Wawel Royal Castle

People lived on the Wawel Hill at least as early as fifty thousand years ago, in the Paleolithic Age. In the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, i.e. some three thousand years ago, the settlement was apparently bustling with trade, with assorted crafts and with farming. It was at the turn of the past millennium when the rulers of Poland took up their residence here. During the early 16th century King Sigismund I the Old (1506-1548) brought in the best native and foreign artists (Italian architects and sculptors, German decorators, etc.) to create the splendid Renaissance palace-cum-castle which survived, little changed, till now. It proved to be a paragon of stately residence in Central and Eastern Europe and served widely as a model throughout the region. Its magnificent arcaded courtyard of great dimensions and immaculate proportions formed the ideal setting for tournaments and various court events. They were watched by royalty, courtiers and guests from the galleries which otherwise served as the main communications between rooms. The Wawel Royal Castle has its “piano nobile” – i.e. the state apartments – on the top, third floor rather than the second like Italian palaces. The castle’s second floor contained private apartments of the royal family, whereas the court officials worked and lived downstairs. Visitors can see many exquisite interiors of the Royal Castle complete with beautiful period furniture and world-class objects of art. Some exhibits prove absolutely unique by any standards.

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Main Market Square. Rynek Glowny:

Measuring 200 by 200 metres, Krakow's Rynek is the largest mediaeval square in Poland and probably in all of Europe. It is considered to be one of the finest urban designs of its kind. Its layout was drawn up in 1257 after the town was granted its charter by Duke Boleslaw V Wstydliwy, and has remained intact to this day. Its buildings have changed over the years and most of them look neoclassical but the basic structures are older as can be seen in their doorways, architectural details and interiors. Their cellars date from mediaeval times. As well as being the commercial hub of Krakow, it was the scene of many state occasions. Homage to the Kings was sworn in the square (including the famous Prussian Homage/ Hold Pruski in 1525 when Albrecht of Hohenzollern accepted Polish suzerainty); and executions. Kosciuszko raised the standard of revolt here in 1794.

It is dominated by the great Cloth Hall;Sukiennice at its centre. Originally designed in the 14th century as a centre for the cloth trade and built by Kazimierz Wielki, it was gutted by fire in 1555 and rebuilt in the Renaissance style by Giovanni il Mosca from Padua, with further alterations (adding the arcades) in the 19th century. It is topped by a beautiful attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. The ground floor continues to be an Alladin's Cave of crafts and souvenirs and is ornamented by coats of arms of the cities of Poland. There is also a knife suspended; legend has it that this is the knife used in jealous fratricidal anger by the brother who built the lower of the Mariacki towers. The upper floor is occupied by the Gallery of Polish 19th. Century Painting (Wed.-Sun.) with works by Malczewski, Michalowski, Chelmonski and Jan Matejko (including the Prussian Homage and Kosciuszko at Raclawice). In front of it is a statue of the romantic poet Mickiewicz (a copy of an earlier work by Teodor Rygier, destroyed by the Nazis) with the allegorical figures of the Motherland, Learning, Poetry and Valour. The szopki competition is held here in e.December.
The Town Hall Tower; Ratusz (facing the western side) is all that remains of the 14th century town hall pulled down in the 1820s as part of a misguided improvement plan. There is an excellent view from the top (Apr.-Oct.). The original spire was destroyed in the fire of 1680 and replaced by the present Baroque one. The cellars, once a prison and torture chambers, is now occupied by a popular satirical cabaret, the Teatr Satyry. In front of the tower is a plaque marking the place where Kosciuszko swore the "Act of Insurrection" on 24/3/1794 and where the Austrian eagles were piled up as a symbol of independence in 1918.

The tiny St Adalbert's Church; sw.Wojchecha towards the southeastern corner. This is the oldest building in the square and is the first church founded in Krakow. The saint, a Slav bishop, is reputed to have preached here in c.995 before heading north to convert (and get martyred by) the Prussians. The foundations of the original 10th century Romanesque building can be seen in the basement but there are traces of an even earlier wooden building also. The basement houses the Museum of the Rynek's history.

Around the Main Square:
The huge church, Kosciol Mariacki set at an angle to its northeast corner dominates the square. There was a church built here in the 1220s, partly destroyed by the Tartar raids of 1241 the present basilica was built on the remaining ruins (hence its orientation). The facade is dominated by the two unequal towers; the lowest, topped by a Renaissance dome is the bell tower holding 5 bells, whilst the taller, 81 metres high, belongs to the city and serves as a watchtower. It was given a gilded crown (c.4 metres in diameter) in 1666 - the gilded ball further up is said to contain the written history of the city. The hejnal is played from this tower every hour and on Polish Radio at noon. legend has it that a Tartar arrow pierced the throat of the bugler whilst giving the alarm; in commemoration the bugle call breaks off suddenly. Inside the church the east wall of the chancel is taken up by the altar of Wit Stwosz, the Dormition of the Virgin a huge polyptych carved in 1477-89 (about 13 metres high and 11 metres wide, it is the largest piece of mediaeval art of its kind). The altar is opened daily at noon. In the right aisle is a Baroque altar with a stone crucifix (again by Stwosz). The chancel also features original 14th century stained-glass and e.Baroque stalls. The wall paintings are by Matejko. Above the organ loft is Art Nouveau work by Wyspianski and Mehoffer.

In the small square next to the Mariacki (a former cemetery closed down by the Austrians) stands St.Barbara's Church;Kosciol sw. Barbary. This is a two-aisled building founded in 1338 by Mikolaj Wierzynek, built 1394-1402, which once served as a funerary chapel. Handed over to the Jesuits in 1583 it was remodelled in the Baroque style and housed a famous Jesuit college which competed with the Krakow Academy. During the period of Austrian rule services at the Mariacki were conducted in German and St.Barbara's became the principal Polish church in Krakow. By the altar is a 15th century Pieta. The ceiling paintings are by Peter Franz Molitor (1765) and the stone figure of Christ on the Mount of Olives in the small chapel at the entrance is a copy after an original attributed to Wit Stwosz.

Kazimierz District

Over the last few years, beside the area enclosed by the Planty Garden Ring, all maps of the city centre also cover Kazimierz: formerly an independent city and, today, a neighbouring district, easily accessible from Wawel Hill.

Every corner of Kazimierz is witness to a very Krakow tale: the history of Polish Jews. It is visible in the system of narrow streets itself, in the abundance of markets, in the small tenements, synagogues, and kirkuts - Jewish cemeteries. Following the tragedy of the Second World War and the extermination of Jews by Nazi invaders, Kazimierz was deserted and, for decades, continued to fall into a desolate ruin. The changes that took place at the turn of the 1980s triggered a change that continues to influence the fast-paced growth of this part of the city. Having regained their property, heirs of former inhabitants immediately took to renovation. Today, beautifully restored buildings stand in close vicinity of those totally devastated, whose number luckily continues to diminish.

Kazimierz found its way to the silver screen thanks to Steven Spielberg, who came here to shoot Schindler's List (also known as Schindler's Ark), a multiple-Oscar winner. Since the early 1990s, the focus of the world-famous Jewish Culture Festival is the history and traditions of the people who once lived here; with workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. Today, we can safely claim that Kazimierz is experiencing a revival and acquiring a new face.

The key to the understanding of the popularity that Kazimierz enjoys today is its unbelievable and lasting tolerance: two nations and two great religions existed here for centuries in harmony. It is in Kazimierz that the massive, Gothic churches of St Catherine's and Corpus Christi sprung up alongside synagogues. Kazimierz is Krakow's centre of artistic and intellectual ferment. It is enough to mention the famous Łaźnia Theatre, which took its innovative projects to Kazimierz. The cafés, clubs, and galleries recently opened here in great numbers attract all those who find the Main Market Square and its close vicinity "too touristy". Everyone discovers their own aspect of the charmingly unique Kazimierz. Neighbours of exclusive hotels and classy restaurants include craftsmen's workshops: leatherworkers, shoemakers, and engravers. Places of religious worship stand alongside places that have recently acquired "cult" status. To experience this, simply take a walk near Plac Nowy, along ul. Miodowa and ul. Podbrzezie, and visit ul. Szeroka, where the Closing of Jewish Culture Festival - an open-air concert lasting into the small hours of the morning - is held every year.

Having crossed the Vistula River into the district of Podgórze, we enter places that, during the Second World War, witnessed the Holocaust that the Nazis brought upon the Jewish people of Krakow: Plac Bohaterów Getta, Pharmacy Under the Eagle, and the remnants of Płaszów concentration camp.

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Kazimierz is also a place especially cherished by all lovers and aficionados of antiques and second-hand jumble. In the countless, usually diminutive, antique shops, bargains and true rarities lie side by side with cheap trinkets. Every Sunday morning turns Plac Nowy and Plac pod Halą Targową in the nearby district of Grzegórzki into flea markets. Please be warned, as anywhere else in the world, you should watch out for frauds, con-artists, double-dealers and pickpockets.