Krakow Old Town. Krakow is a
city wrapped in legend,
where every stone has
its own history. Krakow
is Poland 's prime tourist
attraction, one of the
must see attractions of Central
and Eastern Europe. The
Old Town in Krakow is
beautiful historic
site and has been recognized
as one of the most valuable
architectural treasures
in the world and included
in the UNESCO World Cultural
Heritage list. The architectural
complex of the Old Town
has survived all the cataclysms
of the past and preserved
the same, unchanged layout
since the Middle Ages.
A fraction of the two mile-long
medieval wall with
8 gates and 39 towers,
still remains intact, and
recalls the legendary stories
of the past. The moat surrounding
the city walls has been transformed
into a beautiful unbroken
stretch of garden, also
known as Planty. Within
the city walls there are dozens
places to visit, including
the medieval Market
Square, the gothic St Mary's
church towering over the
city, St Adalbert church,
Town Hall Tower, Slowacki
Theatre, the Dominican
Church and Monastery, the
Franciscan Church and Monastery,
SS Peter and Paul's Church,
Poor Clares' Church and
Convent, palaces, houses
in Kanonicza Street and
St Giles' Church. Many
of those buildings are eight or nine
hundred years old and are
famous for there unique
architectural beauty.
All of
these landmarks are on the
Royal Way, the route through
the heart of Krakow, taken
during Royal processions
and leading to Wawel
Hill, the Royal Castle
and the Cathedral. In
addition to the main attractions
it is worth exploring all the little
alleys that diverge
from the Square, and absorb
the charming atmosphere
of Krakow.
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Wawel Castle is one of the most magnificent Renaissance royal residences in Europe. At Wawel Hill Polish kings were crowned, reigned and buried till the 16th century. It is a place taht lies at the heart of Polish history. The Renaissance-style Royal Castle reconstructed between 1504 - 1535 is now a museum and the historic interior houses an astonishing collection of treasures from the Polish monarchy. Worth mentioning are period furniture, paintings, a unique collection of 136 massive tapestries and the "Heads Room", with 194 sculpted wooden heads. Visitors can see the Royal Private Apartments, Crown Treasury, Armory, and the State Rooms. |
Wawel Cathedral is overwhelmingly full of spectacular chapels, medieval tombs and sarcophagi. The chapels demonstrate numerous architectural styles, the finest one is the golden-domed Renaissance Chapel of King Sigismund Augustus (Zygmund August). In the cathedral there are relics of the 11th century martyr, St. Stanislaw (patron of Krakow) and Queen (Saint) Jadwiga. The bell tower can be climbed for stunning views over the city and to see the enormous 11-tonne bell, cast in 1520. It is only rung a few times a year on special occasions. The Royal Cathedral was the coronation and burial site of all of Poland's monarchs, many of whom are interred in the Royal Tombs. |
Kanonicza Street is the oldest and best preserved street of Krakow, and has hardly changed in the last ten centuries. Kanonicza is home to some of the most beautiful houses in Krakow, including the 600 year old house of Dlugosz, the author of the 'History of Poland'; a later occupant of the house was the artist Stanislaw Wyspianski. From 1951 to 1963 Father Karol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II, lived in Kanonicza Street, where his former rooms have been turned into the Archdiocese Museum. |
Main
Market Square (Rynek
Glówny), is the
largest medieval market
square in Europe and has
existed officially on
the Krakow map from 1257.
It remains the social heart
of Krakow today. Surrounded
by historic buildings,
museums, magnificent
churches, cafes, bars
and restaurants the square
has never ceased to impress
visitors.
The centrally
located Sukiennice (Cloth
Hall) has survived to
this day. Other buildings
in the heart of the Main
Market Square include
the diminutive Church
of St Adalbert, the
Town Hall Tower and St
Mary's Church, towering
over the whole city.
Every single building
around the Market Square
has its own history
and tradition, for instance, the
Wierzynek Restaurant
is one of the oldest
in Europe, it first
started serving food
in 1364. Palace pod Baranami
(the Palace under the
Rams) was a center of
cultural life in the
city and now houses the
legendary cabaret Piwnica
Pod Baranami, Hetman's
House from 14th century
contains a magnificent
gothic hall now converted
into a bookshop. |
Church
of the Virgin Mary
(Kosciol Mariacki) is
the most striking building
in the Old Town, a
13th century Gothic
church, frequently
referred to as a basilica.
The church contains
a magnificent high
altar by Wit Stwosz
(Veit Stoss), the biggest
(13m high and 11m wide)
and one of the finest
medieval altars in
Europe. It took 12
years (1447-1489) to
complete and feature
as many as 200 sculpted
figures,
ranging from 3 cm to
3 m high. From the highest
tower of St Mary's
a bugle call is played
every hour
in memory of the watchman
whose trumpeted warning
of a Tatar invasion
(13th century) was
cut off mid-note by
a Turkish arrow to
the throat. |
Cloth
Hall occupies the centre of
the Main Market Square.
It is considered
the world's oldest shopping
mall, the present Renaissance
structure with an ornate
roof adorned with grotesque
masks dates from 1555.
Nowadays the long hall
is packed with two rows
of souvenir shops.
Upstairs,
an art gallery houses a
collection of 19th century
Polish paintings and sculptures.
Along the outside walls
of the building are elegant
terrace cafes; most famous
of these is the Noworolski,
which was the centre of
Krakow social life before
the war, with Lenin a notorious
regular. The cafe has now
regained its reputation
as the prime cake and coffee
venue in the city. 
• Inside the Cloth Hall - stalls - fully accessible,• Outside - shops and cafes - usually 1 step |
St. Adalbert's Church is the oldest building on the Main Market Square . Its foundation stone was laid down in 11th century and it was the first church built in Krakow. This small church is a classic example of Romanesque architecture and a site of important archaeological discoveries. |
Town Hall Tower (Wieza Ratuszowa). Built of stone and brick at the end of the 13th century is a remnant of the Town Hall demolished in the 19th century. This massive Gothic tower stands 70 meters tall. Vast cellars under the Town Hall Tower used to contain the city dungeon with a torture chamber as well as a popular beerhouse. Now, they have been turned into a theater and a fine dining restaurant. |
Barbakan is one of the best preserved barbicans in Europe. This fortified outpost is one of the remaining relics of fortresses and defensive barriers encircling the city of Kraków. The Barbican was built in 1498 and was surrounded by a moat. It is now a tourist attraction and a location for various exhibitions. |
City Walls & Florianska Gate. Medieval Krakow was surrounded by a two-mile-long wall with 39 towers and 8 gates. Its construction began in the late 13th century. These fortified entrances were the only legal (and practical) way to enter the walled city. Only a fraction of this wall survived the wrath of time - the beautiful Florianska Gate and the 3 adjacent towers. It is here that hundreds of paintings are hung every day, all available for purchase. |
Planty is a wonderful feature of Krakow. In 1805 the medieval walls and the moat surrounding the Old Town were transformed into a beautiful stretch of garden and walkway. Stroll around the entire length of the garden, enjoying amazing views of the ancient buildings. |
Collegium Maius. Jagiellonian University is one of the original buildings bought by King Jagiello in 1400 which his wife Jadwiga, chose as a new location for a University. Collegium Maius was rebuilt by the end of the 15th century as a splendid late-gothic edifice around a vast courtyard with surrounding arcades and a well dating from 1517 in the center. Nicolas Copernicus enrolled at the University in 1492 and began studies of the Earth's rotation. The museum houses many of his astronomical devices and the world's oldest globe depicting the American continents. Over centuries a whole university quarter arose around the Collegium Maius, while the old college first became the university library and subsequently the university museum. |
Kazimierz is
the Jewish quarter of Krakow
. For hundreds of years
it was a center of Jewish
religion and social life.
Originally founded in the
14th century as a separate
town named after King Kazimierz
(Casimir) the Great, it
was incorporated into Krakow
in the 18th century. Kazimierz
is the world's second biggest
and most valuable group
of Jewish historic buildings
after Prague 's Josefov.
One of the most precious
monuments of the Jewish
culture in Krakow is the
Remuh Synagogue, dating from 1553,
which is still used for
religious services.
Behind the synagogue there
is situated a 16th century
Jewish cemetery, the biggest
in Poland collection of
Jewish gravestone art from
XVI, XVII, XVIII c. The
Old Synagogue, dating from
15th century and built in
the Gothic style, is presently
a museum devoted to
Jewish culture and
history. There are other
synagogues' and buildings
rebuilt after the WWII.
Most of the large Jewish
community was either killed
or deported to the nearby
death camps of Auschwitz
and Birkenau during the
Holocaust but those who
survived welcome visitors
to their kosher restaurants
and cultural events.
A walk through Kazimierz
is a fantastic expedition
into a past of Krakow Jews. |
Oswiecim is better known by its German name Auschwitz. Nowadays it is a medium-sized industrial town 60km west of Krakow , but during World War II the Nazis established there their infamous concentration camp. Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most well known cemetery in the world and a memorial to those who died in the genocide. Started in 1940 as a concentration camp for Polish political prisoners it became the center for the extermination of European Jews. In the years from 1940-45 the Nazis killed about 1.5 million people there, mainly Jews but also Poles, Gypsies, Russian and members of other nationalities. A Martyrdom Museum was set up here in 1947 and in 1979, UNESCO added Auschwitz-Birkenau to the list of World Heritage sites. |
Wieliczka is
a town famous for having
the oldest salt mine in
Europe. Documents
from 1044 refer to
as "Magnum
Sal alias Wieliczka" the "Great
Salt from Wieliczka".
It was recognized
by UNESCOas as being one of the most valuable
architectural treasures
in the world and was included
in their World Cultural
Heritage list, where it
was among the top
twelve attractions in the
world. Today the mine reaches
a depth of more than a 1,000
feet on nine levels with
close to 190 miles of corridors,
galleries, chambers and
underground lakes. The
oldest part of the mine
is open to visitors and
extends to the third
level and a depth of
135 meters, only
a small fraction of the
entire mine. The highlight
is the Chapel of St Kinga.
It is entirely made out
of salt, richly furnished
with sculptures, bas-reliefs,
and large chandeliers made
from salt crystals. |
Lagiewniki
(Shrine of Divine Mercy) is
the capital of the Divine
Mercy. It was from here that
the message
of the Divine Mercy orginated,
which Christ Himself
passed on to future generations
through Sister Faustina.
The mission of Sister Faustina
gives birth to new forms
of devotion to the Divine
Mercy. Its foundation
is trust
in God and mercy towards
one's neighbors. The
Sanctuary houses the miraculous
Image of Merciful Jesus
and the relics of Sister
Faustina. John Paul II,
previously the Krakow
archbishop Karol Wojtyla,
was said to be the
driving force behind
the worship of the
Lord's Mercy within its
center, the Lagiewniki
sanctuary, by the worldwide Catholic movement. Every year
some two million pilgrims
from all over the world
visit the shrine.
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Częstochowa (Shrine
of Black Madonna) is
one of the most important
sites in the Christian
world and is often called
the religious capital of
Poland. The fortified
Częstochowa with the
miraculous painting of
the Black Madonna has played
a vital part in Polish
history. In 1655 a small
group of Polish defenders
was able to drive off
a much larger army of
Swedish invaders, The
Deluge, which actually
changed the course of
the war. This event led
King Jan Kazimierz to
crown Our Lady of Częstochowa
(the Black Madonna) as
Queen and Protector of
Poland. Thousands of
pilgrims from Poland
and all over the world
come to venerate the
miraculous icon and seek
the Madonna's intercession.
Historians date the famous
painting from the 14th
century, but a legend
says taht it was made
by Saint Luke the Evangelist
on a piece of wood from
the table used by the Virgin
Mary in Nazareth. Now
a famous icon, it is a part
of Baroque altar made
of silver and ebony.
The altar is opened twice
a day accompanied by organ music.
The painting
is covered with precious
decorations, forming the royal
gowns of the Virgin Mary
and her Child. Only the
painting's mysterious, dark face
with two scars on the
cheek can be seen. Spare
gowns are kept in the
Treasury with other priceless
jewels. The gown is changed
on special occasions. |
Wadowice, also known as Papal town, is a small settlement situated in a forest at the foot of the hills, in the picturesque valley of the river Skawa. First records reffering to the site appeared in 1327. Karol Wojtyła is perhaps the most eminent person throughout the centuries have come from this town. He was elected the head of the Roman Catholic Church on 16th October 1978 and took the name of John Paul II. He was born in Wadowice in 1920 and lived there until 1938 when he left for Krakow. The Pope visited his hometown three times: in 1979, 1991 and in 1999. |
Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska, the
Shrine of Our Lady of
Kalwaria is one of the
major pilgrimages sites
in Poland, besides Czestochowa
. The famous Station
of the Cross recreates
the appearance of Jerusalem
from 2,000 years ago in
a series of 41 chapels.
One of the hills became
Golgotha, another the
Mount of Olives, and
the river served as the
Cedron Brook. In the 17th
century Mikolaj Zebrzydowski,
the Governor of Kraków observed
a resemblance to Jerusalem
in the surrounding hills
and decided to illustrate
the various episodes
of Jesus' Passion. He
founded a monastery and
a church at Kalwaria,
and installed the Franciscans
Order. Spectacular Passion
Plays are performed here
during Holy Week. Recently,
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
achieved international
recognition and has been
added to the UNESCO World
Heritage List. Kalwaria
Zebrzydowska is a place
that was especially dear to John
Paul II, who used to
meditate while rambling
through the hills. |
Tyniec Abbey , a Benedictine monastery, used to command the approach to Poland 's capital city through the Vistula river valley. The fortified natural stronghold atop a steep rocky hill was a hard nut to crack for potential enemies. Apart from suffering a few invasions, Benedictine monks have otherwise lived and worked here peacefully for close to a millennium. Little survives of the original 11th century monastery; first it was replaced by a gothic structure, and tehn by a 16th century Renaissance one. The Abbey's present Baroque church dates back to the early 17th century. |
Bielany Monastery in Krakow. Cameldolite monks subject themselves to the extremely severe rules of their order to live simple, peaceful, and secluded lives close to God in their beautiful Krakow hermitage atop Srebrna Gora ( Silver Mountain ). The fine 17th century Baroque monastery seems to be inaccessible to visitors. Although otherwise welcoming, the monastery has restricted visiting times, particularly for women. |
Lesser Poland and Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska. The Lesser Polish Uplands, and particularly the part known as the Kraków and Częstochowa Upland (Jura), is a land of fantastic karst landforms in Jurassic limestone. The principal beauty spots are now in two national parks - the Ojców National Park and the Świętokrzyski National Park. A series of spectacularly situated ruins of 14th century hilltop castles known as the Eagles' Nests Trail runs along the ridges of the Kraków and Częstochowa Jura. In summer the Jura is a paradise for rock climbers as the limestone pillars, gates and cliffs are ideal for practicing this sport. The upland has one more attraction: the Błędowska Desert; although its size is diminishing, it is still a real desert! |
"The Eagles' Nests Trail" denotes the string of castles and ruins of castles atop the rocky crags of the Krakow and Czestochowa Jura, often with caves below. In the Middle Ages this was a line of defense fortifications. The surviving links in the chain are the Pieskowa Skala Castle, the ruins of the Ogrodzieniec Castle, the Olsztyn Castle and others. |
Pieskowa Skala Castle is a well preserved Renaissance Castle on a route along the tourist "Eagles' Nests Trail". Nowadays, the castle houses an exhibition of Renaissance art with a particularly rich collection of antique furniture. |
The
Tatra Mountains are
the highest in the
Carpathians range. It is a
region of towering peaks
and steep rocky cliffs,
where the highest peak
is 8,200-foot Mount Rysy
. Winters are long and
summers are short and
not warm enough to melt
all the snow. The Tatra Mountains
are good for hiking and
skiing. Late spring and
early autumn are the
best times for hiking
as the weather is good and
there are not too many visitors
on the mountain trails. The
Podhale region, at the
foothills of the Tatra Mountains, has many traditional
villages with steep roofed
wooden houses decorated
with painted flowers
where villagers still
dress in the traditional
embroidered costumes.
This region is a folklore
reserve, with many examples
of typical wooden architecture & hand
carvings. |
Zakopane, a town located 1000 m above sea level, nestled in the splendor of the Tatra Mountains is Poland 's best-known mountain resort. Friendly street vendors sell local goods such as lambs-wool sweaters, walking sticks and wooden figures at reasonable prices. Bargaining in Polish can be real fun! A walk along Krupowki, the central mall lined with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and souvenir shops gives a taste of the local atmosphere. |
Niedzica Castle was built around 1330 by Kokosz Berzewicza and protected the north Hungarian border. It was modified several times and owned by several Hungarian families till 1945. After it was destroyed in WWII, the castle was renovated and converted to a museum and a few hotel rooms plus restaurant. |
Czorsztyn Castle built between the 13th - the 14th century on a hill, protected the Polish border for hundreds of years and was a major customs post. The castle burned down in 1702 and was never rebuilt. The original village, Czorsztyn, is now under the waters of an artificial lake. The ruins of the castle and the panorama are well worth a visit. |
Dębno , a 15th century wooden gothic country church, has an exquisite original polychromatic wall decoration inside, a relic of unique beauty. The church is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. |
Rafting on Dunajec River in Pieniny Gorge is a unique experience not to be missed. Sailing on a wooden boat for 2 - 3hrs, navigated by two highlanders, you admire one of the most beautiful river gorges in Europe. Passing very high and steep mountain cliffs, white limestone formations, crystal clear water and other breathtaking scenery. |
| More photos at WSG |
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