The Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes in Darłowo

Although no documents directly related to the construction of Darłowo Castle have been found, archaeological, architectural research, and historical evidence date its origins to the second half of the 14th century, during the reign of Duke Bogusław V and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Casimir the Great. In 1352, Bogusław purchased an island with a mill from Elżbieta von Behr, intending to build a fortress there. Between 1352 and 1372, construction progressed, resulting in the first phase of the castle, which has survived to this day. The castle was prestigious enough that a gathering of Pomeranian dukes took place there in 1372. The original Gothic castle was built on a square plan measuring 32 by 34 meters, with a courtyard surrounded by defensive walls about 14 meters high. The entrance was via a bridge and gate in the northern wing, which also housed knight and residential halls. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle underwent modernization, initiated by Eric I of Pomerania, who added a western residential wing and a second line of defensive walls. Around 1480, Duke Bogusław X expanded the castle by adding a new, representative wing called the "Wieprzańskie." In the first half of the 16th century, Duke Barnim XI raised the eastern wing, creating a representative hall and residential apartments. The castle tower reached a height of 26 meters at that time. In the 17th century, after a fire in 1624, Bogusław XIV carried out the last major renovations, converting the knight's hall into the Chapel of St. Elizabeth, which served as a chapel until the 19th century. Despite numerous modernizations, the castle has retained its medieval character, and its history, connected with the Pomeranian dukes, makes it one of the most important Gothic defensive architecture landmarks in the region.