In 1960 my first year in high school, there were 120 students - a few from Russian, German or Romanian parents and 114 from Polish parents. They all went back to visit Poland in the early 1960s, and mostly loved Warsaw, Krakow and Lublin.
Town hall tower,
Visit Krakow
Kraków’s Market Square/Rynek in Poland is the centre of the city’s medieval Old Town, designed in 1257 when the town first won its charter. Laid out on a grid, the Old Town and its central square changed little in the centuries that followed. Always active, this 40,000 sq ms grouping of cafés, clubs, music centres, museums, historical landmarks and hotels, shows some lovely medieval architecture. Because the Square is surrounded by elegant townhouses, each with its own name and history, the important historical, cultural and social significance is largely intact.
In summer, umbrella shaded cafés sit along its sides, shaded from the sun by the gothic spires of St Mary’s Basilica. The church was consecrated in 1320, having an imposing façade and flanked by two differently sized towers. Its crowning glory is Stoss altarpiece, carved between 1477-89 by German-born sculptor Veit Stoss and placed behind the high altar. And because the church experienced many reconstructions of its exterior and interior over the centuries, only three of the original high, stained glass windows were preserved. In the C18th the church was decorated with Baroque aesthetics and the wooden door of the galilee was decorated with sculpted heads of prophets, apostles, and Polish saints in 1929. In snowy winter, the square is full of Christmas markets. Visit the square on each hour when St Mary’s Church bugle calls.
St Mary's towers
Veit Stoss Altarpiece
St Mary's Basilica
Cloth Hall
Vecteezy
On the eastern side, the coffee shops are crowded with tourists enjoying the view of the Cloth Hall’s broadside and 70 m leaning Town Hall Tower. Established in the C14th, the 70-meter tower is the only part of the former Town Hall that still stands after fires and renovations. At the top is an observation deck, to get a beautiful view of Kraków. Visitors climb the stairs up to the 3rd floor through Gothic vaulted rooms which display 1960s photos of Kraków and offer a grand panoramic view over the Main Square.
The square’s eastern side is home to street entertainers that do their show at the foot of the Basilica’s red towers. There is the small C10th Church of St Adalbert to the south, an old stone structure that is one of the few well preserved examples of early Christian, Romanesque buildings in Poland. It is next to the middle Gothic arches of the Cloth Hall
Today many of the building façades that line the Main Square have Polish Baroque architecture, despite their medieval beginnings. For example see the Krzysztofory Palace on the N.E corner, now home to the central division of the Historical Museum of Kraków.
Today many of the building façades that line the Main Square have Polish Baroque architecture, despite their medieval beginnings. For example see the Krzysztofory Palace on the N.E corner, now home to the central division of the Historical Museum of Kraków.
Krzysztofory Palace, now Historical Museum of Kraków
Krakow-Wiki
Chopin Concert Hall
Viator
Originally built in C15th, Old Synagogue is the oldest surviving example of Jewish religious architecture in Poland, and one of Kraków's important historical monuments. Rebuilt in 1570 by Polish-Italian architect Mateo Gucci with elements of Renaissance and military architecture added, Old Synagogue is a rare example of a fortress synagogue, meant to protect families during a siege. Directly along the synagogue's side is a bit of Kazimierz's original defensive walls.
Old Synagogue,
wiki
Directly next to the Sukiennice stands Poland’s most eminent scribe: Adam Mickiewicz, and a huge, striking bronze statue of Polish C19th romantic poet on the square's eastern side. Ironically this much loved bard never visited the city until after his death when his remains were transferred to the Wawel Cathedral crypt, but this didn’t stop the statue from becoming one of Kraków’s best loved monuments.
Citizens used to witness many public events in the square, including royal ceremonies and public executions. Even now grim tourists might enjoy thewant to see the very grim set of metal neck chains displayed on St Mary’s the side door, used to punish philandering women. But the worst was during German occupation when the square was renamed Adolf Hitler Platz and Nazi rallies attended by Der Führer himself took place.
Kraków’s medieval market square is one of the few places in the city that can chronicle Kraków’s history concisely; from its medieval origins, through its horrible C20th conflicts, to a vibrant modern European city. No wonder its beautiful buildings and history made the square a perfect choice for UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1978. Its population is now 770,000.
St Florians Gate
Polish Gothic tower, focal point of Kraków's Old Town.
6 comments:
I visited Krakow about 15 years ago. It is a splendid city. I was going on my own but at the last minute a friend from college came with me whose father was Polish and had fled Poland during WW2 as a child with his parents and settled in England. They were Catholic and had a farm in Poland which they left. They became frightened that Hitler was coming after the Catholics. They came to England with nothing and started again. When in Krakow my friend became very odd and upset and didn't want to visit anywhere because she knew her father had never been back and she felt guilty about visiting. I enjoyed the visit and made a film while we walked around but was disappointed that we did not see more. I always said I would go back alone but never have. Thank you for the photographs and descriptions.
A place I know nothing about although the name rings a bell, St Mary's Church looks stunning in fact all these photos are amazing
The square looks to be a wonderful public space. While I know Europe has an historical advantage, I wonder why modern squares can't be built here, especially given our weather.
Baroque aesthetics are really my favorite. I haven't visited Poland before. It would be so lovely to go some time
Magnificent 4–5 hours journey to the Salt Mine at Wieliczka (750 years old, world firsts Unesco list), the only one mine like this around the world. Discover the expansive, underground salt mine on this guided excursion from Krakow. Join a small group and visit the ancient salt mine that has been in production since the Middle Ages. Enjoy a guided tour through the facility, admiring the chapels, chambers, and saline lakes as you walk, and learn about the mine's unique history.
Tripadvisor
Krakow is a very beautiful city. During World War II, the Nazis were going to destroy Krakow when the Soviet troops entered it. The Germans did not want to blow up Krakow itself, but the Roznow Dam on the Dunajec River in the nearby city of Nowy Sacz. If this had happened, Krakow would have been flooded and the advance of the Red Army would have been stopped.
The Soviet Union saved the city, but now the authorities in Warsaw call Russia their main enemy.
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