Plan a road trip to Marbork and Elblag, Poland

November 6, 2009

By Sid Kaplan
Travel Writer
Troy Media

Sid Kaplan

MALBORK, Poland, Nov. 6, 2009/ Troy Media/ — Malbork and Elblag are within an easy day’s drive of Gdansk, Poland. Neither may pop into your head when you are trip planning for Poland, but a visit to either or both would make for a pleasant surprise.

Malbork comes up in the guidebooks as one of the tops sites in Poland, while Elblag, well, you’ll just have to go looking for Elblag. Both are in the same little northeastern corner of Poland.

Malbork is a castle – a huge, sprawling brick structure which is really three castles in one – built by the Teutonic Knights starting in the 13th century. The earliest section is the Assembly Castle also known as the Upper Castle; the Middle Castle was built next; and finally the Palace of the Grand Master. All were finished by 1399. The battlements and towers of the walled fortress are amazing from afar.

Malbork castle has been restored a couple of times, most recently after World War II. Photos of some of the interiors show you how beautiful it once was inside. Reconstruction after the war is a common theme in this part of Poland. It’s immense size and its architecture are amazing to see.

The farm buildings and chapel of the Lower Castle have been converted to a hotel if you want to spend the night. There are also hotels in the town nearby. Signs for driving to the castle from the highway seemed a little confusing, but maybe that was just us.

And the little city of Elblag? It was once a port on a par with Gdansk, but today it is a little backwater. It just goes to show you that looking for something unusual can lead to good things though.

We were looking for the canal boats on the Elblag Canal, which we first found in town and later followed up to the unique canal. Ee also found that Elblag was a darling little old town. The old section of Elblag along its namesake river has been reconstructed in the style of the old Hanseatic merchants’ houses with their typical gables, but with a charming modern twist.

The long history of Elblag is well-chronicled in its surprisingly great museum, with its archeological findings going back to medieval times. The younger population speaks English, and everyone welcomes tourists.

Well almost everyone: the folks at the Malbork Castle were a little unwelcoming. They said no to questions before we could even ask them. Perhaps a remnant of the “old days,” but just keep asking and sooner or later you’ll find someone to help.

Driving from Gdansk, you’ll come to Malbork first. It’s about 43 km (27 miles) from Gdansk. You could easily visit the castle on a day trip from Gdansk. We drove and stopped for our visit to Malbork on our way to Elblag, which is where we spent the night in that charming Old Town section. Elblag is only 80 km (50 miles) from Gdansk and approximately 29 km (18 miles) from Malbork. The roads are two-lane with lots of construction, so allow plenty of time for your drive.

Regional trains can get you to Malbork and Elblag as well. You could spend the night in either, then return to Gdansk.

Malbork and Elblag are bits of Polish history that will round out your visit. They let you see a little of Poland outside of big cities.