St. Florian's Gate Tower, Krakow

You sense the history of Krakow when you try to imagine what it must have been like to approach its well-defended brick and mortar walls during medieval times. This tower, first mentioned in 1307, had been built as part of a protective rampart around Krak贸w after the Tatar attack of 1241 which destroyed most of the city. The new construction of city defense features stone watchtowers, fortified gates and a moat.

The gate named after Saint Florian became the main entryway to the Old Town. It was connected by a long bridge to the circular Barbican (Barbakan) erected of brick on the other side of the moat. According to records, by 1473 there were 17 towers defending the city; a century later, there were 33. At the height of its existence, the wall featured 47 watchtowers and eight gates. Also, in 1565鈥�66 a municipal arsenal was built next to Saint Florian's Gate.

The Gate Tower is 33.5 meters tall. The Baroque metal "helmet" that crowns the gate, constructed in 1660 and renovated in 1694, adds another meter to its overall height. Saint Florian's is the only city gate, of the original eight built in the Middle Ages, that was not dismantled during the 19th-century "modernization" of Krak贸w. The adjoining city walls and two additional, smaller towers had been preserved and today host street displays of amateur art available for purchase.

The south face of Saint Florian's Gate is adorned with an 18th-century bas-relief of Saint Florian. The tower's north face bears a stone eagle that was carved in 1882 by Polish sculptor Zygmunt Langman, based on a design by painter Jan Matejko. Inside the gate is an altar with a late-Baroque copy of a classicist painting of the Piaskowa Madonna.

Tip:
The Gate Tower is beautiful to see at night when it is lighted.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Krakow. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: St. Florian's Gate Tower
Sight Location: Krakow, Poland (See walking tours in Krakow)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Krakow Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Krakow, Poland

Create Your Own Walk in Krakow

Creating your own self-guided walk in Krakow is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Krakow Introduction Walking Tour

A unique entry on the list of the World Heritage Sights, Krakow is a recognized center of the academic, artistic and cultural life of Poland. Established in the 7th century as a tiny hamlet at the top of the Wawel Hill, overlooking the Vistula River, it is one of the country's oldest cities. Over the course of the next fifteen centuries it has evolved into the nation's second-largest... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Historical House Museums Tour

Well-preserved historical buildings can often tell the stories of their city more vividly than any history book. Krakow, the old capital and cultural center of Poland, for many years, has been the home of many important Poles. Today, their former residences have been converted into house museums where visitors can learn about their inhabitants and see what life was like in the past.

One such... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles

Historical Churches Walking Tour

Krakow, the center of religious life in Poland, was once considered 鈥渢he Northern Rome鈥� for its multitude of churches. Alongside the new temples continuing to appear in the city today, these remarkable sanctuaries, holding deep historical and cultural significance, still remain the most attractive and interesting to look at.

By far the most iconic of these is the Basilica of Saint Mary. A... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles

Jewish Heritage Tour in Krakow

The Jewish community has been an integral part of Krakow since the late 13th century. On the eve of World War II, there were 60,000 Jews living in the city, mostly in the historic Kazimierz neighborhood, which accounted for a quarter of the local population. The old town square in Kazimierz was the center of Jewish life.

During the war, the Nazis separated ethnic Jews from the rest of... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

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