 To protect the route and increase tax revenue, on July 1, 1348 in Kraków, King Kazimierz Wielki granted a privilege to a wealthy resident of Nowy Sacz, Hanko, upon which a brand new town was to be established in an oxbow of the Poprad river.The town was granted Magdeburg rights, and was named after its location, as the Poprad oxbow was called Piwniczna Szyja.Piwniczna prospered in the period known as Polish Golden Age.