On a hill towering over Czchów and the picturesque Dunajec Valley, there looms a formidable tower
On a hill towering over Czchów and the picturesque Dunajec Valley, there looms a formidable tower. From the top, a commanding view stretches across the green of the hill and the valley, with its ribbon of the river, the dam and Lake Czchowskie. The cylindrical tower, with its imposing walls, several metres thick, was build in the late 13th century in order to control the vital trade route running along the Dunajec. During the next century, a modest castle sprung up around the tower. Endowed by Władysław the Elbow-High, it served as the seat for Czchów’s Starosta, the royal official. However, the building was abandoned in the 18th century and soon fell into ruin. All that has survived till today is the oldest section, in other words, the tower itself. Recent years have seen the reconstruction of small sections of the walls and the little house occupied by the guard, where an exhibition is now on display, together with a three-dimensional model of the castle reconstruction.
Around Czchów town square and the neighbouring side streets, original buildings, mainly dating back to the 18th century, can be seen. In some of the houses, arcades, supported on wooden columns, have survived. Beside the square stands a valuable example of historical, sacred architecture, the Gothic Church of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with relics of a 12th century Romanesque church.
http://www.museums.krakow.travel/