The Krakow Barbican is a barbican – a fortified outpost once connected to the city walls. It is a historic gateway leading into the Old Town of Krakow, Poland.
The barbican is one of the few remaining relics of the complex network of fortifications and defensive barriers that once encircled the royal city of Krakow in the south of Poland. It currently serves as a tourist attraction and venue for a variety of exhibitions. Today Barbican falls under the jurisdiction of The Historical Museum of the City of Krakow which has made it accessible for the tourists, who can tour its interior with outline of historical development of fortifications in Krakow.
History : The Gothic-style barbican, built around 1498, is one of only three such fortified outposts still surviving in Europe, and the best preserved. It is a moated cylindrical brick structure with an inner courtyard 24.4 meters in diameter, and seven turrets. Its 3-meter-thick walls hold 130 embrasures. The barbican was originally linked to the city walls by a covered passageway that led through St. Florian’s Gate and served as a checkpoint for all who entered the city.
Access : Coordinates: 50.06549, -19.94164 / more info here.. Fees : Admission 9/7zl, Family ticket 18zl. Ticket includes admission to the nearby City Defensive Walls. Location : Ul. Basztowa | 50. 0655, 19. 941644, Krakow 30-547, Poland Hours : 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Highlights : Considered a masterpiece of medieval military engineering, the circular fortress of the Krakow’s Barbakan was added to the city’s fortifications along the coronation route in the late 15th century, based on Arabic rather than European defensive strategy. On its eastern wall, a tablet commemorates the feat of a Krakow burgher, Marcin Oracewicz, who, during the Bar Confederation, defended the town against the Russians and shot their Colonel Panin.
Go next : Statue of Adam Mickiewicz and Sukiennice in the Main Market Square
