Impressive in size and grandeur, these buildings make a strong impression. When you add a rich historical context or a dark legend to them, you immediately want to be in such a place and experience everything firsthand. Poland has several dozen fortresses and fortifications that have a history of numerous sieges.

Modlin Fortress is the largest complex of fortifications in the world, and Kostrzyn Fortress is the oldest bastion fortress in Poland. Has anyone toured all such structures in our country? If not yet, when visiting Giżycko in Masuria, it is worth visiting the Boyen Fortress there. Why?

The biggest tourist attraction in Giżycko — Boyen Fortress

Sailing can be our primary goal when traveling to Masuria, but that doesn’t mean the only one. Boyen Fortress is a historical site built between 1843 and 1855, intended to block the isthmus between Lake Niegocin and Lake Kisajno. Construction began by order of King Frederick William IV. The name Boyen comes from the name of one of the initiators of the construction, Prussian General Hermann von Boyen. The fortress was built in the shape of hexagons using brick and field stones. The six bastions that make up the fortress are named Herman, Ludwig, Leopold, Schubert, Recht, and Licht. This fortification is surrounded by moats and walls and is set within a dense forest. It was designed to accommodate a garrison of 3,000 soldiers. Over the years, the fortress housed a garrison, a commandant’s office, an artillery depot, and a hospital. The surrounding wall of the fortress is over 2 km long, and there were originally only four gates, though now mainly two are used. What else don’t we know about Boyen Fortress?

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The changing fortunes of Boyen Fortress

Although the origins of the fortress are connected with its function as an eastern defensive fortification, over time it was used as an important facility both during World War I and World War II. At the beginning of World War I, the fortress served as a place to store supplies and weapons, and only during the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 did it become a site of operations for 4,000 German soldiers defending Giżycko from a Russian siege attempt. After World War I, the fortress was used as a hospital, a role it continued to fill during World War II. However, during this period, Boyen Fortress also served as barracks and a training center for soldiers of the German army. The fortress returned to Polish army hands only in 1945. Today, visitors can tour barracks buildings, an arsenal, and a powder and ammunition laboratory, the latter notable for its interesting semi-circular design. Also on the fortress grounds is a bakery complex and utility buildings located at the lowest level of the fortress – the majdan. This area is at the water level of Lake Niegocin. Entering through the Giżycko gate, you will see a drawbridge, available to visitors only since 2001. The fortress itself has been open to visitors since the 1990s.

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Boyen Fortress – information for visitors

This is just a brief history of this monument; you will learn more during the tour. In the summer season, that is in July and August, it is open daily from 9 AM to 8 PM. Ticket offices close one hour before the site closes. During other months, closing hours vary between 3 PM and 6 PM. There is no need to book entrance to the fortress in advance. Ticket prices range from 10 to 15 PLN in the summer season. It is located west of Giżycko. For years, it has hosted events attracting tourists. Among them are the "Shanties in Giżycko" and the "Blacksmith and Art Craft of Boyen Fortress". Every year, there is also a reenactment of the German-Russian battle for the fortress from 1914, which uses six replicas of 19th-century cannons purchased by the Giżycko municipality in 2018. On the premises, there is a youth hostel, the Boyen Tavern located near the main gate of Giżycko, and the Society of Friends of Boyen Fortress.

For those interested in history and military matters, there is no doubt that visiting the heart of Masuria is not only wide waters but also a visit to this site. For others, the organized events or simply the fact that Boyen Fortress is the most interesting historic building in this region of Poland can be an incentive.

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