Suliszowice Watchtower

The Suliszowice Watchtower (Strażnica Suliszowice) is the ruin of a medieval defensive structure on an isolated rock near the village of Suliszowice, in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. A fragment of walls of broken limestone has survived to this day.

History

The watchtower was probably built under Casimir the Great or Władysław of Opole, in 1370-1391. The first written mention comes only from 1581, and by then the building was probably already abandoned. The complex consisted of an upper part, built on a rock 15-20 metres high, and a lower part, surrounded by a rampart and a moat.

What remains

A fragment of walls 19.5 m long and up to 1.8 m thick has survived, along with the remains of buildings at the foot of the rock. In the 1970s a holiday house was built on the courtyard and the whole site was fenced, so visiting the interior is out of the question. The site is entered in the heritage register (no. 444/88).

Practical information

• Location: the top of a rock at about 400 m above sea level near Suliszowice, Myszków County.
• The ruins are best viewed from outside. Check before you travel whether the site is accessible.
• A similar site in the area: the Przewodziszowice Watchtower, and a little further the Ostrężnik Castle.