Grudziadz Granaries

The granary wall at Grudziadz is a run of about two dozen brick buildings standing on the edge of the Vistula escarpment with their river faces going straight down to the water, some over thirty metres from foundation to gable, and it is the most striking waterfront of its kind in Poland. They were built from the fourteenth century onwards to store grain for the river trade and were deliberately built as a continuous line so that they served as the town wall on that side, which is why there are almost no openings low down. The best view is from the opposite bank or from the water. Behind them the town has a Gothic church, a museum in a former Benedictine convent, and the site of the Teutonic castle on the hill, of which the tower has been partly rebuilt as a viewpoint. The town also has a nineteenth-century Prussian citadel on the heights north of the centre.

History

The Teutonic Order founded the town in 1291 and fortified it in the fourteenth century, and the first granary, the Bornwald, was built in 1346-51, followed by several more in 1364. Besides storing grain, one of them served as a Lutheran church between 1603 and 1608; only six granaries survived the Swedish siege during the Deluge, rebuilding went on into the eighteenth century, and the granaries were rebuilt again in 1946-1966 (Wikipedia, Grudziądz Granaries).

What's there

• Two dozen tall granaries - brick, some over thirty metres, straight out of the bank.
• A wall of stores - built continuous so they doubled as the town defences.
• The best view from opposite - the far bank or a boat on the Vistula.
• A rebuilt castle tower - on the hill above, used as a viewpoint.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Most granaries are not open inside - this is a view rather than a visit. Reaching the far bank for the best angle needs a car or a long walk over the bridge. The museum closes on Mondays.

Nearby

Chelmno is south; Kwidzyn is downstream on the other bank.

Key facts