The

heart of Biskupiec is a unique spatial arrangementof the old town with the market square and seven streets diverging at right angles towards the four corners of the world. The bourgeois houses from the first half of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century, located in the streets, remind of the former splendor of the buildings. The most characteristic, located at ul. Floriańska 2, built in the shape of a trapezoid with a baroque gable of the roof, attracts the attention of many passers-by. The corner of the building is decorated with a chapel with a figure of St. John of Nepomuk, guarding against the flood. Probably not accidentally located on the Dymer river. The specific location of all tenement houses in Bishop makes them a certain challenge for photographers.
When talking about bourgeois architecture, one cannot ignore the building of the former town hall. It is located within the city center, at ul. Pioneers; was established in 1895. This location is characteristic of the fourteenth-century buildings. Once a representative place, the seat of the authorities, today it houses, among others bank. Every tourist’s eye is attracted by the coat of arms on the building, which is a frequent motif of postcards and pictures.
Recently, the city center has been revitalized, where tenement houses had stood before the war. You can see them in old photos. Today, in the place of the former buildings, there is a square with a fountain enchanting both residents and tourists with its appearance. You can spend your free time here, relaxing with the sound of water or admiring its lighting in winter. There is also a characteristic monument in the middle of the renovated market square. It was erected in honor of those who died in the fight for the Polishness of these lands and for the return of Warmia and Mazury to the Motherland. There is a sign of the Rodło on it, which shows the course of the Vistula River with Krakow (the former capital of Poland) marked. It is a symbol of the Union of Poles in Germany, and the history of its establishment dates back to 1932. Rodło was established as a form of opposition to Nazi symbols and the ban on the use of Polish national symbols. It is also an expression of the connection of Poles living in Germany with the Polish nation and its culture. In this way, they wanted to emphasize the bond with the Homeland at a time when it was forbidden. Today, remembering the past years, all that remains is to bow your head in front of the monument and realize how much they loved their homeland.

Not far from the city center, right next to the church of St. John the Baptist there is a second monument . It is a large boulder placed on a brick pedestal covered with granite slabs, to which a paved alley leads. Along it, greenery was planted, benches and stylish lanterns were placed. There is an inscription in the stone: “Thank God, do not quench the spirit. John Paul II 1978–2005 “and” Fallen for the Homeland “. Two inscriptions placed next to each other result from the fact that the monument was intended to be dedicated to the great Pole, John Paul II, and finally, tribute was also paid to deserved Poles who died for their Homeland.
Church of John the BaptistIt will certainly be of interest to lovers of sacred architecture. It is one of the oldest and most characteristic monuments of Biskupiec. It already existed at the time when Biskupiec was granted city rights in 1395. At the turn of the century, as a result of wars in this area, it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. It was enlarged to its present shape in the 18th century: the chancel was extended and side altars were added, and in the 19th century, two side naves with chapels were added and the choir was extended. The original appearance differs from the current one: the earlier tower was wooden, and the church itself was the size of the present central nave. Only fragments of the tower and walls remain from the Gothic style of the building. Currently, a viewing point has been opened there. The furnishings of the church are modern, with the exception of two neo-Romanesque altars, rescued from a fire and subjected to conservation in 1998, a baroque baptismal font with a stone baptismal bowl with a scene of the Annunciation and an eternal lamp from 1740. In historical studies, you can find information that in the 16th century the church tower housed a parish school and a hospital, later an observation point with a machine gun socket.
Currently, tourists can climb the tower, which has an exhibition dedicated to Biskupiec and a viewpoint over the city and its surroundings. There are exhibits in display cases and shop windows, thanks to which you can learn how the city and its surroundings changed, how crafts developed and what objects were used in the past.
Being in this area, we advise you to visit the House of Creative Work “Sorboma” located on Plac Wolności next to the Church of St. John the Baptist. It houses the largest collection of cameras in Poland . You can see it over 1,400 camera models, and the number is constantly growing. In 2017, the exhibition hosted by Wiesław Borowski received a certificate confirming that the collected collection of cameras is the largest in Poland.

On the other hand, the Gallery of the Biskupiec Region has been operating at the Sorboma since November 2014. The purpose of its creation was to gather in one place exhibits, photographs and items depicting the changes that have occurred over the decades in Biskupiec and its vicinity. There you can see photographs, everyday objects, archaeological finds, newspapers, items related to brewing and other interesting exhibits.
The second church in Biskupiec is slightly away from the city center. It is situated at ul. Warszawska. Formerly Evangelical-Augsburg, now the Catholic Church of bl. Karolina Kózkównaand the sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima. The location of the church dates back to 1831, when the Evangelical community obtained a construction site here. The church, one of the two built in East Prussia at that time, was founded by King Frederick William IV. It was built in the form of a neo-Romanesque empora basilica in the years 1842–1848. In 1842, an evangelical school was built in the area of ​​the church, which was open until 1912. In 1860, a pastor’s house was built, and in the years 1868–1872 a bell tower was added. In the period between 1857 and 1890, there was a cemetery at the church. The church was restored in the 1970s.
At Warszawska Street, there is another local monument, referring to the history of brewing in Biskupiec. There was a provision in the Biskupiec foundation document entitling the owners of municipal plots to brew and sell beer. An interesting fact is that in the past, brewing beer was a privilege, it was not a profession. During the heyday of brewing (the first half of the 19th century), there were three large breweries in the town (one municipal and one private). In the second half of the nineteenth century, there was a stagnation. Until 1824, one of them was located in the city center, but after a fire that consumed the city that year, it was moved to the northern part of Biskupiec, on the Dymer River. A malt house was built in the place of the burnt brewery. Establishment of the current brewerydates back to 1882–1885. The boom took place in 1885, when the brewery was purchased by the Daum family, which is a tycoon in the brewing industry in the region and the owner of breweries in Olsztyn and Szczytno. The Daums attached great importance to the professionalism of the staff, the company’s development and the quality of the beer produced. In the interwar period, 100 people were employed here, and production amounted to 45 thousand. hl. beer per year. In 1910, mineral water and lemonade were also bottled in the brewery. The brewery remained in the hands of the Daum family until 1945. The charming location next to today’s park, next to the Dymer River, in the past had a functional purpose – it allowed for direct drawing of the water needed for beer production. And although this already somewhat dull building has had its glory days behind it, Biskupiec beer is still remembered. The brewery was closed in 1998.

Right next to the brewery, among the greenery, there is another monument in Biskupiec – a metal cross on a stone plinth. It can be seen in photos from before 1945. Originally it was displayed in memory of those who died as a result of the cholera epidemic that hit the city. Today there are plaques on it commemorating the figure of John Paul II.
Passing the brewery and heading towards ul. In the Polish Army, we come across a chapel on the street. It is a common theme in the landscape of Warmia. Perhaps due to the fact that in the territory of former East Prussia, this Catholic region was distinguished from the Protestant Masuria by faith. The 19th-century chapel in question represents the neo-Gothic style. It is traditionally built of red brick, with a sloping roof and a niche for a figure of a saint. We can also find a similar chapel at al. Independence. The history of this chapel is related to the plague decimating the city in the first half of the 18th century. After it ceased, three thanksgiving chapels were erected along the former Reszel route (today’s Dworcowa Street). The shrine in questionat al. Niepodległości was changed many times as it interfered with traffic. Its final arrangement at the junction of Niepodległości and Kościuszko Streets took place in 1899. The second of the chapels, standing today on the road to Bredynki, was moved to this place in 1910. The third was moved in 1911 to the other side of the former Reszel route (today, near ul. Kiliński).
In another part of Biskupiec, at the intersection of Niepodległości and Armii Krajowej Streets, there is a historic building of the former Starosty; today the seat of municipal authorities. It was established in 1908. There are visible 4 coats of arms of towns that used to be part of the Reszel poviat, later Biskupiec poviat: at the front of Jeziorany, Bisztynka and Reszel, and above the side entrance to the building, the coat of arms of Biskupiec. Over the years, the building has been expanded, floors were added, but it kept its unique character all the time. Until 1945, in the square in front of the former starosty, there was a monument erected in 1912 to commemorate those killed in the war of 1870. A bronze figure of a warrior stood on a high granite plinth. Today you can see only old photos …
Water towers are an indispensable element of the landscape of larger towns. They are described quite often due to their character and uniqueness. They were designed individually due to the different topography. Above Biskupiec there is a neo-gothic, brick water tower from 1912–1913, with a capacity of 250 m³ and a height of 39 m. We can see it towering over the northern part of Biskupiec, sunken among trees.

When describing the landmarks characteristic of our city, one cannot forget about the military barracks, today residential and public buildings. Established in the years 1898–1899 in the place of a cleared forest, between ul. Wojewódzka, al. Broni and ul. Polish army. At that time, a barracks complex was built with residential houses for the officers. In this way, Biskupiec became a garrison town. After the First World War, the garrison was briefly liquidated, allocating it to accommodate 120 families, but in 1934 the army took over the barracks again. The first soldiers were Warmiak, they belonged to the second battalion of the Warmian infantry regiment No. 151. The Military Unit survived until 1999.
When visiting Biskupiec, it is also worth paying attention to such monuments as:
• Old Tile House from 1865 (Wojska Polskiego Street) – a red brick building with the original German inscription preserved to this day;
• The Old Pharmacy , established in 1859, as reported in the cornerstone (Wolności Square). The style of the building and the decorative elements of the faces towering over the city are enchanting;

• Former hospital built in 1887 as the property of the monastery, now a school (ul. Armii Krajowej). It was led by the Consortium of Religious Sisters under the invocation of St. Catherine. It survived unchanged until 1946;
• Art Nouveau villa from 1906 located on ul. Adama Mickiewicza 12;
• Art Nouveau villa from 1906 located on ul. Adama Mickiewicza 12;
• The former granary at ul. Grunwaldzka, a building formerly intended for storing loose materials, mainly cereals. It dates back to 1925 and is characterized by a compact shape inscribed in a square plan. It was built of ceramic bricks, and the construction of the ceilings is wooden. The building has a gable roof. There are loading and unloading ramps at both front walls. Inside the three-story building there is a goods and passenger elevator with a load capacity of up to 500 kg. Currently, the building is intended for rent, both warehouses and offices;

• Railway station building- put into operation on September 1, 1898, when the railway line connecting it with Czerwonka reached Biskupiec. Expanded in 1908, and until 1909 the city received a railway connection with Mrągowo and Szczytno. The station is currently undergoing renovation work, which is expected to end in mid-2020. There is to be a Vocational Center with a modern educational base and a waiting room for passengers using public transport.

Ending the story of the city, one should mention the bishop’s cemetery , where there are old graves of German and Russian soldiers. There is a mass grave of 7 soldiers of the German army from World War I, fenced with a granite stone curb. There are 7 wooden crosses on the grave, each of them placed on a stone plinth. The central element is a wooden cross. The building was entered into the register of monuments in 1988. Next to it, there is a mass grave of Russian soldiers. She is nameless, there is an Orthodox cross next to her. Jan Matejko’s student, Sylwester Antoni Sznarbach, is also buried at the cemetery.