Malbork Castle

medieval · Poland · architecture · record-breaker

Massive brick fortress. Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world when you measure by how much land it covers. It's so enormous that it would take you a long time just to walk around its outer walls.

Built with red bricks. Unlike many castles made of stone, Malbork Castle was constructed from millions of bricks in a style called Brick Gothic. The builders stacked these bricks in clever patterns to make tall towers and strong walls.

Home of warrior monks. The Teutonic Order, a group of religious warrior monks, built and lived in this castle starting in the 13th century. They expanded it greatly in the 14th century until it became the huge complex you see today.

Located in Poland. The castle stands in the town of Malbork in northern Poland, near the Nogat River. Today it's protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it's so important to history and architecture.

Medieval masterpiece. The castle contains multiple connected fortress areas, towers, and buildings all designed to protect the order's headquarters and show their power to the world.