Malbork Castle

A UNESCO World Heritage since 1997, Malbork Castle was built by the Teutonic Order as a military fortress. Built in a Baltic Gothic style, it is the world's largest castle built of brick and is situated on the right bank of the river Nogat. It was founded by the Order of Teutonic Knights in 1274 with the name of its patron saint, the Virgin Mary. The castle is the largest Gothic fortress in Europe and was built to be the headquarters of the Teutonic Order in the fourteenth century, after World War II. Malbork is composed of three different sections, the high, medium and low castle, separated by moats and towers.