Old Castle (Żywiec)

Żywiec, Poland, Poland

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The Old Castle in Żywiec, Poland, is a Gothic-Renaissance fortress first mentioned in 1467 when it was destroyed by King Casimir IV Jagiellon's forces against the Komorowski family, though its origins trace to the early 15th century, possibly built by the princes of Oświęcim or Mikołaj Strzała.

Expanded in 1567 under Jan Spytek Komorowski with a preserved Renaissance courtyard inspired by Wawel Castle, it passed to the Wielopolski family in 1678, who added a fountain, Italian park, stable, and herbarium in the early 18th century.

Habsburgs later acquired it, building a nearby New Castle; today it houses the Żywiec City Museum with ethnographic exhibits amid a vast landscape park.