The Esterka Mound — why did it disappear from the map of Kraków?
The Esterka Mound stood in Kraków’s Łobzów district for several centuries and disappeared only in the 20th century. According to legend, it held the grave of Esterka, the beloved of King Casimir the Great. Today Kraków has five mounds: those of Krakus, Wanda, Kościuszko, Piłsudski and John Paul II. Here’s who Esterka was, what was found inside the mound and why it vanished from the map of the city.
The oldest mounds, those of Krakus and Wanda, are linked to the city’s legendary rulers. In modern times, the people of Kraków raised mounds for Tadeusz Kościuszko, Józef Piłsudski and John Paul II.
Who was Esterka — the king’s beloved or a legend?
Casimir the Great went down in history as an outstanding ruler who brought Poland growth and a strong position in Europe. In private, however, the last Piast king had a weakness for beautiful women, and since he had little luck in marriage, he looked for it in love affairs.
According to the chronicler Jan Długosz, one of the women he loved was a Jewish woman named Esterka. Długosz describes her as the granddaughter of a merchant from Opoczno and credits her with influencing the privileges the king granted to Jews.
Legends connect Esterka above all with the palace in Łobzów, now part of Kraków, where the king was said to meet her. Her existence, however, is not confirmed by historical sources, and what became of her is unknown.
The Esterka Mound — what was inside?
One legend says Esterka was buried in Łobzów, in a mound raised near the palace. Other tales say the mound was built in honour of the king’s favourite.
The mound was about 6–7 metres high and appeared on old views and maps of Kraków. It aroused curiosity: in 1786 it was excavated on the orders and in the presence of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, but nothing was found.
Who destroyed the Esterka Mound?
According to Karol Estreicher’s 1938 guidebook, the mound was partly destroyed in 1929 during the construction of a military shooting range. It disappeared for good right after the Second World War — it no longer appears on a city map from 1947. The Wawel sports stadium, opened in 1953, was built on ground where the mound no longer stood.
Other traces of Esterka remain in Kraków, such as Estery Street in Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter. In 2015 the local district council proposed rebuilding the mound, and the idea later resurfaced in public debates and the city’s participatory budget, but it has never been carried out. Like the woman it was dedicated to, the mound remains a legend.
Where to stay while exploring Kraków’s mounds
Stay at Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town at 6 Świętej Gertrudy Street, about 500 m from the Main Square, or at Hotel Regent in Kazimierz, the same district as Estery Street.
Updated in October 2026.