City gates and walls in Cracow

When we talk about Cracow city gates, we mean seven (or nine, depends on the way of counting) entrances to the city located in different areas around the oldest part of the city (today the Old Town). The gates were the parts of the city walls. Building of the city walls started in 1285 and it was changed through the years when the building was modernized and modified. Today we can admire only one gate – Floriajn Gate. But the oldest one was a Butcher's gate which was later replaced by Mikołajska Gate. Other gates were: Grodzka Gate, Sławkowska Gate, Szewska Gate, Wiślna Gate and New Gate. 

In 18th century old fortification started to be a problem, because it turned out into a dirty place full of trash and people from shady surrounding, so areas close to the city walls started to be a dangerous place with dirt and unpleasant smell. Because of that it was decided to destroy the walls and only because of Feliks Radwański, the professor of the Jagiellonian University, the piece of the walls could be saved – close to Barbakan and Floriańska Gate. Because of the stubborn professor nowadays people can admire the wonderful and renovated piece of the city walls and gates in gothic style.

Floriańska Gate is one of the best-known Polish gothic towers, which was built in 14th century (1307) for the protection against Turkish attack. The Gate towers is 33,5 meters tall. The Baroque metal part of the roof, which crowns the tower as made in the 15th century. Also, Royal Route begins at Florian Gate. Royal Road starts in Florian Gate, goes through the Main Swuare and Grodzka Street and finishes at Wawel Castle. Florian Gate is one of the most famous places in Cracow, admired by tourists as well. For example, so sure during many trips, like this one, you can have a chance to see Florian Gate and listen to its story from the guide.