Barciany
A rural municipality in the northern part of Kętrzyn County, on the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast. It covers 294.1 km² and has about 5,400 residents. The seat of the authorities is the village of Barciany, which held town rights until 1945. It has a 14th-century Teutonic castle.
Overview
- Area: 294.1 km²
- Population: 5,437 (Statistics Poland, 31 December 2025)
- Village councils (sołectwa): 23
- Borders the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation to the north
- Within Poland it neighbours the municipalities of Kętrzyn (rural), Korsze, Sępopol and Srokowo
- A farming municipality — farmland covers about 82% of its area, forests about 8% (2002 data)
The castle and the former town
The Teutonic Order began building the brick castle in Barciany around 1377. The work followed the decision of Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode to create a new commandery. That plan was later abandoned.
Barciany received full town rights in 1628 from Duke George William. It lost them in 1945. The village has a Gothic church from the late 14th century, rebuilt in 1714.
Drogosze and protected areas
- Drogosze — the Baroque palace of the von Dönhoff family, built in 1710–1714
- Lake Oświn Protected Landscape Area
- Guber River Valley Protected Landscape Area
- Part of the Natura 2000 site “Ostoja Warmińska”
Authorities
Head of the Municipality (Wójt): Marta Kamińska (term 2024–2029)
Cooperation within the WMSP
This local government takes part in the shared territorial strategy of the borderland through 2030 and in the CuRI 2026–2027 programme (Eastern Border Regions Catching-up Regions Initiative, European Commission + World Bank).