Pułtusk

Poland, Poland

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Pułtusk is one of Poland's oldest towns, located 70 km north of Warsaw in the Masovian Voivodeship along the Narew River, with a population of about 19,000 as of 2023.

Dating back to the 10th century with an early medieval gord and trade settlement, it received town rights twice in 1257 from Duke Siemowit I of Masovia and again in 1339 under Płock Bishop Klemens Pierzchała serving as a key economic hub for grain transport to Gdańsk from the 15th to 17th centuries. 

Owned by Płock bishops for eight centuries, it features a prominent castle from the 13th century that acted as a defensive stronghold against Prussian and Lithuanian raids, remnants of 16th-century town walls including a cylindrical bastion, Europe's longest market square at 380 meters, and a rich history marked by destruction in wars yet boasting early printing houses and theaters.