Kolo Castle Ruins
Description
Casimir III the Great erected a castle in Ko³o – most likely prior to the founding of the city – as part of an overall enterprise of strengthening the boundaries of the realm. Ko³o castle was mainly intended to protect central Wielkopolska from attacks by the Teutonic Knights. The fortified city played a vital strategic role for some 200 years.
It was established as a 55 m x 40 m rectangle, made of brick with stone foundations, with its longer side arranged on a north-east, south-west axis and enclosed by high crenellated walls.
The castle slowly fell into decay from around the mid-16th century. This was mainly brought about by changes to the defence system after the invention of firearms and artillery.
The entire length of south-west line of walls to a height of 4 m (supported by abutments), fragments of the walls of the short sides of the foundation, and the tower are all that remain of the onetime castle. The north-west section of walls, on the Warta side, have collapsed due to the foundations having been eroded by the flooding of the river.