Długa street in Bydgoszcz

Długa street

Bydgoszcz
Polish: Ulica Długa w Bydgoszczy
View of the street
Location of Długa Street in Bydgoszcz
Part of	Bydgoszcz Old town district
Namesake	Long ("Długa") street
Owner	City of Bydgoszcz
Length	650 m (2,130 ft)
Location	Bydgoszcz

Długa Street is the longest street of Old Town district in Bydgoszcz and the most important historically. It stands next to Gdańska Street and Dworcowa Street as one of the most important avenues of downtown Bydgoszcz.

The street is located in the heart of the Old Town. It extends approximately on an east-west axis, from the ("grain market") near southern tip of Bernardyńska Street to Coton Market square (Polish: Wełniany Rynek). It is approximately 650 m long.

The street in its long history has borne the following names:

Długa street was laid out in the middle of the 14th century, at the time of the creation of the chartered city of Bydgoszcz. Until the beginning of the 19th century, it was the longest and the busiest street in the city, connecting two city gates : the Kujawska Gate to the east and the Poznan Gate to the west. The street was flanked by two parallel running axis: Pod Blankami street on the south and Zaułek street on the north. Both streets were designed to carry supplies for horses in local stables. The first residential buildings in Długa Street were made of wood, according to the wattle and daub technique. Brick houses appeared no earlier than 15th century. The first written mention of Długa Street dates back to the middle of 16th: in the years 1559–1561, it was known as known as "Longa platea" or "Longa platea Civili" (Latin for "long civilian street"). In these sources, the numerous references are made to brick buildings, homes, dwellings, empty squares and breweries located in the street. Preserved entries from the 16th to the 17th century bear witness of a lively environment. Around 1619–1622, mention is made of 18 brick houses standing on the street. The owner of one of them was a city bailiff. Habitations along the street were housing many craftsmen, such as shoemakers, tailors, masons, locksmiths, as well as representatives of the nobility.

Archaeological studies in the Old Town of Bydgoszcz could not determine exactly where are located today the old basements from the 16th and 17th centuries, most of them dating back to the end of the 18th century, and the oldest being from 1623. However, 2008 archaeological excavations have allowed to identify 16th century brick remains at Długa 52, and basement from the end of the 17th century at Długa N°9. Many of the cellars searched have been built between the 18th and the 19th centuries