Lower Gate Tower in Prudnik

Prudnik, founded under Magdeburg law in 1279, is one of the oldest towns of Upper Silesia. As early as the 14th century it was surrounded by defensive walls with two gates: the Upper Gate, known as the Nysa Gate, and the Lower Gate. By the latter, a stone tower was erected in the 15th century; its origins go back to 1481, and it still shapes the rhythm of any walk through the old town.

A structure rooted in the townscape

The Lower Gate Tower does not stand alone — it grew into the rows of townhouses, so it is best seen from the side streets east of the Market Square. The masonry building has three storeys: the two lower ones on a square plan and the topmost octagonal, crenellated level covered with a conical helmet. Few structures in this part of Poland have survived in such a legible form.

A restoration appreciated by conservators

In 2006 the tower underwent a thorough restoration, rewarded with the Zabytek Zadbany (Well-Kept Monument) title granted by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. For a town of nearly 19,000 residents it is one of the most precious mementoes of its medieval past, alongside the Wok Tower and the surviving fragments of the walls.

In practice

The tower stands at 2 Stefana Batorego Street, about two hundred metres from the Market Square, so it fits easily into a walk around the centre: the square, the tower, then a coffee in one of the nearby cafés. The building is viewed from the outside, and the afternoon light from Batorego Street gives the best photographs. Reserve half a day for the area — the Opawskie Mountains and Biskupia Kopa lie within a dozen or so kilometres.