The Vistula Mouth Fortress gaurds the passage down the Vistula river. Upon first glance, the most impressive aspect of the fort is the round tower which looks just like the rook on a chess board. However, the entire island upon which it rests is also fortified. Since 1482, this has been a fortified place, growing stronger with each passing century, as is was constantly improved upon. During the Sweedish invasions of the 17th century, when the rest of Poland was weak and suseptable to invasion, this fort helped Gdansk withstand wave after wave of Sweedish Attacks. Although the fortress was deprived of a military use in 1920 and was nearly destroyed in WW2, it has been rebuilt and stands today as a proud reminder of Gdansk's proud, independant character.
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