Match Tower in Kołobrzeg

The Match Tower (Baszta Lontowa) is the only completely preserved element of Kołobrzeg's medieval town walls. It is commonly called the Gunpowder Tower, but according to the Wikipedia entry this is a mistake resulting from an incorrect translation of the German name.

History

The tower was built in the 14th century as part of the Gothic walls. It survived the construction of the bastion fortifications in the 17th and 18th centuries and the demolition of Kołobrzeg Fortress at the end of the 19th century. In the fighting for the town in 1945 it was only slightly damaged. The real Gunpowder Tower stood near Katedralna and Rzeczna Streets.

What it looks like

The tower is on a rectangular plan, with four storeys and an attic, and a cellar underneath. The roof is covered with red tiles. The façade is decorated with five vertical pilaster strips with window niches. On the south side, by the former moat and town wall, the wall has no windows, only narrow arrow slits. The ground-floor part has an entrance portal with a bricked-up pointed-arch fragment and a Neo-Gothic window.

What was inside

After 1945 the interior was rebuilt many times. It housed a hostel, a café, a tourist information point and the seat of the Kołobrzeg branch of the PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society). In 2019 the building was bought by the town. Check its current use with the town.

Practical information

• Address: Stanisława Dubois 20, Kołobrzeg.
• Nearest are the Kołobrzeg Museum "Patria Colbergiensis" (about 100 metres) and the co-cathedral basilica.