Fortress of Malbork (originally Marienburg in German)

The city of Malbork was built around the fortress of 'Malbork' (originally Marienburg in German), founded in 1274 on the right bank of the river Nogat by the Teutonic Knights and named for their patron saint, the Virgin Mary. This fortified castle became the seat of the Teutonic Order and Europe's largest Gothic fortress. The river and flat terrain allowed easy access for barges a hundred kilometers from the sea. During Prussia's government by the Teutonic Knights, they collected tolls on river traffic and forced a monopoly of the amber trade. The city later became a member of the Hanseatic League, and many Hanse meetings were held there. The castle successfully withstood a siege after the Battle of Grunwald under the guidance of Heinrich von Plauen. However, it was sold during the Thirteen Years' War in 1457 to Casimir IV, the king of Poland, by the Bohemian king's imperial soldiers in lieu of their pay. The city of Malbork under mayor Bartholomäus Blume disobeyed the Poles for three further years until the mayor was hanged. Since then Malbork became one of the Polish royal residences until the partitions of Poland in 1772. In 1945 the castle was severely damaged as a result of fighting during World War II, but was reconstructed thereafter.

The castle and its museum are listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It is sometimes referred to as 'the largest heap of bricks north of the Alps'. Under continuous construction for nearly 230 years, Malbork is actually three castles nested in one another. The High, Middle and Low Castles are separated by additional dry moats and towers. It housed some 3,000 "brothers in arms". The Low Castle walls enclose 52 acres (210,000 m²), four times the area of Windsor Castle.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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