Stobnica Castle: A Modern Residential Castle Complex in Poland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 3.9
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Poland
- Primary era
- Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page6 sections
History
Stobnica Castle is a modern residential complex in Poland, built as an imitation of a medieval water castle near Stobnica. Construction began in 2015 for the Poznań-based company D.J.T., with the design created by architect Waldemar Szeszuła. The project became publicly known in 2018 because of its location near the edge of the Notecka Forest, within an area included in the Natura 2000 network, a European ecological network protecting habitats and species.
Construction and controversy
The large complex was planned as a private residential development rather than as a surviving medieval stronghold. Its scale and historical appearance attracted public attention, while its position within the Natura 2000 area led to controversy over the legality and environmental implications of the investment. In July 2020, police detained seven people connected with the construction on the order of prosecutors.
Administrative and legal proceedings
Administrative proceedings found that the construction permit had been issued in breach of applicable law and that local authorities had not possessed the authority to approve the project. On 11 December 2020, the Poznań district prosecutor appealed against the voivode’s decision not to invalidate the permit. A voivode is the central government’s representative in a Polish province. On 16 December, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dismissed Greater Poland Voivode Łukasz Mikołajczyk after Interior and Administration Minister Mariusz Kamiński requested his removal.
On 30 December 2020, the Poznań District Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment with the Poznań-Grunwald-Jeżyce District Court concerning people who had initiated the construction. The Chief Building Control Inspector declared the 2015 permit invalid on 17 August 2021, but the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw annulled that decision on 12 January 2022, allowing construction to continue.
On 6 June 2022, the District Court in Oborniki discontinued proceedings against managers of the company responsible for the investment, referring to the earlier administrative judgment. The Poznań district prosecutor appealed, and on 17 November 2022 the Poznań Regional Court overturned the discontinuation and returned the case for reconsideration. On 17 March 2025, the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed cassation appeals concerning the construction. The Greater Poland voivode consequently refused to declare the permit invalid on 13 August 2025. In 2026, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected a further cassation appeal by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection, leaving the permit legally valid in the final administrative ruling described.
Remains
Stobnica Castle occupies an artificial island in a lake or pond system near Stobnica, associated with a channel of the Kończak River. Classified as a water castle, the complex uses the visual language of a large medieval fortress while remaining a modern construction. It is approximately 150 metres long and 100 metres wide, with granite, limestone, and marble among the identified materials.
Exterior form
The principal tower imitates a foreburg, an outer fortified section placed in front of a main castle, and rises approximately 50 metres. The highest part of the complex is planned to contain up to fifteen storeys. Its position on the artificial island and its fortress-like mass give the residential development its water-castle form.
Residential interior
The interior is designed to contain 46 private apartments of varying sizes, alongside shops, service areas, and technical rooms. The planned residential capacity is up to 97 inhabitants, supported by a further ten staff members. These functions distinguish the complex from a historical defensive castle and reflect its purpose as a contemporary residential development.
