Smiths' Tower in Złotoryja

The round stone tower with brick battlements stands by a busy street a few minutes from the market square and is the best preserved part of Złotoryja's medieval fortifications. Its entrance is not at street level but 6.6 metres up – the way towers were built when they had to serve as a last refuge in a siege.

History

The Smiths' Tower (Baszta Kowalska) was built in the mid-14th century to protect the Upper Gate, one of the gates into the town. In the Middle Ages it had a Gothic spire. In the 15th and 16th centuries it served as the town jail. Napoleon's troops destroyed the spire in 1813, during the battle for Złotoryja. The tower was opened to visitors in the 1970s, and restoration work took place in 1986–1987 and in 2010. It is a relic of the defences of what is, in legal terms, the oldest town in Poland, chartered in 1211.

What to see

• The tower – 22.5 m high, 9.5 m in diameter, with walls 2.7 m thick at the base.
• Rubble-stone masonry and brick battlements, which now top the tower instead of the old spire.
• External stairs leading to the high entrance.
• The surroundings – remnants of Złotoryja's town walls nearby.

Tripto tip

The tower stands free by the street, so you can see it from all sides. It was opened to visitors in the 1970s; before you go, check with the Złotoryja Culture and Recreation Centre whether and when you can go inside. Fifteen minutes is enough for the tower, and you can continue to the nearby Aurelia Gold Mine on the slope of St Nicholas Hill.