Boyen Fortress in Giżycko — the Prussian stronghold that never fell

History

Boyen Fortress was built between 1844 and 1855 on the initiative of General Hermann von Boyen, the Prussian minister of war, whose name it bears. Its purpose was to control the Łuczański Canal joining the Great Masurian Lakes and to block any Russian invasion of East Prussia from the north. The plan of the fortress is a six-pointed star, a hexagon typical of 19th-century fortification.

The fortress had six gates and was ringed by moats — today partly water-filled, partly dry — and ramparts with casemates. The peacetime garrison numbered about 3,000 soldiers, and up to 7,000 in wartime. It was never taken by assault. In the First World War it withstood a Russian siege (August 1914), and in the Second it served the Germans until 1945, when it was abandoned without a fight before the advancing Red Army.

What to see

• The gates — six monumental gates, each in a different style, the finest being the Giżycko Gate (the main entrance)
• The ramparts and moats — you can walk right round the fortress along the top of the ramparts (about 5 km, about an hour and a half)
• The casemates — surviving underground chambers beneath the ramparts, some of them open
• The Boyen Fortress Museum — in the Giżycko Gate: the history of the site, militaria and models
• The powder magazine — restored and used today as a concert hall, with excellent acoustics
• The artillery display — guns, mortars and grenade launchers

What happens in summer

In season (May to September) the fortress is the setting for a great many events:

• The Boyen Fortress Historical Fair (August) — historical re-enactments, a market and parades
• Open-air and chamber concerts in the powder magazine
• Guided tours led by a guide dressed as a Prussian officer (a hit with children)
• An escape room in one of the casemates (seasonal)

Giżycko beyond the fortress

Giżycko itself (about 28,000 inhabitants) is the second sailing centre of Masuria after Mikołajki. In the town you will find:

• The swing bridge over the Łuczański Canal — 19th-century, turned by hand by a single person. It opens for yachts
• The promenade along Lake Niegocin — several kilometres of walkway
• The water tower — a viewing terrace with a panorama of the lakes
• The town beach and the pier on Lake Niegocin

How to get there and practical info

Address

ul. Turystyczna 1, 11-500 Giżycko

From Mikołajki

About 30 km, about 30 minutes by car

From Olsztyn

About 110 km, about 1.5 hours

Entry ticket

About 12 zł adults, about 7 zł children

How long to allow

2–3 hours at least

Season

May to October (in winter some parts are closed)

Parking

Charged in season (about 5 zł an hour)

Events

Fairs in July and August, check the calendar

When to go