Besiekiery Castle

Besiekiery is a castle situated on the earth mound in the center of an artificial pond. Built in a rough, late-Gothic style, it was an impressive defensive construction in the times of its glory. Nowadays, it is a picturesque ruin which exploration is pleasant thanks to walking trails. The water reservoir is adapted for swimming.

It is supposed that the castle was built at the turn of the 15th century by one of the members of the Sokołowski Family. Perhaps one of them is an archetype of a knight from the legend who bet with the devil that he will build a castle without using an ax. He lost the bet and had his soul taken. Since that time the castle is called Besiekiery.

According to another, less fantastic story, Beskiery is a Polish equivalent of Nordic word "berserk" (berserker) meaning a Viking in a battle fury. The existence of Scandinavian warriors in these areas in the early Middle Ages was proved by a discovery of the Viking cemetery in Lutomiersk, located 60 km away.