A good place to start a tour of the city is Wawel Hill. A citadel has stood here since the 11th century, and a few hundred years ago it was the home of the Polish kings. During the Austrian Occupation it was transformed into a military barracks, but today the Royal Palace and the Krakow Cathedral have been restored to their former glory. You can tour an exhibition where they have excavated some of the original medieval buildings that were "lost" until only a few decades ago when they began to do archaeological work on the hill.
The Wawel Royal Castle was the seat of the Polish government until 1596, when the capital moved to Warsaw. The castle is built in the Renaissance style, with a spacious central courtyard. The State Rooms have been restored to what they would have looked like in the 16th century, including the Throne Room, famous for the wooden carvings of heads of courtiers that look down at you from the ceiling!
Central courtyard of the Wawel Royal Castle. I particularly liked the frescos on the right hand side of the third story.
Also part of the Wawel complex is the stunning Krakow Cathedral, built in the 14th century. What made it so special in my opinion was how it is a collection of different chapels, each built in a different style. Somehow this mis-mash of architectural styles comes together to make one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The cathedral is the resting place of most of the Polish kings, and of Lech Kaczynski (and his wife), the President of Poland who died in a plane crash in Russia in 2010. I had the opportunity to climb to the top of the bell tower, which offered a beautiful view of the Vistula river and of the bells that are still in use today. One of the highlights was the silver coffin containing the relics of St. Stanislaw, patron saint of the cathedral.
Krakow Cathedral. The bell tower is the green one on the left.
Krakow Cathedral. You can see part of the Royal Castle - the beige building with the orange roof on the right.
Krakow Cathedral.
Tomb of Lech and Maria Kaczynski, in the crypt of Krakow Cathedral. There were lots of people taking pictures and kissing the tomb. General Sikorski, a military and political hero from WWII, is also buried here. Krakow Cathedral and Wawel Hill are important symbols of Polish nationhood.
One of the newer buildings on Wawel Hill. And by new, I mean only a few hundred years old! Lots of couples taking wedding photos here, with such a beautiful backdrop.
One of the ways to get back down the hill is through the Dragon's Lair - a winding staircase that leads to a series of caves and tunnels at the base of the hill.
The Dragon's Lair. Didn't see any dragons...
At the centre of the old town is the enormous Market Square (Rynek Glowny), one of the largest in Europe and which has stood since the early middle ages. The square is teeming with tourists from all over, and for good reason! There are palaces and churches (including the magnificent St. Mary's) and it's lined with outdoor cafes and restaurants. In the middle is the grand 14th century Cloth Hall, which is filled today with souvenir shops. A favourite souvenir is Baltic Amber, with shops and stalls selling it everywhere! There was a folk music festival going on and a market, so one day for dinner I enjoyed some traditional perogies in the square while watching the festival. I really liked one of the Polish beers, Tyskie. I don't think they sell that at the Beer Store back in Kingston unfortunately!
Market Square. Lots of horse-drawn carriage tours. On the left is the Cloth Hall, and on the right is the tower of the old city hall. The rest of the hall was torn down, leaving just the tower. The folk festival and market were going on just behind the umbrellas.
A shot of the tower and the Cloth Hall from the other side of the square.
Cloth Hall again. The square is so large, its hard to show just how big it is in a photograph.
Market Square, with St. Mary's Cathedral in the centre.
St. Mary's at night. Every hour, a trumpet calls from the left tower. The song is left unfinished, in memory of the trumpeter who was shot with an arrow while sounding the alarm.
Inside St. Mary's. There's so much colour, when you walk in your jaw will immediately drop and you have to stop for a minute to take it all in!
I was in Krakow for 3 days (with day trips to Auschwitz / Birkenau and the Wieliczka Salt Mine), and one of my favourite things to do every day was stroll around the narrow streets of the old town with a gelato in hand! Poland is fairly inexpensive, and they have very good ice cream for about 1$. They haven't adopted the Euro yet, and 1 CAD is equal to about 3 zloty.
The Old Town.
The Old Town. At the right hand side are the remnants of the old city wall. Today only a few towers still stand. The rest of the wall was torn down and the space transformed into a beautiful park (the Planty) that surrounds the old town.
Old Town. You can see the tower of St. Mary's Cathedral at the end of the street.
Old Town. This building is a luxury hotel.
Old Town. Lots of brands we have in Canada, mixed in with plenty of jewelry stores selling Baltic amber.
One thing you will be hard-pressed not to see in Poland are pictures of Pope John Paul II, probably the most famous Pole of our age. There are posters and postcards and statues of him everywhere! Before he was pope, he was the Archbishop of Krakow, so his residence in the Old Town has been transformed into a museum. About 90% of Poles are Catholic, and about 60% are practicing, making Poland one of the most devout countries in Europe. Consequently, there are tonnes of churches!!! In the Old Town you will see one on about every other block, or more! Also lots of nuns and friars walking in the streets.
Residence of Pope John Paul II, while he was Archbishop of Krakow.
Church. I don't remember the name of this one - there are too many!
This church is quite old, 13th century I think.
One evening I had the opportunity to attend the performance of a string quintet, inside the magnificent church of SS Peter and Paul. It was quite an experience, with beautiful music (Vivaldi's Four Seasons, music from Schindler's List and The Mission, as well as other classical and modern selections) in a stunning, centuries-old church. Another evening I went to a small Chopin piano concert in one of the palatial hotels on the main market square. I used to study piano so it was quite a special experience. Although the pianist was apparently having a very bad day and broke down into tears halfway through, the music was lovely and it will be a memorable occasion in more ways than one!
Church of SS Peter and Paul.
Chandelier inside the palace / hotel hosting the Chopin concert.
A street in the Kazimierz District.
I really liked this building. Very old-world, minus the satellite dishes!
Street in the Kazimierz. There is a marvellous bakery on this street!
Restored buildings in the Kazimierz.
Tombstones in the Remu'h Cemetery.
The High Synagogue.
I could definitely have spent longer in Krakow - there is so much to see and do here! So many museums and interesting streets to wander. It was quite hot at the end of August though, I would recommend visiting in May-June or September.
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