Fort 53 "Bodzów"
Fortress Kraków
A Fortress Kraków fort on Solnik hill in Bodzów, built in 1887 as a semi-permanent earth-and-timber fort and rebuilt in 1913-1914 as a permanent one, with adjoining batteries, a rampart and a shelter. The fort offers a view over a large part of Kraków. In 1914 its garrison consisted of 110 artillerymen and 115 infantrymen. In 1955 it was slated for demolition, which was not carried out because of the high cost. Today it is a ruin, but together with the surrounding greenery it has been entered in the register of monuments, and Solnik hill has become a recreation area known as the Kostrze Hideaway.
History
Fort 53 "Bodzów" stands on Solnik hill in Bodzów, which offers a view over a large part of Kraków. It was built in 1887 as a semi-permanent fort of earth and timber, and it commanded the south bank of the Vistula and the Tyniec road. Just before the First World War it was rebuilt as a permanent fort, with adjoining batteries, a rampart and a shelter. Six caverns were cut into the surrounding rocks and used as storerooms or underground shelters for soldiers. In 1914 the garrison consisted of 110 artillerymen, including three officers, and 115 infantrymen, also with three officers. The fort took no part in the fighting.
From the second half of the 1930s the hill, with its rising air currents, served as a base for gliding courses. During the occupation, scouts of the Grey Ranks met here and took their oaths, and after the war it was again used for gliding training, until a change in launching methods - by winch or aircraft tow - forced the search for another site. In 1954-1955 an attempt was made to dismantle the fort to recover its bricks. The gain was small, the building was left in ruins, and only the caverns cut into the rock survived.
The ruins and the surrounding greenery were entered in the register of historic monuments, and Solnik hill became a recreation area known as Uroczysko Kostrze. It lies in the Bielany-Tyniec Landscape Park, and its winds are used by paragliders. Today it is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Kraków. Take care on the slopes, as off-road vehicles ride on them.
Did you know?
From the top of Solnik (259 m above sea level), when visibility is good, you can see the Gorce mountains, Babia Góra and even the Tatras. There used to be a quarry on the slope.