The Medival City Walls in Cracow

Poland. Cheap vodka? For sure. John Paul II? Indeed. Boring country? Not at all! Maybe let's find out some examples what can support this opinion. Did you know that world's first oil field was established in Bóbrka? Or that the only Central European desert is located between Cracow and Częstochowa? And travelling around Poland you can find an underground cathedral - in the salt mine! And this is just a small sample of what you can see here. If I got your attention do not leave this website - you are going to discover way more things, what hopefully will encourage you to visit this beautiful country! So let's get started!

I was wondering what should be very first article about. Astonishing church, symbolic place or maybe unique building. I have chosen something, what can seem pretty standard - Cracow's City Walls or, to be more accurate - its remainings.

Before Cracow became a city (1257) there was a village called Okół, where our story of the walls and fotification starts. It was rounded by an embankment made of the earth and stones. Apart from that Vistula river and swamps made this place less availible to the enemies. Although after invasions of Tatars in 1240 and 1269/70 there was a necessity to get the city safer. Finally in 1285 polish duke let the inhabitants built the city walls. Construction work took around 40 years but eventually it happened - Cracow became a city with its own real fortifications. 

Location of the gateways in Cracow. Number 5 - Floriańska Gate

There were two walls - inner (2,4 m thick and 6-7 m high) and outer (2,2-2,5 m high), which was located about 9 m in front of the higher one. The whole stucture was rounded by the 6-8 m wide and 3 m deep moat (ditch filled with water). Nine gates let the visitors come into the city. Today we can admire one of them - Florańska Gate which was saved from destruction and, if we are careful observers, remainings of the Rzeźnicka Gate which we can found... in the wall of the monastery!  Apart from that, city was equipped with 47 towers from which soldiers were observing the immediate surroundings.

Unfortunately builders did not predict the invention which changed the warcraft - the firearm. When swords and bows could just make the defenders laugh, cannons (17th century) became the most dangerous opponents. So when Swedes arrived with horses, guns and blond hair to Cracow the situation got nasty. And it was the beginning of the end. Due to lack of money walls could not be renovated and properly reapired and in 18th century the situation was literally catastrophic. Towers were occupied by the poor, walls were damaged, moat turned into swamp filled with urban wastewater and garbage, so breathing with air like that was as enjoyable as sitting with hemorrhoids on the hedgehog. So somebody had to do something with that... and they did.

City walls' remainings

Austrian emperor - Francis in 1806 ordered to demolish whole fortifications due to health reasons. The original project was changed, though. Senator of Cracow - Feliks Radwański protested agains the draft. He wanted to save the most beautiful part of the walls in the north of the city. He tried to prove historical value of the monument, but eventually the health-oriented argument succeded - Radwański claimed that demolishing this part will be dangarous for the city because of the advantage of northern winds - they were suppose to save the city from the blizzards and women from humiliation (he said that those winds would raise their dresses). All in all the defence purpose of the city walls remained. Sort of. In the end the moat was buried and today in that area there is a big park - Planty. But let's focus now on the part of the fortifications, which we can see today.

The Towers and Floriańska Gate

Brama Stolarska

There are three towers which remained its tumoultous history. All of them were named after the group of the craftsmen who were defending them during the enemies attacks. Baszta Pasamoników(15th century) was defended by people who were producers of tapes, Baszta Cieśli (14th century) by carpenters and Baszta Stolarzy (also 15th century) by jointers (kind of carpenter as well). However, the most important part is Floriańska Gate - which name was taken after St. Florian - the guard of the firefighters - whose sculpture from 18th century is still in the wall above the entryway. 

The gate was built in 1307 and was the third oldest of them. It is 34,5 meters structure ended with a dome, which shape comes from 1660 - original one was destoyed by Swedes in 1655. The gate was about to get destroyed twice - once when emperor Francis wanted to "heal" the city from the stink. Second time was when trams were established in Cracow - the way was planned through the gate and the tram simply did not fit in the entry. Eventually the passage was deepen and everybody was happy (maybe horses, which were supposed to pull the tram a bit less). Inside there is an alter with painting of Mary Lady from the beggining of the 19th century.

Floriańska Gate

The Barbakan

The Barbakan

Interesting part of the fortifications is located just in front of the Floriańska Gate - the Barbakan. This is a fortified outpost once connected to the city walls with a bridge above the moat. It was built by Jan Olbracht in 1498-99 because of the fright of turkish offence after lost fight in 1497 against Moldovans. Rounded fortress was built, to be honest, quite well. It was - according to the specialist - impregnable. 25 meters in dimeter and the thickness of the wall - over 3 meters - for attackers was... notable. There is also a legend connected to this place. During the attack in 1768 due to lack of ammunition polish craftman - Marcin Oracewicz used a button from his own outfit instead and shot the russian officer - the leader of the siege. After this event he became a national hero and that is why there is a memorial plaque on the building with his name on it.

That's how it used to be... The former connection between Barbakan and Floriańska Gate

The Rzeźnicka Gate

Rzeźnicka Gate

The Rzeźnicka Gate is the oldest (1289) gateway of Cracow and the only part of the city walls remained apart from the Floriańska gate structure. Located nearby the mayor's house has really short history of... being a gate. It was partly destroyed in 1312 by polish king as a punishment for the revolt of the mayor of Cracow - Albert. Later it was replaced by a small castle, which later became a mansion and in 17th century, finally, a monastery. After destruction the second  gateway was built next to this place. Although as a bit odd relic of the walls shall be mentioned. In the end it is something what shall be razed to the ground and in some weired way it survived. Hidden and humiliated maybe it cannot be compared to a proud soldier like the Floriańska Gate. However the old man with many scars sometimes has even more interesting stories to say. Who knows?