Bielsk Podlaski

Bielsk grew from a fortified settlement in Podlasie, first recorded in 1253. Its position between the lands of Rus', Lithuania and Mazovia made it an object of repeated rivalry. In the fourteenth century the Teutonic Knights raided the district, while Lithuanian and Masovian rulers contested the stronghold. The road from Kraków to Vilnius helped Bielsk develop into a centre of trade and administration.

Alexander Jagiellon granted the town Magdeburg rights in 1495, and in 1513 it became the capital of the new Podlasie Voivodeship. Kings and grand dukes visited frequently. In 1564 Sigismund Augustus was staying here for discussions on the Polish–Lithuanian union when the wooden castle caught fire and burned before his eyes. A new residence for the local starosta was built afterwards.