Zamosc Old Town

Why Zamosc Old Town is special
It's a living museum of Renaissance urban planning - and has a photogenic historic main square.

Top Zamosc Old Town attaction
Great Market Square
It's lined with well-preserved merchant houses (the arcaded Armenian houses are the best - see photo). The 100x100-meter square is dominated by the 50-meter or 165-foot tall tower of the town hall, which sits within the square.

More Zamosc Old Town tips & insights
Strategic location
It stands along a major trade route that once linked the Black Sea with northern Europe cities. This factor helped make the town prosperous, especially during Zamosc's 17th century heyday.

City walls and bastions
They thwarted invasions by the Swedes, Cossacks, and Russians. Bastion #7 is the only section in good condition.

Zamosc's darkest hour
In the Second World War, the Nazis killed nearly 10,000 residents, mainly Jews.

Creators
The town was conceived in the late 16th century by the eponymous Jan Zamoyski and designed by the Italian architect Bernardo Morando in the Italian Renaissance layout style.

Who should come
Its appeal lies largely with those interested in history, architecture, and urban planning. There is only a modest tourism infrastructure (such as tourist-oriented shops, sidewalk cafes, and restaurants) for the general traveler. The relatively nearby Lublin Old Town would be a better choice for that visitor type.

How to pronounce
Zamosc = zah-mowst

Location in Poland