Marienburg - the largest medieval castle in the world (11 photos)
Marienburg Castle is the largest medieval brick castle in the world. It is located in the city of Malbork in Poland and covers an area of more than 20 hectares. This stunning medieval masterpiece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, took 132 years to build and is made from 30 million bricks. 
Marienburg Castle (or Malbork) is located on the eastern bank of the Nogat River in Malbork, Poland. It occupies an area of 20 hectares along with all the buildings, including three fortified castles, several hundred houses, barns and a labyrinth of ditches, stairs, and towers. The first bricks of Malbork Castle were laid in 1274 by the knights of the Teutonic Order - a large spiritual-knightly military order in Eastern Europe in the late Middle Ages - who conquered these lands from Prussian soldiers. The castle was the residence of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1309 to 1456. For about 150 years, the castle was home to knights from the entire Teutonic Order: it housed about 3,000 people. 
The first of the three castles to be built was Vysoky; its construction began in 1276. In subsequent decades, the territory expanded significantly: the Middle and Lower castles were added to the first one. In total, the construction of the complex took 132 years, and it also consists of 30 million bricks. In 1457, during the Thirteen Years' War, the castle was captured by the Polish army, and then became the residence of the Polish kings. However, due to subsequent Swedish invasions in the 17th century, the castle quickly fell into disrepair, and in the 1800s it was taken under state protection. 
The castle has gone through a lot during its rich history. After World War II, smoking ruins remained in its place, but the Polish authorities completely restored it to its pre-war form. Today Marienburg is a historical monument and museum. It is also considered the largest medieval brick castle in the world, and one of the shining standards of brick Gothic. Every year more than 300 thousand tourists from 84 countries walk along it. Several exhibitions are also open on the territory of the complex, which present about 2 thousand exhibits: including amber, weapons, Neolithic and modern art. 
This is what Marienburg looks like now: 
