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 Krakow, one of Europe's most beautiful cities, is waiting to be discovered. Its fabulous Old Town is one of the finest of its kind in the world, and its unquestionable charm has been one of the best-kept secrets among both travellers and residents. Krakow has a great range of hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops that add their own unique style to the city, and a whole host of interesting spots to visit within walking distance. It's high time visit Krakow and discover its magic.
Krakow is situated in southern Poland, it is one of the Polands’s most ancient cities and its former capital and a real pearl in its crown. Krakow lies on the banks of the Vistula River which is called the Queen of Polish Rivers. The city receives visitors from the whole world. |
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 The town is filled with monuments and is impossible to visit in just one day which is not really enough to experience the emotions this city can evoke. Its unique atmosphere has inspired artists and writers. Visitors fall in love with Krakow and if they leave, then it is only to return another day The city’s rich cultural and artistic life contributes to this fascination as much as the genuine character of its streets and little squares lined with restaurants serving local delicacies. Krakow is also famous for its fantastic restaurants and clubs.
The city on the Vistula River, for five centuries the capital of Poland, has accumulated one fourth of Poland's total number of museum artefacts. A visit to Krakow is a meeting with the most glorious era in our history. Krakow's Old Town with Wawel and the Kazimierz district were placed on the first World Heritage List, created by the UNESCO in 1978. It should be remembered that this prestigious recognition had then been awarded to the most famous world heritage sites. |
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 The historic architecture and medieval urban layout have survived in the surrounds of the Main Market Square. Many architectural landmarks that recall the ancient past now house smart shops, elegant restaurants and cafes, which make sightseeing in the old town a real pleasure. |
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| The Wawel Hill was the centre of the Wislanie state before the state of Poland was established. The Piast dynastv settled here no earlier than the late 10th c. The first king to have his coronation at Wawel was Ladislaus the Elbow-High in 1320. According to archaeologists, in the Middle Ages there were as many as seven Gothic churches on the hill and numerous other buildings, which were later destroyed. The Rotunda of SS Felix and Adauctus and Romanesque elements of cathedral vaults are believed to be the oldest landmark on the hill (ca. 950). Elements of old structures are displayed at the exhibition "Wawel which is no more", along with a computer presentation. |
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The Wawel Castle, several times redesigned throughout the centuries, is a combination of the Gothic and the Renaissance styles. The royal residence was designed by such masters as Franciszek of Florence and Bartolomeo Berrecci, who, when his work was completed, placed the following inscription over the entrance gate Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos (If God is with us, who will be against us?) Four exhibitions are open for visitors - The Royal Chambers, the Royal Apartments, The Treasury and the Armoury and Orient in Wawel collections. One can also visit the towers.
One of the finest rooms in the castle is the Room of the Envoys, also known as "Under the Heads", as its ceiling contains cassetons with sculpted heads (16th c.) The largest is the Senator's Room in which Senate meetings, court ceremonies and balls were held. Also worth a visit are the Royal Treasury (with the royal coronation sword) and the Armoury with its rich collection of weapons. The jewels of Wawel are its Arras tapestries woven from wool, silk and metallic thread in Brussels workshops. They were commissioned by King Sigismund Augustus. 138 tapestries out of 360 have survived in this collection, ranked among the largest in Europe. |
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 The Wawel Cathedral represents an array of epochs and styles - the Gothic structure is surrounded with twenty one chapels - Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque. In its majestic, dark interior the royal sarcophagi, and the silver confession of St. Stanislaus, early-Renaissance stalls and the beautiful black crucifix of Queen Jadwiga. Thirty seven royal coronations took place at the cathedral. Almost all Polish kings found a place of final rest here - from Ladislaus the Elbow-High to August II. T. Kosciuszko, J. Pilsudski, W. Sikorski, A. Mickiewicz and Slowacki are also buried in the cathedral crypts. Among the chapels, the most beautiful is the Zygmuntowska (Sigismund's) Chapel, a real masterpiece of the Renaissance. It is also worth to take an effort to climb the Sigismund Tower, to see the famous Sigismund, a huge bell, cast in the 16th c. from cannons, weighing 12.7 tonnes. Twelve people are needed to put it in motion. Its voice is heard from a distance of 12 km. In 2000 its heart broke. The new heart, weighing 350 kg, was cast and hung after a few months. |
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 Wieliczka is a small town near Krakow and famous for one of the oldest guild of the salt miners and salt industry institution in Europe. Salt Mine Wieliczka is situated on 9 levels and over 3000 thousand chambers reaching 327m deep. Among the parts of museum, exhibitions available for tourists are galleries and underground halls, magnificent chapels, salt lakes, original medieval tools and equipment and several salt carvings and murals. Salt Mine Wieliczka was entered to the National Monuments Registry and included in Unesco’s 1st World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage. Recently, it has been acknowledged as the National History Monument. |
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| The range of accommodation and gastronomic services is very wide and easily available, which makes planning a trip to Krakow very straightforward. It is also a base from where to visit southern Poland. Zakopane, called “the mountain capital” of Poland and Wroclaw are within easy distance from Krakow. |
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BUSES
The bus system around the city is well developed. Buses may sometimes be crowded but they are safe and punctual. Take a look at the bus routes at the bus stops when looking for your bus. On the timetable the first column is bus arrival time on weekdays, the second column gives times of arrival at weekends and holidays. A list of bus stops is also given. Make sure you know the direction you want to go. The destination of the bus is displayed at the front of the bus.
TRAMS
There are day trams operating approximately between 4 a.m. till 11 p.m. The tram route schedule is exactly the same as the bus. The tram is a quicker means of transport during the rush hour.
TAXI
Always use official taxi operators with official fares. Official taxi corporations have their logo and phone number on the top of the taxi and the tariff on the passenger window. An official license must be visible inside the taxi. You can always phone for a taxi (there is a problem with language and your location - however there is no charge for finding you).
TICKETS
The general rule here is - one trip, one ticket. If you are staying in the city for some time there are other options, e.g. day, week or month tickets. Validate your ticket immediately when entering the bus/tram. |
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Krakow Travel Guide