The Royal Road in Gdańsk

There is a place in Poland, which makes foreigners very suprised. I had a conversation during my stay with the receptionist in a hostel in Gdańsk and he claimed, that about 90% of visitors out of Poland is amazed with this city. Let's find out why. I am going to explain this on the example of the Royal Road - 600 meter street in the city center.

The Długi Targ street

The history goes back to the 13th century, when Długi Targ and Długa Street were connected into one trade route leading to the rounded market square. Already in 14th century, during Teutonic Knights' occupation it became the most important street and market in the city and it is until today one of the most popular places in Gdańsk. For centuries the inhabitants might buy here meat or even live animals (especially pigs). It was a place, where the richest were living, polish kings were staying and witches, heretics and criminals from nobel families were executed. Of course cutting people's heads off is no longer the attraction, which we can see here, but there is still a lot to admire.

The Green Gate

Let's start our brief walk from the Green Gate (Brama Zielona), the place where the harbour used to be located. It is a water gate - distinctive element of Gdańsk architecture, because it was built directly on the bank of the Motława river. The main building comes from 2nd part of the 16th century and it meant to be a residence of the polish kings. Nevertheless the most "royal" person who stayed here (for ten days) is Marie Louise Gonzaga - the wife of two polish kings. Close enough.

The Golden House

Moving to the west we are passing charming houses with narrow facades. The architecture enthusiasts should take a look especially at one of them. The Golden House. The project was ordered by Johann Speymann - a mayor of Gdańsk, who was a renaissance Erasmus Student (he was studying in Cracow, Strasbourg, Wittenberg, Heidelburg, Koningsberg, Piza, Siena and Padova). Because he was an art fan he decided to build the most beautiful house in the whole city. And it happened in the beginning of the 17th century. The facade has gilded reliefs which present battle scenes and effigies of two polish kings. The sculptures on the top of the house are suppose to present the "cardinal virtues" - prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The legend says that the facedes were made in Florence and one of them, more beautiful, sank somwhere in the sea.

The tilted stove inside the Artus Court - the biggest on the world

Another attraction I would like to mention is located 20 meters further. The Artus Court used to be a center of the social life in the city. It was a headquarter of the city's brotherhoods which gathered the elite of the city (for regular craftman getting inside was prohibited). In the house talking about business was forbidden, but every evening the all inclusive party occured (visitor had to pay fee in advance and then drink how much he desire). Later on they turned into the drinking eldorados lasting even few days, so it was basiclly 17th century heaven night club. The current look comes from the beggining of 17th century, but the origins of the building we date back to the 14th. Today the construction is decorated with statues of great leaders - Scipio Africanus, Temistokles, Camillus and Judas Maccabeus and medallions of polish kings - Zygmunt Vasa and his son - Władysław. The gothic interior is impressive as well and if you are crazy about the stoves this is the place for you. We can see there the biggest tiled stove on the Earth.

The Artus Court

Being on the Długi Targ it is simply impossible to miss the Neptune Fountain - a rococo masterpiece made in the beginning of the 17th century. Head of  the god is inclined toward the houses, where polish kings used to reside. The work last 30 years, though. There were many reasons of that - the reconstruction of the Artus Court, the war, the engineers screwed up the connection to the water and finally even the designer died.

The Neptune's Fountain.
The City Hall in the background

The City Hall is the building irregularly located in comparison to the other houses. The first contruction at this place comes from 1336 and it has been consistently enlarged during ages. Unfortunately the electric fireplace was not popular back then and that is the reason, why in 1556 the building burned and had to be reconstructed. A spark. Rebuild City Hall has a renessaince architecture style and the statue (of course gilded) of Zygmunt Augustus - a king of Poland - on the top. The influence of the nobel artists we can feel also inside. The Red Hall on the first floor is comparable to the Doge's Palace's interior in Venice. It is worth to pay attention to the tower. Every hour the carillon (musical instrument, whose main elements are the bells) inside plays a melody for the city. During a visit in Gdańsk you should take a look at the relief above the entrance of the City Hall. There is a emblem which is... incorrect. Two lions are looking in the same direction - towards the Golden Gate. The explenation is that the animals turned heads to the place where polish kings where supposed to arrive from. Maybe it is true. Or maybe some hangovered idiot drank too much at the party in the Artus Court the day before. I really do not know.

The Uphagen's House

From the buildings it is worth to pay attention to one more. Uphagen's House. Jan Uphagen was a wealthy man, who bought a house in Gdańsk in 1775 and decided to completely change the interior to adapt it to his standards. He moved in four years later, but works last until 1787, when he was finally able to accept guest in his home. And he died afterwards. But in his will he wrote, that he wanted to keep this place as it was. So people respected that request and today we can see how the rich were living in the end of 18th century.

Moving on we reach the most beautiful gate in Gdańsk. The Golden Gate. It was designed and built in the beginning of the 17th century by Abraham van den Blocke - the dutch architect, who was a designer of almost all of the buildings which have been described - the Artus Court facade, the Neptune's Fountain and the Golden House. The gate has a psalm quote on the wall and again - statues representing Peace, Liberty, Fortune, Fame (aspirations of the citizens) and Consent, Piety, Justice and Prudence on the top.

The Golden Gate

But let's leave the Długa Street to the last part of the Royal Road in Gdańsk. We are standing in front of the Prison Tower - built in 14th century and reconstracted 200 years later. According to the documents it was one of the most strict prisons in Europe - there was nobody who escaped. To the tower an 16th century executioner's house is connected. There is a weired story related to this place. If you take a look on the walls, you can find a small sculpture - body without a head. But on the prewar photos this man has his head and a set of keys and, in fact, he seems pretty "undead". The question is why is that. The obvious conclusion - destroyed during the war. Is it though? As it turns out it was a mistake of the prussians conservators. They thought that there supposed to be a head, so they added one. Well...

The Executioner's House and the Prison Tower

The Royal Road ends about 50 meters further next to the Wyżynna Gate. But there is still much more to see, not only on this particular street, but in whole Gdańsk! Churches, the Westerplatte Peninsula, the Żuraw and so on! In the future I am going to write about them as well. It is a beautiful city and great place to spend weekend with family, friends or even on your own. You just need to discover its existance! Sometimes it is easier than you think to get there. You just need to find out!

The Skull Chapel in Czermna

Today is the time to take a look at something, which for many people will be intriguing, maybe even exciting and for the others shocking and causing nausea. But for nobody this place will stay neutral. If you have heard about Kutna Hora in Czech Republic or Evora in Portugal you already know what I am going to write about. The Skull Chapel.

The Skull Chapel

Yes, there is a place in Poland where you can pray among humans bones and skulls. It is not like Kutna Hora Chapel, though. There is no chandelier, goblet or family emblem made of bones. Nevertheless one visit in Czermna makes a whole trip unforgettable.

The Chapel was built by a priest - Wacław Tomaszek in 1776-1804. Once he was roaming next to the church minding his own business, probably thinking about life and little ponies,when suddenly he saw bones and skulls on the surface. He called gravedigger and church keeper and together they started to dig into the ground. And they found about 20-30 thousand bodies - casualties of the wars in 17th and 18th centuries and cholera epidemy in this period. The origins of the chapel idea we should search in 1775 - one year before dicovery. Back then Tomaszek was spending time in Rome and since he saw catacombs he started to contemplate about death. It was such a shocking experience for him, that he decided to build this place. But what we can see there today? Let's find out.

Inside th Skull Chapel...

It is a small baroque chapel located between the St. Bartholomew church and the belfry. The walls and the ceiling are covered with 3 thousand tightly stacked bones and skulls. Another 20 thousand is hidden in the crypt under the ground. In front of the entrance there is a modest alter with a few the most interesting skulls and a baroque cross. Inside we can find also wooden sculptures of the angels - one of them with a trumpet, second with a scale - the symbol of the Last Judgement. 

One of the angels

The skulls exhibited on the alter belong to the gravedigger (mentioned before), the Tatar, the mayor of Czermna (with a hole after being shot) and his wife, who wanted to defend her husband with her own body. Prussians killed them, when they found out that the mayor was helping Austrians to get through the Sudeten Mountains. There is also one skull with changes caused by a disease. Apart from that we can see badly fused femur which probably belongs to the 2-meter Swede.

You may believe or not - I was there when I was 11-year old boy. After another eleven years I still remember the stories told us by the guide. But you should try this on your own. If you have never seen such a thing you shold give it a try. Maybe next time in Poland? I hope so!

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?