Gunpowder Tower in Gryfice

The Gunpowder Tower is one of three towers of Gryfice's former fortifications, built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. It stands in the north-eastern part of the Old Town, on Nadbrzeżna Street at the corner with Leśna Street, near the Rega River. Since its renovation in 2007 it has been open to visitors, and the town can be seen from its viewing balcony.

A defensive tower

The tower is Gothic and brick, built on a circular plan as a double-cylinder structure with a conical roof. It is 25.2 m high. The cylinders are of the same height but differ in circumference, and the upper one is narrower. The entrance is about 3 m above the ground, on the south-east side, because a stone staircase and a wooden platform from the defensive walls once led into the interior. Two storeys were equipped with loopholes on the outer side of the fortifications. The name comes from the gunpowder that was stored at the tower or in the lower part of its first storey. Together with the Bridge Tower and the Mill Tower, which no longer exist, it formed the town's eastern defensive system and today remains a relic of it. It was entered in the heritage register in 1955.

After the renovation

After the war the tower served scouts as a meeting place, and then stood unused. In 2007, as part of the revitalisation of historic monuments, a wooden entrance was built, the joinery inside was replaced with metal, the roofing was raised and a viewing balcony was made. The site is managed by the Gryfice House of Culture.

Nearby

Nearby lie the defensive walls and the High Gate.

Practical information

• Address: Nadbrzeżna Street, corner of Leśna, Gryfice.
• The hours at which the viewing balcony can be entered are set by the manager. The sources we used do not give them, so check them with the Gryfice House of Culture before your visit.