Zamość, Renaissance city in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland.
Zamość is a city in eastern Poland, in the Lublin region, that features a regular street grid with axes meeting at right angles. At the center lies a rectangular market square surrounded by two-story buildings with continuous arcades on the ground floor.
The city was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski, a chancellor and military commander who wanted to establish a trading post and military stronghold here. Over the following decades a fortified town emerged according to plans by an Italian architect, meant to secure the connection between western European trade routes.
The townhouses around the main square display facades with attics and gables typical of wealthy merchants from the 16th century. Today these buildings house cafés and small shops where locals meet and visitors can wander through the arcades.
The city center can be explored easily on foot, as most points of interest are distributed across a compact area. Visiting in spring or autumn is especially rewarding, when the weather is mild and the arcades provide shade during a walk.
Below the streets run cellars and passages from the 16th century that once served as warehouses and shelters for merchants. Some of these underground rooms are accessible through narrow staircases and still display original brick vaulting.
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