At present, fortress greenery is a significant resource of urban greenery, composed for the purposes of concealing, defending, decorating and nourishing the former Kraków Fortress, based on the knowledge and experience of engineers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the aesthetic principles of that era. The aim of this paper is to present conclusions formulated as part of a research project by the local municipality and university, concerning the proper interpretation of the masking greenery systems of the Kraków Fortress, and the definition of framework guidelines for the protection and shaping of green complexes. The development of the method of recording, valorizing and defining the rules of dealing with the green areas of the Kraków Fortress was based on the experience gained from searching for holistic methods of recording and valorizing the fortified landscape of the fortresses of Przemyśl, Zamość, Pula (Croatia) and Kotor (Montenegro). The development of rules for the conservation and legibility of system plantings may contribute to the effective protection of masonry and earth structures, as well as regaining landscape values and increasing the safety of visitors. In the preparation of the guidelines, general principles and detailed principles for selected, representative examples were developed (with an indication of the processes of change, development, possible use together with low-intervention zones).

This paper presents the attempts carried out at the start of the twentieth century by Austro-Hungarian Army specialists in camouflage painting. Consideration to the landscape features of the surroundings helped the army to protect the fortifications from enemy observation. Against the background of global and European trends, where the development of camouflage came only after the outbreak of the First World War, these experiments were innovative and pioneering. This topic is important because of the international and European context of the research and introducing practical issues for a proper approach to reconstructing and conserving historic fortifications. The research was conducted in Austria, Poland, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Previous studies of camouflage with paint in Austro-Hungarian fortifications are incidental and contributory, hence the need for a cross-sectional approach and practical recommendations. Inquiries, literature studies, analysis of available archival sources and the limited iconographic material, and field research were conducted. The results indicate that there was no general camouflage painting scheme in Austria-Hungary and each site was treated individually within its unique context.
The study aims to conclude how to properly read the relics of camouflage painting and preserve and protect this specific engineering heritage. It is also possible to formulate guidelines on the basis of the results. The restoration of such paintings for educational purposes might be a part of conservation work programs, and the more extensive revaluation of architecturae militaris monuments that has recently been taking place both in Poland and abroad.