Niedzica Castle (Poland)

Castle Niedzica also known as Dunajec Castle, is located in the southern part of Poland in Niedzica (Nowy Targ County in Lesser Poland). It was erected between 1320 and 1326 by Kokos of Brezovica on the site of an ancient fortress, surrounded by walls of earth between the Pieniny mountains. The Niedzica castle is situated at an altitude of 566 m, on a hill 300 meters upstream of the mouth Dunajec River, measured from the center of the dam on Lake Czorsztyn. The outline of Niedzica castle can be best seen from the ruins of the castle of Czorsztyn on the other side of the lake. E 'known as one of the most picturesque castles in the country and adorned the covers of many books.

The castle was an important center of Polish-Hungarian relations since the 14th century. It was a place where the money lent by the Polish King Sigismund Hungarian king had to be returned as a result of an agreement signed in 1412. Once the loan is repaid, the Polish king returned 16 Spiš common given to him by Sigismund warranty. For centuries the castle has been a border-post with Hungary. At the time of the Turkish invasion five hundred years ago, a deal was struck to Niedzica to make it a protectorate Polish.
The castle was built by a Hungarian known as Kokos of Brezovica with family law dating back to 1325. In 1470 it became the property of Zápolya aristocratic family. However, in 1528, the entire county including the castle was given away by John Zápolya aspiring to the Hungarian throne, and became the property of William Drugeth who received it as a reward for his support. Sixty years later it became the property of Hieronim Łaski and his son Olbracht. At the end of the 16th century the castle was bought by Ján Horváth from Plaveč [disambiguation needed]. The fortress has been renovated several times in the fifteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth and early 19th century by subsequent owners. The last Hungarian inhabitants remained there until 1943, when the coming of the front in World War II inspired the Salamon family to abandon it. The last Countess has left with her children two years before the Red Army marched in. The final reconstruction of the castle was completed in 1963 under the supervision of the Polish Ministry of Culture. It served as a historical museum since then