TOWER IN KRAPKOWICE

The Tower in Krapkowice is also known as the Upper Gate Tower or the Prudnik Gate Tower. Made of crushed rock gravel in the Gothic-Renaissance style, the tower was built in the second half of the 14th century and rebuilt around 1580. It is a rectangular, three-storey building with a barrel-vaulted ground floor. The structure was part of the town's fortification and was one of the towers of the upper (western) gate, from which the road led in the direction of Prudnik, Nysa and Kłodzko. It was a fortification for the customs chamber, where goods were cleared before entering the town.

Krapkowice had three more gates: the northern gate (Opole Gate), the eastern gate (Strzelce Gate, also known as the Odra Gate or Low Gate), and the southern gate (Koźle Gate). These were demolished in the 19th century. Furthermore, in 1895, the southern part of the walls was cut off from the upper gate, with traces of the walls still visible today.

In 2019, the building underwent a thorough renovation, thanks to which it gained a new observation deck. Besides the city panorama, you can also see St. Anne's Mountain and the Opawskie Mountains from there (if the weather is bad, you can use the telescope installed on the deck to see them better). The walls and attic have been restored and secured. In addition, after the renovation, the tower gained professional lighting, display cases in the exhibition halls on each floor, and space for a year-round tourist information desk. One unusual souvenir that visitors may acquire while visiting the Tower is a handmade card made from handmade paper at the "Czerpuś" Handmade Paper Factory, which operates here.

In 2007, the Krapkowice Tower received a distinction from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage: "Zadbany zabytek Anno Domini 2007" (Well-Maintained Monument, Anno Domini 2007). This earned it a spot among the 18 best-maintained historic buildings in Poland. It is from this place, every day at noon, that the Krapkowice bugle call resounds.