City fortifications

On your right, you will see a massive, freestanding rectangular slab of rough-hewn stone masonry, punctuated near the top by two small, deep-set rectangular openings. It looks a bit lonely sitting there, does it not? But this rough patch of rock is a stubborn survivor.

These are the remnants of the city fortifications. Starting way back in the thirteenth century, the Teutonic Knights turned this town into a formidable stronghold. They established their most powerful commandery-the fortified headquarters we mentioned earlier-right here in the region. They wrapped the entire city center in a system of walls reaching up to seven meters high. The fortifications featured corner bastions, deep defensive moats, and four heavy gates pointing toward neighboring cities. They even relied on a massive artificial pond called Tazus, spanning over three hundred acres, which they could use to flood the southern and eastern moats whenever an enemy army approached.

But all that incredible medieval engineering eventually met its match. In 1425, during a period of intense conflict, a rebel army of Bohemian religious reformers known as the Hussites swept through the area. Led by an aggressive commander named Hašek, they overwhelmed these very defenses. The attackers managed to breach the towering stone walls and successfully set the town's castle and church on fire.

Centuries passed, warfare evolved, and cannons grew stronger. By the 1700s, stone walls were practically useless for defense, so the fortifications lost their military purpose entirely. But the townspeople did not simply tear them down. Instead, they got incredibly practical. They started treating the old walls like free architectural foundations, building small houses right up against the stone, and using the medieval defenses as garden fences or the back walls of their living rooms. The four grand gates were slowly dismantled one by one to make room for growing traffic, ending with the 1903 demolition of the Clock Gate we discussed earlier.

It is fascinating how the modern world just swallowed the ancient one. If you check out the before and after images on your screen, you can see how the streetscape around this particular medieval fragment has subtly updated over a recent fourteen year span. And the locals really did take liberties with these stones. Take a look at your app for a prime example. In the late twentieth century, someone actually smashed right through a section of this ancient, culturally protected masonry just to build a residential garage. It was a harsh renovation, sparking major preservation efforts, but it perfectly captures how history gets woven into the messy reality of everyday life.

Today, only eight fragments of the original medieval ring survive, standing quietly as protected cultural monuments, and since they are part of the streets, they are completely open twenty four hours a day. Take a moment to trace the irregular stones with your eyes and imagine the massive fortress they used to form. When you are ready, let's head to our final stop.