We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to visit this site you agree to our use of cookies.Akceptuję Privacy policy
Popular places
Event categories:
Po symbolicznej edycji w 2020 roku Jazz nad Odrą powraca w pełnej krasie. Pięć dni koncertów na trzech scenach, gwiazdy polskiego i światowego jazzu oraz tradycyjne jam session do rana – Strefa Kultury Wrocław odkrywa pierwsze karty tegorocznego programu.
Currently, the tower’s deviation from the vertical is 2.12 m. whereas during measurements made in 1977 it was found that the deviation was only 1.98 m. Today the Leaning Tower acts as a viewpoint.
Short history
To this day, it is impossible to answer the questions when this building was erected or for what purpose it was erected. One version says that it is a remnant of the former castle that had existed here before the foundation of the town. Another concept assumes that the tower, situated at the lowest point of the old town, served as a city gate. The third, finally, states that the tower was built as a city belfry. It did play such a role from the 15th century until the time of World War II.
In 1858, during the great fire of the town, the upper part of the tower was destroyed. After the fire the town authorities intended to demolish it completely but, eventually, it was decided that the burned part of the building would be rebuilt. It was then that it received a swallowtail crown. After reconstruction, the height of the tower is 34 m. A small turret with a spiral staircase was added to it from the south. The works were completed on October 11, 1860.
Why is the leaning tower leaning?
It is not known exactly why the tower leaned. It is widely believed that the cause could have been tectonic shocks which were recorded in our area on September 15, 1590. However, it cannot be ruled out that the reason may have been the wetting of the soil which caused the foundation to settle. There is also a legend explaining the incline of the tower. It tells about the events of 1858, when after a great fire in the town, an expert opinion on the foundations was made. The results of the survey surprised the experts. Based on them, it was found that the tower could have been built leaning right from the beginning. Oh, such a fantasy of builders who wanted Zabkowice to be attractive and to have a unique structure. Allegedly, in the nineteenth century, in the part of the tower burned-out by a great fire, there was an inscription made by a builder: “Ich heiß Johannes Gleiß, hab diesen Turm schieff gebaut mit Fleiß”. (My name is Johannes Gleiß, I built this tower leaning with diligence). Unfortunately, when after the great fire the upper floor of the tower was rebuilt, the inscription was destroyed.
The Leaning Tower today
The current deviation of the tower from the vertical is 2.12 m. It is worth noting that even during measurements made in 1977, it was found that the deviation was only 1.98 m. Today the Leaning Tower serves as a viewpoint.
Official website: http://www.zckit.pl/krzywa-wieza-2/
Adress: Świętego Wojciecha 7, 57-200 Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland Phone no.: +48 74 815 20 43
Explore more:
Peace and quiet, unpaved routes - that sounds like slow travel. See the Slow Travel map of Lower Silesia with attractions in the spirit of slow tourism
It is no coincidence that Ząbkowice Śląskie, called the City of the Leaning Tower and Frankenstein, is an extraordinary town in Lower Silesia with unique attractions. It is here that the only such Leaning Tower is located and it is in Ząbkowice Śląskie that the terrible story about Frankenstein has its roots.
The fortress of Srebrna Góra has just completed its reconstruction works and has opened a new sightseeing route for tourists
For centuries, a white lady has haunted the Grodno castle. The local people said that she was the wife of the castellan of the castle, who, after losing her husband, threw herself from the walls into the abyss and wandered over them since then.
From 1943, in the area of the Sowie Mountains, the Germans carried out large-scale construction works under the code name "Riese" ("Giant").
Visit unconquered places! Visit the largest impregnable mountain fortress in Europe.
The Riese complex, an unfinished project carried out by Nazi Germany in the Sowie Mountains during the last years of the war (1943-1945), remains an unsolved mystery for historians and explorers (including speleologists).
It is the only such place in Poland - the largest system of mountain bike routes in the heart of the Sudetes provides over 500 km of trails in the Sowie Mountains and the Suche Mountains, one of the most picturesque regions of Lower Silesia.