Pirszyn Castle

Pirszyn Castle is a medieval stronghold site in a forest on the summit of Góra Heleny, east of the village of Górze Heleny, in the Lwówek Śląski municipality. Only unevenness in the ground remains of the former stronghold today.

Uncertain origins

No documents describing the stronghold's beginnings survive - its founding is dated either to the period of Bolesław the Brave or to the 12th-13th century. In historical sources the stronghold appears under various names: Pirzschin, Pitzchin, Pirzzin, and in the writings of Jan Długosz as Przin or Prztyn.

Owners and a dispute over identity

In 1271 Duke Konrad I of Głogów bequeathed the castle to his wife Zofia. After her death in 1272 the stronghold passed to her father, Margrave Theodoric of Meissen, who then sold it to the Archbishop of Magdeburg. In 1276 Henry IV the Righteous bought the stronghold back from the archbishop. However, it is not certain whether these events concern Pirszyn itself or the neighbouring Podskale Castle.

The end of the stronghold

Pirszyn was destroyed in the mid-15th century. In 1818 the stones remaining from it were used to build the road connecting Lwówek Śląski with Gryfów. Since then only unevenness in the ground has remained of the stronghold on the summit of Góra Heleny, which rises to 322 metres above sea level. At some distance from the stronghold site there once stood the estates of Górny and Dolny Pirszyn, incorporated into Płóczki Dolne in 1893.

Practical information

• Location: summit of Góra Heleny (322 m above sea level), in the forest east of Górze Heleny, Lwówek Śląski municipality
• Access: along forest paths, with no marked tourist infrastructure
• What to expect: traces of the former stronghold in the form of ramparts and unevenness in the ground, no above-ground walls or buildings