Kraków Defence Walls, Stare Miasto, Poland

The defences of Kraków date back to the 13th century and consisted of a wall with 39 towers and 8 gates, surrounded by a moat. The Wawel Castle defended one end of the town, and the Barbican the other. Today you can still see the Castle and the Barbican, and a small section of the wall by St Florian's Gate.

But the site of the old wall has been replaced by a garden, The Planty, that encircles the city. As you walk around the garden you can still see fragments of the walls and the gates.

User Reviews

Viorel Ciuna (9 months ago)
The renovated defensive wall of Krakow citadel, became one of the main touristic attraction of the town. Near this wall, the the artists expose their paints or different other art manufactures. It is a very nice place to be visited!

Torben Mauch (15 months ago)
Die Verteidigungsmauer ist eine schöne Abwechslung beim Besuch von Krakau. Allerdings sehr klein. Der Film zur Geschichte der Stadt ist leider sehr einfach. Das Highlight ist dann die Kapelle direkt oben im Florianstor UND die Aussicht auf die Florianska Straße. Nichts für Menschen mit Gehbehinderung. Eintritt angemessen.

Róbert Maták (19 months ago)
Just took photo and moved to the next thing

Ryszard P (2 years ago)
Po zniszczeniu miasta przez Tatarów w 1241 roku ustalono nowe granice miasta o wymiarach 800x700 metrów. Na początku XIV wieku system murów obronnych posiadał 8 bram wjazdowych: Rzeźniczą 1280 r. Grodzką 1298 r. Floriańską 1307 r. Sławkowską 1311 r. Mikołajską 1312 r. Szewską 1313 r. Wiślną 1314 r. i Nową 1328 r. Dodatkowo w 3 km. pasie murów wybudowano 47 baszt. Zabór austryjacki nakazał wyburzenie umocnień co trwało do 1814 roku. Dzisiaj idąc plantami możemy zaobserwować udostępniony obrys murów oraz baszt z ich ówczesną nazwą.

Emi Svemir (2 years ago)
Bestens gespendete 16 Zlots für Familien Eintrittskarte. Für die 16pln bekommt man Eintritt zu gleich 3 Monumente

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Paolo Ramponi

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Château de Fougères

The Château de Fougères is an impressive castle with curtain wall and 13 towers. It had three different enclosures, first for defensive purposes, second for day to day usages in peacetime and for safety of the surrounding populations in times of siege, the last enclosure was where the keep was situated.

The first wooden fort was built by the House of Amboise in the 11th century. It was destroyed in 1166 after it was besieged and taken by King Henry II of England. It was immediately rebuilt by Raoul II Baron de Fougères. Fougères was not involved in the Hundred Years' War until 1449 when the castle was taken by surprise by an English mercenary. In 1488 the French troops won the castle back after a siege and the castle lost its military role.

In the late 18th century the castle was turned into a prison. The owner in this period was the Baron Pommereul. In the 19th century the outer ward became an immense landscaped garden. A museum was established in the Mélusine Tower. During the Industrial Revolution, a shoe factory set up shop in the castle grounds.

The City of Fougères took ownership of the Château in 1892. It had been a listed Historical Monument since 1862. A major campaign was launched to clean up the castle walls. While the castle had retained many of its original features, some of the curtain walls needed to be cleared and certain sections required major repairs. The changes made in the 18th century were "reversed," and the castle was finally open to visitors. The first campaign of archaeological excavations, conducted in 1925, unearthed the ruins of the manor house.

Since then, the Château de Fougères has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors every year. The castle's excellent state of conservation, and the historical interest of its architecture, make Fougères an invaluable window onto the Middle Ages. From great lords to simple builders, generations of inhabitants have left their mark on these walls.

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