Ruins of the Royal Castle in Rytro
It is not known who built the castle, but the first references to it come from documents issued by King Ladislaus the Short. The person who built it may have been a knight, but it could have been Duke Wenceslas II of Bohemia. In the14th century, the castle was rebuilt as the residence of the mayors of Nowy Sącz. In the 16th century, it was ruled by Piotr Kmita. In 1657, the Transylvanian army of George II Rákóczi destroyed it, and it has fallen into ruin since then. In its heyday, it consisted of a five-sided main castle and an adventitious castle surrounded by an earth rampart. Today, in the village of Sucha Struga, on a hill (463 metres above sea level) towering over the Poprad River, you will see not only the very old yet well-preserved ten-metre talldefensive tower but also the remains of defensive walls and an ancient residence. Archaeological and conservation work was carried out on the castle hill a few years ago, and the castle ruins were opened to tourists. After the recent renovation, we can enter the castle courtyard, walk around its walls or stand by the castle tower. In addition to securing and superstructuring the walls, stairs and railings were fashioned in such a way as to allow access to the walls and the tower from where there are beautiful views of the Poprad Valley and the peaks of the Beskid Sądecki, which create a fantastic landscape; you will fall in love with it.