The Mound

Very close to our home in Krakow is Kościuszko Mound. I mentioned in my last post how the boys were begging to hike the mound our first week here, so Luke took the three boys that weekend. (It's not stroller friendly so Naomi and I stayed home.) They had a great time, and the views from the top are amazing.

The mound was completed in November 1823 and was erected by Cracovians in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko. (Interesting fact about Kosciuszko: he is a Polish national hero for his fighting against Russia, but he was also a colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. We studied the Revolutionary War last year in school, so the boys thought that was pretty neat that the guy who the mound is named after probably knew George Washington. :)

The wall around the bottom was built by the Austrians in the 1850's for use as a lookout point. The wall was dismantled sometime during World War II. The Mound was not only a fun hike for Luke and the boys, but a great history lesson for us all! Here's some shots from their outing:

Standing outside the wall

Ascending the stairs that take you to the Mound entrance

And the views from the top....

And after all that hard work to get to the top, you need some ice cream!