Ryn Castle

Ryn castle was built in the 1370s on the isthmus between lakes Ryn and Olow, a square brick block on the usual Teutonic plan, and the site is why it exists - whoever held the neck of land controlled movement through this part of the lakeland. Its later history is unusual: from 1853 it was converted into a Prussian prison and served as one for about a century, including a period as a labour institution, which stripped the interiors and added cell ranges. After 1945 it declined further and was restored between 2002 and 2006 into a large hotel and conference centre with a spa, and that is what it is now, with a small exhibition on the castle's history and the courtyard open to visitors. Ryn itself is a small town on the Great Masurian Lakes route with a marina, and the castle is floodlit above the water at night, which is the view from the sailing channel.

What you actually see

• A castle on an isthmus - the neck of land between two lakes, held since the 1370s.
• A prison century - converted in 1853 and used as one for about a hundred years.
• A 2000s hotel conversion - restored interiors with a spa and conference halls.
• Floodlit from the water - the view from the sailing channel at night.

When to go

May to September. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is a working hotel first - most interiors are for guests and the historical exhibition is small. Almost nothing medieval survives inside after the prison conversion. The town is busy in the sailing season.

Nearby

Gizycko and Mikolajki are on the same lake route.