Fort XVII Krelov - Olomouc, Czech Republic - Military Installations on Waymarking.com

Olomouc, once capital of Moravia, was already fulfilling the important function of a fortified centre of Moravia in the Middle Ages.
Olomouc fortifications were in very poor condition at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1642, during the Thirty Years War, Olomouc was conquered by the Swedes, who immediately began to repair the original fortifications.

In 1655 Olomouc was declared a fortress town. A baroque fortress was gradually raised and its construction was completed by the so-called Theresian fortifications erected between the years 1742-1756. Olomouc became one of the largest and most sophisticated star forts not only in Bohemia, but also throughout the Habsburg monarchy. The fortress was tested in a crucible soon after its completion, when it withstood a five-week siege by Prussian troops in 1758. During a city tour, admirers of military monuments shouldn’t miss the unique Theresian gate dating from 1752-1753, whose architectural design is based on the ancient Roman triumphal arch. It is the only preserved fortress gate still standing on its original location. The monumental Theresian Armoury, a typical example of Theresian military architecture, is worth seeing as well.

But even the construction of a baroque fort did not put an end to the fortification story of the city. By the middle of the 19th century bastion walls of the town center were completed by a crown of advanced forts (e.g. Fort XVII Krelov).

Fort No.XVII - Krelov
This fort is one of the best preserved parts of the imperial system of fortifications of the Olomouc city. Its history dates back to 1850 when the site was visited by Emperor Franz Joseph I. and the Russian Tsar Nicholas. The decorative design of the main entrance to the building is created in the style of English Neo-Gothic of the Windsor type. It is a fort of a permanent character built between the years 1850 to 1854 based on drawings by the chief combat engineer of the Olomouc fortress Julius von Wurmb. The premises of around 60 000 m2 are listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/27/2021 Blogi visited it 09/02/2017 Kubickovi visited it

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