The aim of the presentation is to present the current state of research on the early Piast stronghold complex, established on the Lech Hill in Gniezno. In the first part, an attempt will be made to present the special features of the location of Gniezno within northern Wielkopolska, influencing the role of this place as a central point. In the next part, the image of the stronghold complex will be described in a synthetic approach, with emphasis on the results of more recent archaeological research, some of which have not been published so far. In this context, a unique system of defensive ramparts in Wielkopolska, faced with stone walls, characteristic of the defensive construction of Silesia, Lusatia and the areas to the south, will be presented. A special discovery is an exposed fragment of a pincer-type entrance gate faced with walls, leading to the ducal part of the hillfort. Issues related to the spatial formation of the hillfort members also need to be discussed.