Stone Redoubt in Kołobrzeg

The Stone Redoubt (Kamienny Szaniec) is a relic of the eastern defences of the former Kołobrzeg Fortress, tucked into the dunes right above the beach at the eastern end of Stefan Żeromski Park. Built in 1832–1836 to fight off warships, within half a century it had swapped its guns for café tables – and to this day it is above all a place to meet with a view of the Baltic.

History: from redan to café

The redoubt was built where the fiercest fighting of 1807 took place, between the fortress defenders and the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Poznań Legion. Its German name, Waldenfels Schanze, commemorates Captain Waldenfels, who was killed at the nearby Wolf Fort at the time, while the Polish name comes from the massive bank of boulders that protected it from the sea. The work was shaped as a redan: two earth ramparts with casemates, a moat on the north and east and an entrance on the west. Together with the Wolf Fort, now an amphitheatre, it formed the eastern defence system of the town and port.

Its military career was short. From 1887 the site was adapted for the spa: part of the moat was filled in, trees were planted, a garden restaurant was set up inside and a glazed veranda with a terrace and café was built on the seaward rampart. It became one of the most fashionable spots of the pre-war resort. In 1945 the redoubt was once again prepared for defence and was destroyed in the fighting for Kołobrzeg.

Did you know

Despite being listed as a heritage monument on 2 August 1967, the site kept deteriorating. In 1972 the regional authorities even applied to have it struck off the register – that never happened, but in the 1970s the stone bank and much of the earth rampart were demolished. The consequences proved costly: without the stone breakwater, coastal erosion speeded up and the beach began to shrink. In the late 1980s a steel Larssen sheet-pile wall was driven in, and further shore-protection work has been going on for years. In 1995 a bar and restaurant opened in the ruins.

What to see

• Remains of the casemates and ramparts built into today's venue.
• The view of the beach and the sea from where the old veranda stood.
• In nearby Żeromski Park grows a bald cypress with a girth of 245 cm – a North American species that can live up to 1,200 years in its native range.

Tripto tips

• Do not expect a complete fortification: this is a place with a story rather than a monument with a visitor route. A quarter of an hour is enough to see the remains, longer if you stay for coffee.
• The redoubt stands at the junction of Fredry Street with Sułkowskiego and Sikorskiego Streets, in the eastern part of the spa district. The nicest way to get here is along the beach promenade or through the park.
• We could not confirm the venue's opening hours from an official source. The surrounding area and the beach are freely accessible.
• Nearby: the Wolf Fort (amphitheatre), Żeromski Park and the pier.