Travel Guide to Krakow, Poland

The ancient Krakow is surely on of the most beautiful cities not only in Poland, but in whole Europe. The magnificent metropolis that lies on the bank of the Vistula River is well known for its historical and cultural monuments: there you can find at about 500 medieval buildings and more than 2 million art works. More than that, in Krakow takes place a lot of annual festivals. People say that this city has a magical power.

The Old City of the 13th century or as it's called 'The Polish Florence' can be walked over just in half an hour. The ancient streets and buildings are situated around the Main Market Square, which along with the St Marco Square in Venice is the largest medieval square in Europe. The centre is surrounded by the green zone Planty, in the south-western part of which the Wawel castle is located. It used to be the residence of Polish kings. Further to the south the city is rounded by the Vistula River.

The Wawel Castle. The Wawel architectural ensemble is the most important symbol of Krakow. It was built in the center of the limestone hill and used to be the residence of such historical figures as Casimir III the Great, Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. It was the place, where during 6 centuries the fortune of Poland was being decided, because Krakow was the capital of Poland till the 17th century. Of course there are a lot of legends connected with the castle. The most famous of them, 'The Legend about the Wawel Dargon' is still told children all over the country. It tells about a dragon, who lived in the cave under the castle and kept frightened the whole city. Only the brave apprentice of a shoemaker managed to put an end to it: he stuffed a ship's fell with sulfur, attached the wooden legs to it and placed in front of the dragon's den. The monster ate it and died. The king suggested that the apprentice chose any price and he willed to have the boots made of the dragon leather. Nowadays tourists can get into the world of legends and fairy tales by visiting the cave, where still lives the dragon, but only as a statue.

The Wawel is not only a castle – it's an architectural ensemble. Inside you'll find the king's apartments and also a number of small chapels, the most well-known of which is the chapel of Sigmund. The building itself more resembles a Renaissance building rather than a temple.

By narrow gangway and bluff staircases one can get to the belfry, where takes place the biggest bell of Sigmund. Being very superstitious, the Polish created a myth for this sight: one can look a lot at the bell, but it can be touched only once; and it's very important with which hand you'll touch it: if it's a right hand – you'll be lucky in love, if with a left hand – you'll have a lot of money. This way the visitor is offered to choose between love and money in his life. That, who'll try to cheat and touch the bell with the both hands won't get either. This old legend is still very popular with young people.

Krakow can boast not only of historical monuments and various legends. Shopaholics will like Main Market Square, where there are great chances to make a bargain. It'll be a good idea to go to the Sukiennice, where you'll see the wide range of historical souvenirs, jewelry and pleasant trifles. The Sukiennice is a unique place that with the help of special atmosphere and a wide range of things lets imagine the medieval trade world.

St Mary's Church. Not far from the Sukiennice takes place St Mary's Church, which in the Middle Age served as a watch tower. The main altar of the church is dedicated to the life of St Mary and opens only for a couple of hours every day. Still even the closed altar is a very special and fascinating thing. Its figures are made full size, due to that it looks especially 'alive' in the atmosphere of the ancient church.

Everyday a trumpeter gets upstairs and in direction of the four corners of the earth fly the sounds of 'Hejnal', the musical symbol of Krakow. This ritual is more than 750 years old, this way the memory about the watch, who died in the 13th century while giving the danger signal, is kept. It's such an old tradition, that at 12 a.m. the sounds from St Mary's Church are translated by radio all over Poland.

Jagiellonian University. Nowadays Krakow is not only a city with great historical past, but due to the leading educational center - Jagiellonian University it's a multinational European city. There at 17 different faculties study students from different corners of the world. One of the most famous graduates of it was Stanislaw Lem. The academy is worth visiting only because of the building, which is a wonderful architectural example of the 14th century. The court with arcades and numerous small details were made in the gothic style. The water gutters, for example, are decorated with the gargoyles. The academy has its own museum, where one can look at the ancient lecture halls, library, and the collection of historical instruments.

Read more about Krakow:
Restaurants and cuisine in Krakow
Local traditions and lifestyle
'Must visit' places in Krakow
Nightlife and attractions in Krakow
Preparing for Krakow: Advices
Krakow photogallery