Barbican and Artillery Tower

The horseshoe-shaped barbican protects the approach to the gate. Its curved wall forms an outer enclosure: an additional space to cross before entering the castle itself.

This defensive feature was added during expansion in the first half of the 16th century. Adapting the stronghold for firearms changed its defences, bringing new firing positions to the entrance. Five gunports were placed in the barbican wall. These openings in the curved masonry reveal the military purpose of this part of the ruins.

On the eastern side, the gatehouse was supplemented by a semicircular artillery tower. Together with the barbican and gatehouse, it belongs to the best-preserved parts of Bolczów. The different shapes of the structures remain clear: rounded defences stand beside the quadrangular gatehouse.