Kraków Best Place - Poland - Travel & Discover

Krakow is one of the jewels of Poland, the ancient royal capital and one of the great witnesses to the past of this part of Europe. The city is a colossus of art and architecture and its old town has been placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations List of Protected World Heritage Sites. Situated on the banks of the Vistula River, surrounded by waters and marshes, the Wawel Hill provided a safe haven for the people who have settled here since the Paleolithic Age. Perched atop the Wawel Hill, the royal castle was the seat of Poland's kings from the early 11th to the late 16th century. The earliest residents of Polish rulers on the Wawel Hill can be traced back to an early Romanesque stone building from the mid-11th century, called the Palladium, whose remains are located in the northern wing of the present-day castle. The Renaissance building, preserved to this day with its beautiful arcaded courtyard, is impressive in its monumental layout, spacious, brightly lit interiors and magnificent use of architectural forms originating from ancient art, hitherto unknown in Poland. The building was a breakthrough in the development of architecture in Poland. In the 16th century, the castle was the seat of the lower house whose sessions were held in the envoy's room, while the sessions of the senate were held in the senatorial chamber. After Poland lost its independence in 1796, the Austrians took over the castle and turned it into a military barracks. In the early 19th century, the arcaded galleries were bricked over. After the occupying Austrian army left the castle and returned it to the Poles, important restoration works were undertaken. Although the city no longer plays the important administrative role it once did, for many people, Krakow nevertheless represents a synthesis of all things Polish, thanks to its history. Yet tradition is linked to modernity and the special atmosphere of the old town's charming and evocative streets. Picturesque Kanoncicka Street ends just at the foot of the hilltop Wawel Royal Castle. It once constituted the last and most glorious part of the Royal Road, Krakow's ceremonial route, leading from the main city gate, through the central square, to the Royal Castle. The main square is the natural center of Krakow and provides about the starting point and destination for those who tour the city on foot. Historically speaking, the main square began to operate in a shape and size similar to what we see today, that is, a square with 200 meter long sides, from the earliest days of the chartered city. The city of Krakow has its own leaning tower. The 70 meter tall Town Hall Tower on Krakow's central grand square leans just 55 cm. Yet the reason for its tilt is unusual. It was caused by a strong wind in 1703. The massive Gothic tower was constructed of stone and brick at the end of the 13th century and got its first clock in 1524. Dating from 1257, this was one of medieval Europe's largest market squares. The buildings standing to this day in the heart of the main market square include the diminutive Church of St. Adalbert, a site of important archaeological discoveries. The Church of St. Adalbert, now in a modest Baroque style, dates back to the 10th century. Originally a commercial establishment for trading in cloth, the centrally located Cloth Hall has survived to this day. For over a century, the building has served as first the main seat and later one of the branches of the National Museum. Built 700 years ago, the Cloth Hall is arguably the oldest shopping mall in the world. Around the year 1300, a roof was put over two rows of stalls to form the first building, though in the second half of the 14th century it was extended into an imposing Gothic structure, 108 meters long and 8 meters wide. Nowadays, the stalls on the ground floor, together with the shops and the arcades, mostly sell an assortment of souvenirs. Krakow's abundance of magnificent churches, together with its many monasteries and convents, long ago earned the city the reputation as the Northern Rome. These magnificent buildings have remained centers of the city's spiritual life to this day. Also known as the Watchtower, Wake, Alarm, or Bugle Tower, this is the only tower in the world where a bugle has been played every hour for the last 600 years for the entire city to hear. To experience it up close, one must climb 239 steps to a height of 54 meters above ground level. The Gothic edifice of the present Church of St. Mary replaced its Romanesque predecessor by the end of the 13th century. The higher tower, the Basilica of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin Mary, has pierced the sky of Krakow for more than 600 years. 81 meters tall, it is topped with a late Gothic spire and golden crown. The church's interior, vibrant with color under starry blue vault, is stunning. The Basilica of the Virgin Mary is home to the amazing Altars Mariacki, a giant Gothic altarpiece carved between 1477 and 1489 by Veit Stoss, one of the era's greatest sculptors. In 1491, Stoss also created a stone crucifix that is now part of the late Baroque altarpiece in the South Isle. Decorated in gold and blues and studded with tombs and memorials in every possible corner, the church overwhelms the senses. A recent restoration, although executed with great care, only heightens the success of quality. Strolling the streets of Krakow's vast old town is to be transported centuries back in time. The original mid-13th century grid encircled by mighty city walls is filled with splendid architectural monuments from the following eras, including majestic churches, grand aristocratic palaces, and stately burgher's residences. Medieval Krakow is surrounded by walls that extend over 3 kilometers, together with 39 towers and 8 gates. They were built beginning in the late 13th century. Krakow's main city gate, Brama Florianska, was made insurmountable in the beginning of the 16th century thanks to Europe's mightiest Barbican. The city walls proper rise up to 10 meters high and are 2.5 meters thick. Additional lower walls run alongside them, while an 8 meter deep and 22 meter wide moat protects both set of walls. Florianska was built in the 1300s as a rectangular stone tower in the Gothic style. It was part of the city's fortifications, developed by Prince Leszek II the Black, who had issued a permit to erect the fences in 1285. The tower's north face bears a stone eagle that was carved in 1882 by Zygmunt Langmann. The south face of St. Florian's Gate is adorned with an 18th century bas-relief of St. Florian. Its present baroque roof dates from 1694 and a large 16th century bas-relief of St. Florian adorns the south wall. The adjoining city walls and two additional smaller towers have been preserved and today host street displays of amateur art available for purchase. The humble yet handsome Church of St. Andrew provides a perfect foil to the attention-grabbing baroque church of Saints Peter and Paul across the street. Built in the late 12th century by medieval Polish statesman Palatine Siklecz, it is the finest example of Romanesque architecture in Krakow. It is a rare surviving example of the European fortress church. Along the bottom of the larger part of the façade are small openings that served as defensive windows at a time when the church was planned as a place of refuge from military assault. The Church of St. Andrew also played an important role in the city's history, offering refuge to local residents within its strong walls during the Mongol raids of 1241. The church's interior, given a baroque makeover by Balthasar Fontana in the 18th century, contrasts markedly with its fortress-like exterior. The furnishings include a fanciful pulpit resembling a boat and paintings by Karol Dengfart. The Church of St. Peter and Paul is a baroque Jesuit church known best for the statues of the twelve apostles lining the fence at the front. Commissioned for the Jesuit order, St. Peter and Paul was the first baroque church in Krakow. It remains one of the most faithful examples of transplanting the architecture of the famous Jesuit church in Rome to foreign soil, with the addition of a fine baroque façade and great dome. Nestled in the heart of Europe, Poland has served as a bridge between East and West for centuries. This multifaceted European country is a unique mix of the modern and medieval. No other Polish city has retained its medieval atmosphere like Krakow, which was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1978.