World Autism Awareness Day

Autism is not a disease or disorder, but just another way of perceiving the world. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? To see the world differently than the majority of people. And yet, overwhelmed by the advantages possessed by others, autistic people often do not feel special or safe. This is why we decided to contribute to raising public awareness and promoting tolerance, and to do something special for our autistic visitors!

The World Autism Awareness Day celebrates autistic people, but also reminds the rest of society to be understanding, tolerant and supportive. The autism spectrum is very broad. Autistic people live among us – and knowledge can help us interact with them better.

Malbork Castle, originally a defensive structure, can be inaccessible at times. Our #AccessibleStronghold series discusses all amenities available on site. Due to technical reasons, we are currently unable to introduce quiet hours for autistic visitors, but we nevertheless decided to celebrate their day.

The Castle Museum organised a two-day event:

◾ On 2 April, we launched a public awareness campaign – every visitor received a sticker supporting people with autism spectrum disorders.

◾ On 3 April, we were visited by groups from various centres from our region. Our Education Department organised dedicated classes that included a joint workshop activity and refreshments.

People with autism are welcome here year-round. And if you would rather visit us at a more quiet time, then outside of the high season, that is between October and May, our enormous castle complex is blissfully quiet.