In the world list of tournaments Gniew is on the top, says Frédéric Piraux, the founder of the International Jousting League in an exlusive interview for topofpoland.com. It has got a great potential. When we first met in May 2005 with Jarek Struczynski, he observed our tournament and said he would like to organize jousting league in Gniew in Poland. I asked: In what year do you want to do it so that we can help you? And he answered: In three months. I didn’t believe it was possible because it had taken us a long time to manage to organize a tournament, but he invited us for the tournament at the end of July. We came here and there were lots of riders, there was jousting and there was everything that we usually did. He just managed to do it in three months! I could say he must be a genius. When we decide about the tournaments that we want to take part in, we say we want to go to Gniew. There is really lots and lots of interest among the international riders in Gniew. It’s the setting in the real Teutonic castle, the atmosphere and first of all the people. We really like it here!

The most famous knights of the International Jousting League came to Gniew on the 1st and 2nd of August for the King John III Sobieski's Tournament. The knights took part in competitions based on medieval tournaments, the most spectacular of them being tilting with a lance. There was also a play tournament called ‘bohort’. Knights without armour fight in groups with the use of cudgels trying to dismount each other.
All shows are open to the public. On entering the Gniew Castle visitors are taken back to the Middle Ages, they are served by people dressed up in the garment of the epoch, listen to medieval music and can stay there from the morning till late at night always having something to do or watch.

Text & photos by Daniel & Elizabeth,www.topofpoland.com