KrakowInformer.com

Krakow Mounds

Zakopane and the Tatry Mountains are easily accessible at just 100 kilometers away, but it seems that the Krakowians want to have everything within reach, so they built their own mountains – the Krakow Mounds.

To be exact, there used to be five mounds in Krakow, but one of them, the Esterka Mound, was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a football stadium. According to the legend, the Esterka Mound was erected in Cracow in the 14^th century to commemorate Esterka, the lover of king Casimir the Great, who, having heard that he had been unfaithful to her, jumped out of a window into a pond and drowned.

Even if this is just a legend, destroying such an old landmark may seem a strange thing to do... unless you have a few more left. Such was the case with Krakow.

Krakus Mound (Kopiec Krakusa)

Although some say it might have been erected in the 1^st or 2^nd century BC, it is probably some eight hundred years younger, dating back to the 7^th century. Traditionally it is assumed to be the burial mound of the legendary King Krak (Krakus, Cracus) – the one whose subjects faced the Krakow Dragon. However, no human remains were found inside when the mound was excavated in the 1930s. This 16-meter-high mound is situated near Wielicka Street.

Wanda Mound (Kopiec Wandy)

This 14-meter-high mound commemorates Wanda, the daughter of Krakus, and also comes from the 7^th century. According to the most popular version of the legend, she ruled Poland after her father's death, and refused to marry a German prince. The prince – obviously not pleased – attacked Krakow. He was defeated, but Wanda threw herself into the Vistula river, either to avoid provoking another attack, or to sacrifice herself in thanks to the gods for saving Krakow. Interestingly, along with the Wawel Hill, the Wanda and Krakus Mounds form an equilateral triangle. It is assumed that they had a religious or astronomical meaning. This mound is situated in the Nowa Huta district.

Kosciuszko Mound (Kopiec Kosciuszki)

Located in the Zwierzyniec district, this one is probably the most famous of Krakow Mounds. It was built to commemorate Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish (and American) national hero who was the leader of Poland's last struggle for independence in 1794. Kosciuszko was closely linked to Krakow, and his tomb is in the Wawel Cathedral. The Kosciuszko Mound contains soil from the battlefields of the Kosciuszko Uprising. It is 34 meters high, and thanks to its location – the Blessed Bronislawa Hill – it offers a fantastic panorama of Krakow to all those who decide to climb to its top.

Pilsudski Mound (Kopiec Pilsudskiego)

The youngest and biggest Krakow mound is 35 meters high and dates back to the 1930s. It is also called the Independence or the Freedom Mound – and these names are obviously linked with the name of Jozef Pilsudski, the 20^th century battler of Polish independence, whose actions resulted in the reestablishment of Poland as a free country in 1918. During the communist era this mound was devastated, but it has been renovated in the 1980s. The Pilsudski Mound is situated in the Lasek Wolski (Wolski Wood).