POLAND: The Historic City of Krakow

Krakow is an historic and beautiful city in southern Poland.

It sits on the Vistula River and has been the country’s "royal capital" for centuries.

The Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) is the centre of the historic city.

It has existed since medieval times and has one of Europe's largest medieval squares.

The Historic Centre of Kraków became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, one of the first sites ever placed on the list.

In 1364, King Casimir the Great founded what is now the Jagiellonian University, one of Europe's oldest universities. 

Cocktail Party Trivia: Pope John Paul II studied at Jagiellonian University. He lived in Kraków for most of his adult life, later became a priest and bishop there, then served as Archbishop of Kraków from 1964 until he was elected pope in 1978.

Back to the historical timeline.... The 14th–16th centuries were Kraków's golden age. Polish kings lived in the city at Wawel Castle, trade flourished, and the city became an important centre of European commerce and culture. In 1596, for political reasons, the King moved the royal court from Kraków to Warsaw, although Kraków remained the traditional royal and religious centre of Poland.

In the middle of Krakow is the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). It began as a medieval market where merchants traded cloth and other goods.

In the 19^th century there was a big fire and the present appearance is the reconstructed market.

Many of the buildings around the Main Market Square still have medieval foundations, cellars, or structural elements. 

The old town is unique because over the centuries their facades were often remodeled in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque or other popular styles in that period. During WWII Kraków was occupied by Nazi Germany, but, the city itself escaped the extensive physical destruction suffered by Warsaw and remained fairly intact. 

I always like to look for interesting little details.

Across from the main square is St. Mary's Basilica, with two unequal towers.

There is an hourly trumpet call, the Hejnał. People wait around outside to watch him trumpet, in all 4 corners of the tower, and then when he’s finished he waves to everyone. (Another useless piece of trivia.)

South of the Old Town, across the river, is Kazimierz, historically a separate medieval town that became an important centre of Jewish life.

The Jewish community was devastated during the Nazi occupation and Holocaust, but many of the historic buildings survived. 

Today Kazimierz is described as "both an important place of remembrance and one of Kraków's liveliest neighbourhoods."

Parts of the Hollywood movie "Schindler's List" was filmed here.

I have to add, John and I took separate vacations for 2 weeks in August. I put on my "Big Girl Panties" and pursued cultural and historical interests in Krakow by myself. Not to mention, I was also happily looking for suitable trinkets to bring home.

John hiked the Tour de Mont Blanc in France, Italy and Switzerland. 

Maybe with a little encouragement John will do a post on his hiking adventure.