Auxiliary Armoured Fort 45a "Bibice"

Fort 45a Bibice is one of the forts of the Kraków Fortress, built in 1895-1897 in the village of Bibice near Kraków. Today it is largely devastated.

What it was for

The fort was designed by the engineer Emil Gołogórski. It lies between Fort 47a Węgrzce and Fort 45 Zielonki and defended the gap between those two forts. It also closed off the valley of the Bibiczanka river, and the entrance was protected by a masonry gate spur.

Plans that came to nothing

In the 1960s there were plans to adapt the fort as a soft drinks factory. The work was not completed, and the building was partly devastated in the process. A later idea of turning it into a cultural centre also came to nothing. A photograph from 2020 shows a two-storey barracks block.

Practical information

• Location: a copse on the western slope of a hill above the Bibiczanka valley, in Bibice.
• Condition: devastated. The sources say nothing about visits or access to the interiors, so view it from the outside and do not enter the buildings.
• Check the rules of access with the municipal office before you go.