Świebodzin Town Walls

In the 16th century the whole of Świebodzin was ringed by a wall with twelve towers and three gates, with a water-filled moat outside. Today only sections remain, and you have to spot them between town houses and trees. The best preserved stretch, with a round tower, stands on ul. Wałowa, a few minutes from the market square.

History of the fortifications

The town was founded on a low rise in the marshy valley of the Ołobok, which helped its defence. Work on the walls began in the early 14th century, first in fieldstone, later in brick. The circuit was roughly circular: a ring of wall strengthened by more than a dozen rectangular towers, with taller horseshoe-shaped and round towers by the gates. The Krosno Gate led in from the south and the Frankfurt Gate from the north, and from the 16th century there was also a western gate known as the New Gate. From the 18th century the defences lost their purpose, and most were pulled down in the 19th century.

What to see

• The stretch on ul. Wałowa – a fieldstone wall with a round brick tower, known as the former prison tower. Behind it rises the Gothic Revival spire of the Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland.
• The Stone Tower (Baszta Kamienna) on ul. Parkowa, from the mid-15th century, with a tall brick gable.
• Walls in Chopin Park and along ul. Okrężna, where longer sections of fieldstone survive.

Tripto tip

The walls are accessible at any time and free of charge, as they stand along streets and in the park. A walk from ul. Wałowa through Chopin Park to ul. Okrężna takes about half an hour. Look at the lower courses: the large, rough fieldstones are the oldest layer, with brick appearing higher up and in the towers. To find the Stone Tower, head for ul. Parkowa.