Railway Viaducts
Object's description
The historic railway track over the valley of the Łyna River, found its way into the canon of Olsztyn’s landscape a long time ago. The monumental structures of its red brick, embedded in the green outskirts of the Old Town, delight both from the bottom and the top.
While some insist that they should be identified as bridges, they are commonly called viaducts. The first of the twin buildings was built between 1871-1872, when the railway line Toruń-Kaliningrad reached Olsztyn (Kaliningrad was called Królewiec up to 1946). This was a ground-breaking moment for the city which became an important railway junction and - coincidentally - drove it onto the tracks of dynamic development. The second, south viaduct, was built 20 years later. Both have three spans measuring more than 68m long and 21.6m high and both please the eye with their stylish accomplishment. Their charm was appreciated already a hundred years ago by the German authors of postcards.
To this day, you can admire them both by standing at their feet or from the train windows. Just a short ride, between the West and the Main stations of Olsztyn, shows extensive views over the city. Parallel to the Łyna River, under the viaducts, run two streets: Wyzwolenia and Żarska.