In the Middle Ages, Prabuty belonged to the Pomesan diocese. Bishops resided here from the mid-XVth century.
Prabuty, model of the castle, photo: UMiG
The castle was the seat of the Pomesan bishops until the secularization of Prussia in 1525. Later it became one of the seats of the Prince of Prussia. After the fire in 1688, only some farm buildings were rebuilt, and the castle wings were rebuilt into barracks, a field hospital and warehouses. After the next fire in 1787, only a few military buildings were rebuilt.
Model of the castle, photo: Prabuty Municipality
Today we can see fragments of the inner wall and the foundations of buildings from the XIXth century. Archaeological works are currently underway to uncover fragments of the castle’s buildings and turn them into a permanent ruin and an observation deck.
The ruins of the castle offer a view of Lizaniec Lake. It is a waterfowl and marsh bird reserve. In the past, the lake reached right up to the walls and played an important role in the castle’s defensive functions.
Ruins of the bishop's castle, photo: UMiG Prabuty
We leave the castle along the same dirt path we entered and at the end we turn right into Mazurska Street. Turning around, we see the outer walls of the castle in all their glory, because they are about 10 m high. It is a perfect place for a souvenir photo. The model of the Pomesan Bishops’ Castle was placed on top of the ruins in 2009, it shows a reconstruction of the Castle in dimensions 4.5 m x 5 m, on a scale of 1:16 and reflects in detail the appearance of this wonderful building from the period of its splendour.
