This is a cultural trail, presenting the preserved brick fortified objects within the area of the district. It presents old castles and brick fortified courts on a hill. The Castle Route is a thematic expansion of the Amber Trail and leads through: Rychwał (castle; court on a hill)– Grodziec (remains of the court)– Sławsk (remains of the court) – Konin - Przyjmę (Przyjemscy tenement house) – Gosławice (castle).
Rychwał
Former little castle – Zaremba fortified residence, probably built in the 15th century by Marcin form Sławsk, known as a participant of the Grunwald battle and general starost of Wielkopolska, or by his descendants. The building is connected with tragic history of Wojciech from Rychwał, who was sentenced at the beginning of the 16th century for robberies and assaults on merchants travelling the Kalisz-Konin route. The castle was destroyed in the 16th century. Since then it remains as ruins.
Sławsk
Remains of the Zaremba fortified court in the ground floor (basement) of the palace. Literature relates the palace with the place, where in the 15th century there was a residence of the general starost of Wielkopolska, Marcin from Sławsk. Preserved fragments of the stone wall, brick findings and elements of knights’ armament (a spur) are a proof of the above.
Kazimierz Biskupi
Near the exit road from Kazimierz Biskupi in the Pątnów direction there was once a fortified court (on a hill), which was a residence of bishops of Lublin, owners of the town and several neighbouring villages. In 1690 ruins of the building were disassembled, and the brick was used to build the wall surrounding the cemetery of the Bernardine monastery in Kazimierz.
Konin
Castle erected during the times of Casimir the Great. Together with castles in Koło, Pyzdry, Śremie and Poznań it was one of the main resistance points on the Warta line. Since the end of the 16th century it became ruined. It was finally destroyed and burned during the Polish-Swedish war (1655-1660). It was never restored. Ultimately destroyed in the 19th century. Some parts of the materials (cut stones) were used for building the Reformed Evangelical Church in Żychlin. The view of the non-existing king’s castle, erected during the reign of Casimir the Great (died 1370).
Przyjma
Remains of the so-called tenement house, previously made of brick, the Przyjemska family, Rawicz coat of arms, fortified residence, a family of great merit for Poland. The date of erection might be connected with the break of the 15th/16th century, when the above-mentioned family began to enter the circle of Wielkopolska authorities elite. From numerous preserved descriptions we can assume that the two-storeyed fortified court with porches was destroyed by the Swedes during the Swedish Deluge (1655-1660). Since then it remains as ruins.
Konin-Gosławice
One of the oldest Polish knight castles adjusted for the artillery defence. Built at the beginning of the 15th century by the then owner of the village, Andrzej Łaskarz from Gosławice, bishop of Poznań (died 1426). Jan Długosz mentioned it for the first time in his Annals of the famous Polish kingdom. At the end of the 17th century it was ruined. Renovated by Kadziwiłłowscy. In 1756, during the great windstorm it was seriously damaged (the roof was torn away and was drifting on the lake). The castle was described in detail in the inventory dated 1772. Its technical condition was not satisfactory. Presumably from that time on it was exposed to slow destruction. Restored during the eighth and ninth decade of the 20th century, it became the centre of the District Museum in Konin.
Prepared by Paulina Wojtyniak
