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All Poland Walbrzych Książ Castle

Książ Castle

A fairytale Gothic castle steeped in Nazi treasure conspiracy theories.

Walbrzych, Poland

Added By
Adam Kincaid
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The castle had strategic importance for centuries.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
The castle had strategic importance for centuries.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
The history of the castle dates back nearly a millennia.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Książ Castle   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Because of the size of the tunnels, many believe that they were built for secret weapons or massive weaponized “gold trains.” This one is inside Germany’s Osówka Mountain.   Lilly M/CC BY 2.5
Many of the tunnels are 12 meters high. This one is inside Germany’s Ostra Mountain.   Przykuta/CC BY-SA 3.0
The castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Today, the castle is still surrounded by beautiful gardens.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
Maiden in white, Christmas at the castle   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
  Batigoal PhotOgraphe / Atlas Obscura User
Christmas in the side court yard   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
The entrance to the castle is flanked by old servants homes and stables.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
The castle sits high up and secluded in the Owl Mountains.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
After centuries of private use, the castle was confiscated by the Nazis in the 1940s.   AdamTKincaid / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Shrouded in secrets within the Owl Mountains of southwestern Poland, there sits a magnificent castle where many Nazi conspiracy theories find their roots.

Ksiaz Castle is an impressive fortress rising up on a cliff embankment and surrounded by lush forests and immaculate gardens. With a history that dates to the 12th century, the imposing complex has had a wide variety of important owners and architectural acknowledgments that are worth a visit in their own right. Today, however, it is what lies under the castle that draws people's attention.

Ksiaz was confiscated by the Nazis during World War II, and tens of thousands of Nazi prisoners, mainly Jews from Hungary and Poland, were forced to build a massive subterranean complex with 12-meter high ceilings beneath the Gothic and Baroque ramparts that rose above.

Most of the network of underground structures lie unfinished directly beneath the castle and in the surrounding area, all part of the mysterious Project Riese (German for "giant"). One of the largest Nazi construction projects during the war, Project Riese continues to baffle historians and scholars due to it's top-secret status and the few documents that remain detailing it's purpose. One thing is for certain: Upon completion of Project Riese the castle was to become Adolf Hitler's personal headquarters.

It never did though. The project was never finished and Ksiaz was eventually captured by the Red Army which stole, destroyed, and secreted much of the information relevant to the project. To this day, little but word of mouth rumors and stories can be gleaned from locals who tell of secret atomic weapons or hidden Nazi trains that are laden with valuable art and treasure, said to be booby trapped with extensive weaponry and lying within the soil around the complex.

Every year, treasure seekers from around the globe can be found hunting the hills around the castle with metal detectors and dowsing rods, hoping to be the one to find a cache of Nazi gold or any sort of hint to the secrets the castle's underground complexes may hold.

Related Tags

Conspiracy Theories Castles Nazis Hitler Treasure Gold World War Ii Medieval Military

Know Before You Go

From Wroclaw, the castle is easy to get to by public services. Take a train from Wroclaw to Walbrzych-Miasto station which will take around an hour and thirty minutes and cost 14.60 zloty, and then jump on the number 8 or 12 bus. Alternatively you can drive the 70km from Wroclaw. Taxis from Walbrzych-Miasto are usually around 20-30 zloty.

Community Contributors

Added By

AdamTKincaid

Edited By

JFNafziger, Molly McBride Jacobson, Batigoal PhotOgraphe, jyackabonis

  • JFNafziger
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Batigoal PhotOgraphe
  • jyackabonis

Published

December 28, 2016

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksi%C4%85%C5%BC
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Riese
  • https://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahatopol/the-hunt-for-polands-buried-nazi-gold-trains?utm_term=.mym53DmOA2#.oqQzkvnZ3D
  • http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/09/searching-for-nazi-gold
Książ Castle
Piastów Śląskich 1
Walbrzych
Poland
50.837652, 16.302014
Visit Website
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Photo of Walbrzych

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