Things to do in Kraków

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Dwight Barker
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Things to do in Kraków Kraków, a city on the Vistula River, is the cradle of Polish culture and history and is often referred to as Little Rome or Florence of the North.

For many people, thanks to its rich history, Kraków nevertheless represents a synthesis of all things Polish, connecting tradition with modernity.

Although Kraków is no longer capital of Poland it retained its leading position in arts and sciences, combining history and tradition with modern science and technology.

1 Things to do in Kraków Kraków, a city on the Vistula River, is the cradle of Polish culture and history and is often referred to as Little Rome or Florence of the North. A city wrapped in legend, where time flows differently, and where every moment becomes a moment of history. For many people, thanks to its rich history, Kraków nevertheless represents a synthesis of all things Polish, connecting tradition with modernity. For five centuries (1038 to 1569) Kraków was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings and home of great scholars and artists from the whole world. Although Kraków is no longer capital of Poland it retained its leading position in arts and sciences, combining history and tradition with modern science and technology. At the turn of the century, in the year of 2000, Kraków became the European Capital of Culture, the first Polish city to be awarded this prestigious title. Its Old Town with the Wawel Castle and Kazimierz district that were place on the first World Heritage List created by UNES- CO in 1978 among the 12 most valuable objects in the world among with the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China The Main Market Square is the largest medieval square in Europe it was laid out in 1257 when Kraków received its city privileges. Kraków is the most famous and most visited city in Poland. With a population of over it is a centre of science, industry and culture, with the Jagiellonian University as one of the oldest universities in Europe. The numerous tourist attractions in Kraków make the time in the city exciting and very enjoyable. In the evenings visitors may be attracted by the special ambiance of its cafes, pubs and restaurants where not only can they have a delicious meal but may also relax in their beautiful interiors What should you see in Kraków? The options are virtually limitless. There are must-see locations in all districts. The Medieval and Renaissance buildings of the Old Town, the Jewish Kazimierz district, Stare Podgórze are just some of the great places in Kraków. Lovers of modern history should find their way to Nowa Huta an urban pearl of Socialist realism architecture. Kraków is also a city of churches there are over 120, including many ancient buildings. It is best to prepare your own sightseeing route to make sure you do not miss anything interesting. Old Town Barbican - The pearl within the Kraków system of fortifications, the Gothic Barbican, called with all familiarity the Rondel ( Saucepan ), was built to answer the Turkish threat that increased towards the end of the 15th century. Its construction in was ordered by King John Albert (Jan Olbracht), who feared retribution after the failure of his Wallachian campaign. One of the main tasks of the Barbican was to defend the nearby city arsenal situated just behind the line of the walls. Standing between the Joiners and Carpenters towers, it was a single-story development where cannons were stored, and its deep cellars were used for keeping gunpowder.

Cloth Hall - The first building to be erected here was built of stone soon after the city received its Great Charter in 1257. The traces of that edifice are only preserved in the cellars.

Designed for trading cloth, it received a privilege from King Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), which forced merchants arriving in the city to sell their own goods to sell them only in the

2 Cloth Hall - The first building to be erected here was built of stone soon after the city received its Great Charter in The traces of that edifice are only preserved in the cellars. In the second half of the 14th century, the city mason, Marcin Lindintolde, built a solid hall roofed and propped with buttresses in the centre of the Main Square. Designed for trading cloth, it received a privilege from King Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), which forced merchants arriving in the city to sell their own goods to sell them only in the building. In the passage situated in the central part of the building, close to the Mickiewicz monument, there hangs a large iron knife on a chain: a sign of the Law of Magdeburg reminding people that thieves are punished by having their ear cut off. The knife found another explanation in a legend about the two brothers building the towers of St. Mary s. When one of them realized that his tower could never become as high as the other due to his failure to provide sufficiently solid foundations he killed his brother with this very knife in a fit of envy. Yet remorse after the fratricide brought him to his own death, which he met by jumping from the (lower) tower that he had built himself. Florianska Street - Florianska has always been one of Kraków s most important streets. Laid out at the time of the Great Charter of Kraków in the latter half of the 13th century, it has been an important fragment of the elegant road the Royal Route leading from the church of St Florian (hence the name of the street), to Wawel. It was one of the city s first streets to receive proper cobbles, and towards the end of the 15th century, hardly any of the houses lining Florianska were wooden. St. Florian s Gate - The name comes from the nearby Church of St. Florian. It was the main gate of the seven leading into the city situated in the line of defense walls. Its other name was Porta Gloriae, that is the gate of glory, as it opened the royal route (Via Regia). It was through this gate that kings would enter the city after victorious battles, it was also used for ceremonial reasons by diplomats, and famous personages visiting Kraków. Similarly, the route of royal coronation and funerary processions, led through the gate. St. Mary s Church - The first mentions of St. Mary s Church date back to It was then a Romanesque church functioning as the parish for the developing urban community. After the edifice was destroyed by Tartar raids, the second church was built in stages from 1288 lasting over the next few centuries, so that the church had not received its final form until the end of the 14th century. Nowadays it is a Gothic brick basilica with three aisles in the so-called Kraków style, with the characteristic elongated and polygonally enclosed chancel. In , six chapels and two porches, founded by the families of rich burghers, were added between the buttresses of the aisles. Early in the 15th century, the taller tower known as The Bugle Tower received an octagonal extension, and in 1478: a late-gothic spire by Maciej Heringk. The gilded crown was added in The spire of the lower tower dates back to the late 16th century. Wawel Wawel Hill and Castle - The steep and lofty limestone hill, rises 25m (over 80 ft) above the level of the Vistula River. It was formerly surrounded by riverine bogs and marshes and has always been a settlement site with very favorable defense conditions. As archaeological research carried out here has proved, the oldest traces of human presence on the hill reach 100,000 years into the past. Countless later finds are without a doubt connected to permanent settlements. In the 9th century, the bailey standing on Wawel Hill must have been the seat of the ruler-prince, and the main hub of the tribal state of the Vistulanians. Once Małopolska was incorporated into the Piast state around AD 990, Wawel became one of the main centres of power. The hill must have been developed with a number of lay, pre-romanesque structures in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. These were built quite clumsily from stone boulders which replaced wood as a construction material around that period. An interesting and partially preserved structure from that time is the Rotunda of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which may have played the

The structure was only extended to the south and east when Kraków became the main seat of Polish monarchs, at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries.

3 role of the Castle s chapel. Initially, the castle stronghold was not of impressive size, and as excavations prove was situated on the northern side of the hill, under one of the wings of the current castle. The structure was only extended to the south and east when Kraków became the main seat of Polish monarchs, at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. Early in the 14th century, King Ladislaus the Elbow-High (Władysław Łokietek) greatly extended the castle. Among the structures built at that time were the residential tower, known as Łokietkowa, reconstructed and extended by King Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki) who erected the stylish projection encircled with impressive buttresses called the Hen s Foot. During the reign of Jadwiga, an opulent tower was built in its vicinity; it later received the name Danish, as Eric, the King of Denmark, stayed there during his official visit to Kraków. The castle survived in this form until 1499, when it was consumed by fire. Wawel Cathedral - Today s Cathedral is a three-aisled Gothic basilica with a straight-enclosed chancel, transept and ambulatory (a walkway around the chancel). Its rib vaulting is supported on elongated pillar-buttresses. Following the yardstick of the Cathedral, this system repeated in all large Gothic churches of the city became the hallmark of Kraków Gothic. The church was built of brick and limestone. Today s external appearance of the Gothic Cathedral is far from uniform, as in the course of the following centuries the original corpus received a variety of accompanying constructions, primarily chapels. They provide a perfect reflection of successive eras, illustrating the history of the Cathedral and the changing styles in architecture. The best view of the original third Cathedral is obtained by looking at the western stone façade with its triangular top and a round window decorated with tracery and the 14th-century figure of St. Stanislaus, and the brick, paneled top of the southern end of the transept. Royal Chambers- The reconstruction of the formerly Gothic Wawel Castle was carried out around King Sigismund the Old (Zygmunt Stary) paid for his brainchild which turned the somewhat austere castle into a Renaissance palace residence of high artistic taste. Today, Wawel Castle is one of Poland s largest and greatest museums. The entrance to the exhibitions seen during a visit to the chambers is situated in the eastern wing of the castle. The rooms on the first floor house exhibits that are based on the original character and furnishing of the chambers. This floor, known as the gmachy srednie, used to be predominantly private royal apartments. The rooms situated to the right of the staircase are of particular note. There are beautifully painted wooden ceilings preserved in three of them, and on the lower sections of the walls below them there are friezes, formerly known in Polish as krance. Sigismund Bell - The most famous, though not the oldest, Polish bell was hung on the highest story of the Sigismund Tower on July 12, It was named after King Sigismund the Old who commissioned it. The ringing of the bell is heard only on special holidays, Church festivities, and in the most solemn hours in the life of the nation. It pealed to announce the birth of royal offspring, and tolled farewell to monarchs going on their last journeys. It has also accompanied the funerals of great Poles buried in Wawel. Legend attributes its deep, velvety sound to a bunch of silver strings cast into the melting pot brimming with effervescent metals by Walenty Bakwark, the famous lute player at the Royal Court. Kazimierz History of Kazimierz and the Kraków Jews - In 1335, King Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), signed the Great Charter of the Borough of Kazimierz, endowing it with the privileges of the Law of Magdeburg. This enterprise was not only of significant economic importance, but also of strategic importance as well. The new borough was to be more than just a trading partner for Kraków. Thanks to its hefty defenses it was also, and in particular, to be a shield protecting the older borough from the south. The area where Kazimierz was founded was not a wasteland, even though it was hardly a popular area for settlers due to the difficult natural conditions on the Vistula flood lands and

marshes. A Romanesque rotunda church surrounded by a small settlement is known to have already existed na Skałce on the rock in the mid-11th century. Further south, in the vicinity of today s ul.

4 marshes. A Romanesque rotunda church surrounded by a small settlement is known to have already existed na Skałce on the rock in the mid-11th century. Further south, in the vicinity of today s ul. Skawinska, the Church of St. James was built in the 12th century, to be destroyed towards the end of the 18th. The Parish Church of St. Laurentius stood in the eastern part of Kazimierz, near the village of Bawół, and was first mentioned in Today s Wolnica Square is in fact the former Market Square of Kazimierz, though now quite curtailed. It was laid out with quite a panache soon after the borough received its charter. Its area was hardly any smaller than that of Kraków s Main Square as it reached today s ul. Augustianska in the west, and ul. Skawinska and Dom Esterki (at ul. Krakówska 46) in the south. Only the eastern side and the northern side (extended in the past along today s ul. Wegłowa) coincide with today s Wolnica Square. History of the Kraków Ghetto - Before the outbreak of the Second World War, there were over 64,000 Jews living in Kraków who accounted for approximately 25% of the city s population. After the repeated forced displacements that took place from the beginning of the war, only about 16,000 were left. By the ordinance of 3rd March 1941 from the Governor of the Kraków District, Otto Wächter, Jews were forced to move to the district s first residential area for Jews, established in Podgórze. Published in the official daily, the Krakauer Zeitung, the ordinance defined the borders of the future ghetto. At the same time, residents of the area and businesses operating within it were forced to leave it by 20th March. Only major manufacturing plant, facilities working for the army, the law court building with its prison, and the only pharmacy run by a Pole, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, were excluded from compliance. Beginning in April 1941, work on the construction of a 3-metre-high (10 feet) wall with a top formed of a pattern of arches resembling Jewish tombstones - matzevahs - started and continued day and night. The Ghetto was delimited by Kacik, Traugutta, Lwowska and Rekawka streets, the eastern and northern sides of the Market Square of Podgórze, Brodzinskiego, Piwna, Nadwislanska streets, and Zgody (today s Bohaterów Getta) Square. There were 320 townhouses standing within the area, inhabited by approximately 3500 persons. Initially, after the resettlement, the ghetto became home to 16,000 Jews. After the expansion of the administrative borders of Kraków onto the territory of the neighboring communes in the latter half of 1941, their number grew to approximately 20,000. This meant barely 2 square meters (22 square feet) per person. Schindler s Factory - The manufacturing plant at ul. Lipowa 4 was opened two years before the Second World War. Established by three Jewish entrepreneurs, it became property of a Sudeten German, Oskar Schindler ( ) in autumn Presumably a collaborator of the Abwehr, he had the additional freedom of action granted by NSDAP membership. Schindler employed Jews in his Deutsche Emalien Fabrik (DEF), generally known as Emalia, thus saving them from deportation and transportation to concentration camps. After the ghetto was established, the number of Schindler s Jewish employees rose from 190 (1941) to 900 (1943). Following the extermination of the ghetto in March 1943, operating through a broad network of contacts and bribes, Schindler was allowed to open a subcamp of the Labor Camp in Płaszów. His workers lived in the sheds built on the premises of the factory. Sanitary conditions and notably food rations in the subcamp exceeded those in the camp. Faced with defeat, the Nazis began preparing an evacuation. After the subcamp in Emalia was liquidated, Schindler decided to purchase a building in the Moravian town of Brünnlitz to open a munitions factory there and use the services of the Jews he previously employed at DEF. In this way, Schindler saved around 1100 lives. These events became the basis of Steven Spielberg s famous motion picture Schindler s List (1993). To the end of his life, Schindler kept in touch with the Jews he saved, and was given the medal for the Righteous among the Nations by the Yad Vashem Institute. Following his wish, he is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Jerusalem. Spiritual Capital of Poland Soon after its foundation Kraków became the spiritual capital of Poland. In 1000 A.D. Kraków diocese was established, and the city became a popular destination for Christian pilgrimages. News of miracles performed through the intercession of St. Stanislaus, a murdered Kraków bishop, spread all over the country, gathering at his grave an increasingly large crowd of pilgrims. The bishop was first buried in St. Archangel Michael s church on the Rock (today s Church of St. Archangel Michael and Bishop Stanislaus the Martyr, Polish: Kosciół sw. Michała Archanioła na Skałce), and then moved ceremoniously to the Wawel Castle Cathedral, where he has been resting for the last 900 years. St. Stanislaus, who was allegedly murdered by the King Boleslaus the Bold, was the first on the long list

5 of Kraków s saints and the blessed, on which there are also St. Queen Jadwiga, St. Brother Albert and St. Faustina. In the 15th century Kraków was famous for having been home to 6 people who died in sanctity, therefore the 15th century is often called felix saeculum Cracoviae Kraków s happy century. The city still attracts many pilgrims, especially those who travel to visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy (Sanktuarium Bozego Miłosierdzia), which has become one of the most important sanctuaries in the world devoted to Christology (a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with the nature of Jesus the Christ). But Kraków is not just ancient monuments it is also a city where you can spend your time in a myriad different ways. Fans of active recreation will not be disappointed: Kraków and its surrounds provide a wide range of attractions, from swimming pools, through tennis courts, horse riding centres, paint-balling venues, to golf courses, climbing walls and skiing pistes. Of course there are also hiking and cycling routes, cruises along the Vistula, and even a real beach plenty of choice for everyone! Parks and gardens There are about 40 parks in Kraków including dozens of gardens and forests. Several, like the Planty Park, Botanical Garden, Park Krakówski, Jordan Park and Błonia Park are located in the centre of the city; with Zakrzówek, Lasek Wolski forest, Strzelecki Park and Park Lotników (among others) in the surrounding districts. Parks cover about hectares of the city. The Planty Park is the best-known park in Kraków. It was established between 1822 and 1830 in place of the old city walls, forming a green belt around the Old Town. It consists of a chain of smaller gardens designed in various styles and adorned with monuments. The park has an area of 21 hectares (52 acres) and a length of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), forming a scenic walkway popular with Cracovians. The Jordan Park founded in 1889 by Dr Henryk Jordan, was the first public park of its kind in Europe. The park built on the banks of the Rudawa river was equipped with running and exercise tracks, playgrounds, the swimming pool, amphitheatre, pavilions, and a pond for boat rowing and water bicycles. It is located on the grounds of a larger Kraków s Błonia Park. Kosciuszko Mound Information about the death of Tadeusz Kosciuszko on 15th October 1817 plunged the nation into mourning. The memory of the leader of the first armed resistance against the partitioning powers and his deeds helped Poles maintain national pride and identity. When his mortal remains were laid to rest in Wawel Cathedral, people began to apply their minds to designing a monument that would be a proof of their remembrance of their national hero. The concept of a mound - making reference to those of Krakus and Wanda - was chosen, as it manifested continuation and cherished Polish traditions. The construction of the mound on Sikornik Hill began in 1820, on the third anniversary of Kosciuszko s death. In the morning of the first day of the project, the groundbreaking was announced by a cannon volley. Work continued long into the nights that followed to the music of patriotic songs played by a military orchestra. Even though the following years of construction did not follow such a holiday pattern, they nevertheless gathered plenty of volunteers who arrived especially for that purpose from different parts of the country, which at the time was under the occupation of the three neighboring powers. The earthen monument completed in 1823 became a national symbol of independence and freedom. In 1850, the mound was taken over by the Austrian army and included in the system of fortifications built around and inside the city. The mound itself was surrounded by a fort. Today, in its remnants, we can see an exhibition of Kosciuszko memories. If the weather is good, the view from the Mound is indeed breathtaking. With clear air, you can plainly see the 100 kilometre-distant (60 miles) Tatra Mountains from its top. The foot of the mound is reached by a broad avenue shaded by trees, which makes it a perfect destination for leisurely walks. In the summer months, you have the assurance of the opportunity to admire a panorama of the city by night from the summit of the mound. To find more information on tours, activities and dining options in the Kraków, please see the concierge at the hotel or visit online, the Kraków Chamber of Tourism at or Visitors Bureau at Kraków.pl/english

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP Cracow

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP Cracow Cracow Is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River (Polish: Wisła) in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally