the castle. There is also a water sports equipment rental shop here, and a horse stable is located right next door.