Old town square in Przemyśl

The picturesque and unique Old Town Square is the heart of Przemyśl. Certainly, it is one of the most beautiful Market Squares in Poland, and its uniqueness lies in the terrain. As one of the few markets – it is slanted, which reminds tourists arriving in the city, that we – people in Przemyśl – spend the whole life going up or down, because most of our unique old town, as well as most of the city, is located on the picturesque and steep slopes of the hills. Many tourists also pay attention to the stone pavement, called “cobble stones”. They hide the secret of the rich, but often tragic, history of the city on the San River.

The market square in Przemyśl was most probably established in the fourteenth century, that is, when the city was founded. Unfortunately, no monuments have survived from this period. The first one-floored houses were made of bricks in the 16th century, and over the years, more floors were added. Due to the fact that Przemyśl was an important merchant center over the centuries, the tenements adjoining the market have arcades that were used for trade. The market square itself had the shape of a square, but to this day, there are no tenement houses from the west side. Currently, a “Józef Szwejk’s Bench” is placed in their place.

In the 16th century, in Przemyśl, more or less in the middle of the plan, a magnificent town hall was built, but it did not survive the period of the partitions of Poland and was demolished by the Austrians. Nowadays, the former townhouse No. 1 meets the function of the town hall.

Więcej na temat historii rynku można przeczytaj na official website of the city of Przemyśl.