Fort I "Salis Soglio" in Siedliska (Przemyśl Fortress)

Fort I "Salis Soglio" in Siedliska lies just a few dozen metres from the Ukrainian border – on a clear day you can see the border posts from its ramparts. It is one of the best-preserved forts of the outer ring of the Przemyśl Fortress, built by the Austrians in 1882–1886, when this region belonged to Austria-Hungary. Unlike most of its sister forts it has kept its brick entrance gate, and the site is open to visitors.

History: a fort meant to be armoured

The fort is named after the Swiss engineer Daniel Salis-Soglio, director of the fortress works in 1871–1875. It was first planned as an armoured fort, but after a year of construction the money for costly armour was cut and extra gun positions were added – which is why it is classed as an atypical artillery fort. It was the hub of the "Siedliska Group", which included six auxiliary forts further forward, now on the Ukrainian side of the border.

During the two sieges of Przemyśl in 1914–1915 it supported the troops fighting in front with its guns and housed a sector command. When the fortress surrendered on 22 March 1915 it was partly blown up, but it was damaged so little that in September 1939 General Kazimierz Sosnkowski, commander of the Polish Southern Front, set up his command post here. In July 1944 it briefly housed the headquarters of the Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front. After 1945 the fort was partly dismantled.

What to see

• The brick entrance gate – on most forts the gates were removed after manoeuvres in 1896; here it was kept, probably because the forward forts shielded it.
• Barracks around three courtyards at the centre of the fort – an unusual layout; the casemates by the central and right courtyards are in good condition, while the left one is a heap of concrete blocks.
• The axial corridor and stairs up to the rampart.
• The gun-lift shaft on the rampart, with remnants of steel fittings for its mechanism, and the traverses with crew shelters.
• The dry moat – the caponiers have not survived and the tunnels leading to them have been filled in.

Tripto tip

The fort is open to visitors; sources mention no tickets or opening hours. The interiors are dark – bring a torch, watch your step and stay out of rooms that look unstable. Allow 45–60 minutes. Because the border is so close, don't wander off the fort grounds to the east. The fort is on the black fortress trail and the fortress cycle route; on the way to Medyka, the armoured Fort XV "Borek" from 1897–1900 is worth a stop.