Polish warships in Wisloujscie
by A.N., the 18 th century painting from the collections of the Polish Maritime Museum, Gdansk. Photo by Ewa Meksiak
One of the most important navigational aids was a lighthouse, built at the mouth of the Vistula (called Wisloujscie) in the 15th century. It was a brick tower with a fire kept on the top. The tower became a base for a fort which was built around it.
Work on the fortress was completed in the beginning of the 17th century. The best European architects of the time were employed in the design and construction of the fort, for example Antonie von Obberghen of Flanders, known for his extension of the defences of the Kronborg Fort.
The Wisloujscie fortress was erected to protect the city and to monitor vessels calling at the port. The place was a headquarters for the pilots and the customs officers as well as a base for the Polish navy during the reign of the king Zygmunt III (Sigismund III Vasa) in the 17th century.