Poland, Lublin, 1 Zamkowa Street; Lublin Castle, tower in the castle courtyard, tower in Lublin, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland
The donjon is a round brick tower in Lublin Castle's courtyard and ranks among the oldest parts of the fortress, built in the 13th century. Its lower walls combine limestone and brick while upper sections are solid brick, rising about three stories with a wooden lookout platform crowning the top.
The tower was built in the middle of the 13th century as the core of castle defense on Lublin's hill. During the 17th century wars, it survived widespread destruction that left most other structures in ruins, becoming one of only two major elements to endure the conflict alongside the castle chapel.
The tower is called a donjon, a name that marks it as a rare example of Romanesque fortification east of the Vistula River. Visitors can observe how it sits in the castle courtyard, displaying medieval defense methods through its thick stone walls and small openings designed to resist attack.
To visit the tower, head to the castle courtyard on Zamkowa Street where it stands clearly visible and open to guests. A spiral staircase built into the walls carries you from underground chambers up to the lookout platform, which offers views across Lublin's Old Town and surrounding areas.
The donjon was long attributed to King Daniel Romanovich of Galicia-Volhynia, but modern historical research disproved this by examining old chronicles and finding the king did not control the city at that time. The tower was likely built by local rulers in the mid-13th century as part of the fortification system.
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