High Gate in Lidzbark Warmiński

Of the three gates through which travellers entered Lidzbark Warmiński for centuries, only one has survived – and strictly speaking not the gate itself but its monumental outer gatehouse. The High Gate, with two semicircular towers and a zigzag brick frieze, is considered the grandest structure of its kind in Warmia, and its silhouette recalls the famous Holstentor in Lübeck.

History: the gate of the prince-bishops' capital

Lidzbark received its town charter on 12 August 1308 from Bishop Eberhard of Nysa, and from 1350 for over four centuries it was the seat of the bishops of Warmia. Shortly after the mid-14th century the town began to be enclosed by walls with towers and gates; the fortifications were completed in 1357. To the east and south the Łyna river gave natural protection, so the strongest walls, with towers and a dry moat, were built on the north side. Three gates led into town: the Mill Gate to the north-east, the High Gate to the north-west and the Church Gate to the south-west, plus a small Castle postern by the church.

Sources date the surviving structure differently: to the 14th century or to 1466–1478. A barbican once stood in front of it, and a brick “neck” about 20 m long linked it to the main gate in the walls. In the 19th century the gates were seen as obstacles to traffic: in 1816 and 1818 the Church, Mill and Castle gates were demolished, around 1850 the upper part of the High Gate was rebuilt, and in 1868 the barbican and part of the walls were pulled down. The outer gatehouse survived and is now the town's emblem.

What to see

• The four-storey structure, with two semicircular towers joined by the gate block and a pointed-arch passage in the middle.
• The moulded-brick frieze on the top storey of the outer side – arches wrapping the crown of the walls in a zigzag.
• Four blind niches and four shields on the outer façade.
• Wysoka Brama street, home to the Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul – built in 1821–1823 as the first Protestant church in Warmia.

Did you know?

Under communist rule Lidzbark lost much of its historic fabric – the 19th-century row of houses on Wysoka Brama street was demolished, among others, and apartment blocks replaced the old-town houses. All the more reason why the gate is one of the few places where you can still sense the medieval scale of a town that was the capital of Warmia from 1350 to 1795. Nicolaus Copernicus spent time at the bishops' castle in Lidzbark, accompanying his uncle, the Bishop of Warmia.

Tripto tip

You can view the gate from outside for free on a walk around the centre. Walk round both sides: the frieze and shields face outwards, towards the former approach to the town. Don't assume the interior is open – check access with the local tourist information. 15–20 minutes is enough for the gate itself; end your walk at the castle of the bishops of Warmia, home to the Warmia Museum, and at the Krasicki Orangery.