The royal
capital for half a millenium, Cracow is one of the most
beautiful European cities. Well preserved through the
ages, Cracow is a city of medieval architecture delighting
its visitors with its beautiful manor houses and splendid
squares. Its history goes back over one thousand years.
The wealth of the city attracted many famous artists
whose masterworks survived until the present time. In
appreciation of the town’s exceptional historic and
artistic values, UNESCO included the center of Cracow
on its first list of the World’s Cultural Heritage in
1978.
In Cracow all roads lead towards the Market Place. It
is a specific salon of the city, where both tourists
and inhabitants willingly come to linger. This Europe’s
biggest square, is surrounded by period houses and palaces.
In the middle of it stands the Cloth Hall which shelters
former stalls under its Renaissance roof. The upper
floor of the Cloth Hall is occupied by the Gallery of
19th century Polish Painting, featuring the greatest
collection of the famous Polish painters.
Towering over the square is the huge bulk of St. Mary’s
Church. It contains the pentaptych carved in lime wood
by Wit Stwosz , considered the most valuable Gothic
altarpiece in Europe.
The majority of historical Gothic and Renaissance monuments
are located within the area of the Planty- a parkland
surrounding the Old Town, arranged in place of the pulled
down fortifications. These historical buildings include
the oldest colleges of the Jagiellonian University,
churches, monasteries and convents, remnants of medieval
fortifications with towers, the Florian Gate, and Europe’s
biggest Barbican. There is also Kanonicza Street with
its suggestive climate, lined with the 14th century
houses. Cracow’s jewel and the symbol of Poland, Wawel
is the historical seat of the Polish kings. The Royal
Castle, built in the Renaissance style, houses a rich
collection of old masters’ work, period furniture and
fabrics, Europe’s biggest collection of tapestries,
regalia, armoury and decorative art pieces.
The coronation cathedral adjoining the castle is a treasury
of national mementoes and splendid works of art. Inside
are the tombstones of Polish monarchs. Particularly
notable is the Sigismund Chapel, considered the most
beautiful Renaissance chapel to be seen north of the
Alps.
The most important monuments in Cracow: the Old Town-the
Market Square, the Cloth Hall, the Florian Gate, the
Wawel Castle, St. Mary’s Church which contains the
pentaptych by Wit Stwosz, the Barbican, the Museum
of Czartoryski which boasts some of the most well-known
painters in Europe including Da Vinci (Lady with an
ermine), Rembrandt (The landscape with a good Samaritan)
and Raphael, the Jagiellonian University (the oldest
in Poland, founded in 1364).
In the evening, you should not miss the dinner with
folklore performance at one of typical Polish restaurants.
While enjoying the music and dances of a Polish folklore
we recommend you to try some of the specialities of
old Polish cuisine, e.g. bigos, pierogi or zurek with
a dram of Polish vodka or you can drink real honey
prepared according to the old national recipe. Cracow
- known in Poland not only as a major cultural center
but also as a capital of polish cuisine, is home to
some of the Poland’s most famous restaurants.
Sightseeing in Cracow:
Half-day overview city tour: the Market Square, the
Cloth Hall, Adam Mickiewicz statue, St.Mary’s Church,
St.Florian Gate, the Barbican, Dominican church, Franciscan’s
monastery, the Jagiellonian Univeristy.
Full-day overview city tour: guided tour of the Museum
of Czartoryski (Lady with an ermine by Leonardo da
Vinci), Collegium Maius, the Wawel Royal Castle, the
Cathedral (with King Sigismund III Waza chapel and
King Casmir sarcophagus).
Half-day tour of the former Jewish quarter-Kazimierz
including the Old Synagogue (the oldest Jewish monument
in Poland), which houses the Museum of Jewish History
and Culture, Remuh Synagogue and cemetery, Szeroka
Street. Optional: dinner at the ARIEL restaurant accompanied
by a traditional Jewish music.
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