Gunpowder Tower, Medieval defense tower in Old Town, Lviv, Ukraine
The Gunpowder Tower is a medieval defense structure in Lviv's Old Town with walls three meters thick and small loopholes built into them. These openings were designed so defenders could shoot at attackers approaching from multiple directions.
Built between 1554 and 1556 from stones taken from a dismantled arsenal building, the tower guarded the eastern gateway to the city. It served as a storage place for weapons and military equipment.
The entrance features two white marble lions brought from Austria, which are part of Lviv's collection of stone lion sculptures scattered throughout the city. These lions add character to the space and draw the attention of people passing by.
The tower sits on Pidvalna Street 4 in the heart of the Old Town, easy to find when walking through the area. A cafe and souvenir shop occupy the ground floor, making it a natural stopping point.
The ground level around the tower has risen two meters over four centuries, hiding the original lower section beneath today's street surface. This means visitors are seeing only the upper portion of what was once a taller structure.
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