Water Tower in Giżycko

For 96 years this brick tower at ul. Warszawska 37 supplied Giżycko with water; today people drink coffee at the top with a view of Lake Niegocin and Boyen Fortress. The Gothic Revival structure of 1900 is regarded as the tallest building in town, and its highest storey stands at about 162 m above sea level. It is one of the best viewpoints in Masuria, Poland's lake district — and it has a lift.

Engineer Intze's tank

The tower was built in 1900 on a hill at the junction of ul. Warszawska, ul. Wodociągowa and ul. Bohaterów Westerplatte. Under the vault sat a zinc-sheet tank designed by the engineer Otto Intze — 3.8 m high, 8 m wide and holding about 200 m³ of water. The tower is of unrendered brick in the Gothic Revival style: it is 7.2 m wide at the base, while the crown that housed the tank projects beyond the shaft to 9.06 m. Decorative details run below the crown, and the coat of arms of Giżycko and the flag of Masuria flank the entrance.

From waterworks to café

Water flowed from here until 1996, when the town's water system was rebuilt. A year later the tower was bought by local businessman Henryk Górny. The renovation completed in 2009 cost PLN 3 million: 10,000 bricks were replaced, the concrete ceiling was renewed and three floors were added inside. At the top a café was built with a viewing terrace projecting beyond the walls, covered by a dome with a weathervane. In 2009 the tower was entered in the register of historic monuments (A-4531).

What you will see

• The viewing terrace with a panorama of the town, Lake Niegocin, Boyen Fortress and the surrounding area.
• A museum with mementoes of Masuria's former inhabitants and exhibits on the history of Giżycko.
• The brick crown with its details — best seen from below, from ul. Warszawska.

Interesting facts

The tower welcomes around 40,000 visitors a season, an estimated 95% of them holidaymakers visiting the Masurian lakes. Nearby, on ul. Warszawska, was the old Jewish cemetery — destroyed during and after the war, with not a single gravestone surviving.

Tripto tip

There are 129 steps to the top, but there is also a lift, so the terrace is accessible to those who would rather not climb. The tower is open seasonally, from May to September, and admission is charged — check current hours and prices before your visit. Pick a clear day: in good visibility the panorama over Niegocin is at its widest. Allow about an hour including coffee, then walk on to Boyen Fortress or down to the lake.