2. LOCATION
Cracow is a polish city that is
located to the north
west Lesser Poland region.
Cracow is one of the largest and oldest cities in
Poland, Situated on the Vistula river.
4. • The current metro area population of Cracow in 2023 is 769,000, a 0.13 decline from 2022.
5. HISTORY OF CRACOW
the city dates back to the
7th century. It was the
capital of Poland from
1038 to 1596.
Before the Polish state had been formed, Kraków
was the capital of the tribe of Vistulans, subjugated
for a short period by Great Moravia. After Great
Moravia was destroyed by the Hungarians, Kraków
became part of the kingdom of Bohemia. The first
appearance of the city's name in historical records
dates back to 966, when a Sephardi
Jewish traveller, Abraham ben Jacob, described
Kraków as a notable commercial centre under the
rule of the then duke of Bohemia (Boleslaus I the
Cruel). He also mentioned the baptism of
Prince Mieszko I and his status as the first historical
ruler of Poland. Towards the end of his reign,
Mieszko took Kraków from the Bohemians and
incorporated it into the holdings of the Piast dynasty
6. LEGEND OF ‘’SMOK
WAWELSKI’’
The earliest known settlement on the present
site of Kraków was established on Wawel Hill,
and dates back to the 4th century. Legend
attributes the town's establishment to the
mythical ruler Krakus, who built it above a cave
occupied by a ravenous dragon, Smok
Wawelski. Many knights unsuccessfully
attempted to oust the dragon by force, but
instead, Krakus fed it a poisoned lamb, which
killed the dragon.The city was free to flourish.
Dragon bones, most likely that
of mammoth, are displayed at the entrance of
the Wawel Cathedral.
7. SMOK WAWELSKI
• The statue of Smok Wawelski
has been described as a
"traditional" element of the
modern Kraków landscape, and as
a major tourist attraction of the
city, particularly for children.
• Lots of people takes pistures
next to it by the time it breaths
fire.
8. LEGEND OF
’’LAJKONIK’’
• Lajkonik is the most popular symbol of Kraków and the
Lajkonik Procession is the most colourful local tradition. It
takes place every year, eight days after Corpus Christi. This
tradition dates back to the mid-18th century, but the
Lajkonik Procession actually brings back the 13th-century
story of a successful defeat of the Tatar horde by the brave
lightermen from the village Zwierzyniec (now a district of
Krakow). Legend has it that during the procession of Corpus
Christi on the outskirts of medieval Krakow there was an
invasion of Tatars. After a skirmish between the Tatars and
the lightermen, that finished with the victory of the latter,
their leader took the Khan’s garment and set off on a
horseback toward the city. His companions, dressed as
Tatars followed him behind. All together, proclaiming the
victory message, they entered triumphantly the Main
Square be greeted by the crowd.
9. LAJKONIK AS A
SUMBOL OF CRACOW
Symbol of Lajkonik can be seen in such places as
cafe or even in a tram in Cracow.
Lajkonik parade, one of the most
colorful traditional festivals of Krakow,
takes place every June on the first
Thursday after the Corpus Christi feast
day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIY-fJ3p4Dk
10. The legend of the bugle call
from St Mary’s
• The bugle call became the sonic symbol of Kraków and it
resounds to this day: it is played to the north, south, east and
west every hour of the day. Yet, why does the melody break
mid-note?
• Centuries ago, there was a watcher in the tower who played
the bugle call at sunrise and sunset, thus giving the signal to open
and close the city gates. Played at other times, the bugle call
would act as a warning signal. A Mongol army arrived at the gates
in 1241. The watchful guard noticed the enemy and warned the
townspeople in good time, so that the gates were shut before
they arrived. The city was saved, yet before he finished the
melody, he was lethally hit by a Tartar arrow. To commemorate
the event, the melody always breaks in mid-note where the brave
watcher finished many centuries ago.
12. Market Square
• The buzzing heart of the Unesco-
attested Krakow Old Town, the
Market Square, is where all the
action has played out since the
Middle Ages. Come here for bars
packed into the cellars of Medieval
buildings, on-street cafes and
restaurants, and landmarks
including the central renaissance
Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, and Town
Hall Tower (the hall itself was
demolished in 1820).
13. Sukiennice
• Hailed as the world’s oldest
shopping centre, the
Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, has
stood in the middle of Krakow
Market Square for centuries. It
was once full of international
traders, selling silk, spices,
leather and wax during its
heyday in the 15th century –
not just cloth. Even if
rummaging through souvenir
and food stands is not on your
list of what to do in Krakow,
pause outside to wonder at the
handsome renaissance
architecture.
14. Wawel Castle
• You can’t visit Krakow without exploring the
medley of gothic, renaissance, rococo and
romanesque architecture that is the great
Wawel Castle. The muddle of buildings is
on a high point in the city, giving it an
imposing presence. It was the home of the
Polish kings and queens until the 1600s,
and has also been used as a barracks, a
military hospital and the official residence of
the state governor following World War I.
15. Wawel
Cathedral
• Hidden behind the old walls of Wawel Castle,
arguably the most important church in Poland
can be found looming high with its baroque and
gothic frontispieces. There is so much to see,
from the soaring lookouts of the belfry to the
national crypts under the main basilica.
16. Planty Park
• The green belt Planty Park rings the
whole area of Krakow’s historic Old
Town. Pathways weave this way and that
past sculptures, babbling fountains and
brick towers, while locals walk their dogs
and cafes spill on to the surrounding
streets. It’s filled with life in the summer
and a veritable winter wonderland during
the colder months.
17. St Florian's
Gate
• Looking wonderful in its Polish gothic shell, St
Florian’s Gate marks the start of the so-called
Royal Route. Pass through and listen to
buskers play everything from highlander folk to
Dylan-esque country in the echoing tunnel,
before heading into the Old Town in the
footsteps of the erstwhile Polish kings.
18. St Mary's Basilica
• The redbrick facade and great twin
spires of St Mary’s Basilica have become
symbols of the city. The Basilica was
founded in the 13th century, but was
destroyed during a Mongol invasion, and
its various replacements have been
through a lot, including an earthquake,
which hit the presbytery in the 1400s. It
still hosts the hourly bugle call –
the Hejnał Mariacki.
19. Barbican
• The Barbican is the only remaining gatehouse
of the Medieval fortifications that once
encircled the whole city. Its redbrick bulwarks
and formidable turrets helped to fend off the
Mongol hordes during the 13th century and its
circular design was on the cutting edge of
engineering at the time. Today, occasional
theatre productions and other art shows are
hosted inside.
20. Kościuszko
Mound
• Built in the image of the prehistoric mounds of
Krakus and Wanda, the soaring hill of Kościuszko was
raised in 1823 to honour its namesake national hero,
Tadeusz Kościuszko, who fought for Poland against
the Russians and the Prussians in the 18th century.
From the top, travellers enjoy sweeping panoramas
of the city, while clear days even reveal the Tatra
Mountains to the south.
21. The Jewish
Quarter
• Set within walking distance of
the Old Town, the historic Jewish
Quarter of Krakow was once a
separate city in its own right,
founded in the 15th century, and
considered a model Jewish
community. Jews were forcibly
moved to a ghetto shut off from
the rest of the city in 1941. Today,
it retains a unique vibe with its
crumbling tenement blocks, great
synagogues and cool bohemian
beer joints.
22. • Packed to bursting with the
graves and grand sepulchres
of Polish artists, politicians,
poets, film actors, generals
and more, the sprawling
grounds of the Rakowicki
Cemetery are Krakow’s
answer to Paris’s Pere
Lachiase. Head down on All
Saints’ Day, November 1, to
see thousands of twinkling
candles in honour of the dead.
23. Plac Bohaterów
Getta
• Cut through by rattling tram lines and
fringed with shops and cafes, this
central square of the Podgórze district
is home to one of the most sobering
memorials in the city. A series of large
and small chairs have been placed in a
grid across the cobbles, designed as a
memorial to the people of the Jewish
ghetto in Krakow, which was once
located here. There is also a plaque
marking the meeting place of the
Jewish Combat Organization, a
resistance unit that staged acts of
sabotage against the Nazis.
24. Czartoryski Museum
• Czartoryski Museum (Muzeum Ksiazat
Czartoryskich in Polish) is the oldest
museum in Poland. It was established in
1796 in the Czartoryski family Palace in
Pulawy, in 1878 moved to Krakow. Its
exhibition consists of collection of
national heritage, masterpieces of
European art (13th-18th century) as well
as ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and
Roman art and Islamic decorative arts.
•
25. Rynek
Underground
Museum
• Four meters underground and full of high-
tech exhibits, this museum draws people
from all over. Whether you explore at your
own pace or join a guided tour, you’ll be
able to learn about the city’s entire history,
from early settlers to surviving wars
through more than 6,000 meters of
fascinating multimedia exhibits.
26. • The oldest workshop of its
kind in Poland, Krakow’s
absolutely stunning Stained
Glass Workshop and Museum
has been in operation since
1902 and delighting visitors
ever since.
• Not only will guests be able to
marvel at multicolored works
of art by masters like Józef
Mehoffer and Stanisław
Wyspiański, but the workshop
allows you to build your own
kaleidoscopic masterpiece
27. • In my opinion, the easiest way to
get there is by bus, which starts its
route from the center of Dąbrowa
Górnicza and goes directly to the
Railway Station in Krakow.
• Another option is to take the train,
but the nearest place from where
it departs is Katowice so there is
need to tahe another mode of
transportation such as bus or
another train from Dąbrowa
Górnicza.
• My last proposition which is the
most comfortable but also the
most expensive one is to simply
use a car and follow toll highway
A4, or road 94 which is free but
the jurney will take more time.
