Krakow (Cracow) The Royal City

Starting 2014 I wanted a trip that would be something I have always wanted to do but just didn't have the time to make happen.  With a few days left of holiday following the new year I decided it had to be Krakow. 

The Royal Castle 

I knew it would be an arduous trip (I was originally going to call this post Krakow or Bust!), but it needed to be done and I just decided to go for the 10+ hours-one way, it would take to get to a city that is just over the Slovak border. Slovak public transportation is a bit of a nightmare…I just need to shut up about the transportation thing now!

Krakow is called "The Royal City," "the city of one hundred churches," and "Polish mecca" to name a few. Personally, I would call it a city filled with centuries of history and influences from all over central Europe.  If there was a capital of central Europe, I think it should be Krakow.  In fact, it is on UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage as one of the 12 most precious places in the world.

Why two names; Krakow or Cracow, Krakow with a "K" comes from German due to a German founding the city, but the Poles use the "C" stating it is more appropriate for the Polish language.

The Royal Castle 

My trip starts on Wawel Hill at the Royal Castle overlooking the Vistula River. I was able to have a personal guided tour of the castle, Jewish Quarter and the main square because no one else signed up for the tour.  Barbora was my guide and was extremely knowledgeable, nice enough to wait for me to take photos and let me ask a ton of questions without getting frustrated. 

The castle extends around four streets and boasts a museum, cathedral and several courtyards. Polish Kings lived here from the 10th century to the 16th century and as it happened with royalty, there are several country influences in the castle architecture and artwork. Most of what you will see is from the 16th century.

Inside courtyard view

View of the Wawel Cathedral

There are three floors; the ground floor houses the armory, warehouses, and treasuries. The first floor was for the Royalty with family suites and the second floor were the representative rooms for visiting dignitaries. King Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus (his son) commissioned 360 masterpiece tapestries from Belgium. Some are on display and have been well preserved. During WWII they were all packaged up, sent out by boat from on the river then to sea and out to Portugal. Once in Portugal they were sent by ship across the Atlantic to Canada. Once the war was over Canada sent all 360 tapestries back to Krakow. Many floor to ceiling tapestries are made with gold threads woven throughout to give a 3D effect.

Bones at the door of the cathedral

You can see by the photos all the different European influences from Renaissance to Baroque to Gothic.

Streets of Krakow

The streets of Krakow shout history and of course, religion, or specifically Catholicism. There are basilica's, churches and cathedrals on every corner.  St. Francis Basilica and the Dominican Church sit one at each end of the street. The guide said the Franciscan's wear brown and the Dominican's black robes.

St. Francis Basilica

Dominican Church

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church

On Saturday evening I was entertained by a wonderful Classic string and trumpet troupe at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church with Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Chopin "Raindrop," and Bach's "Air on the G String." (Love that title!)










Barbora told me many Krakow locals will refer to directions with architecture, such as, I'll meet you below the elephant or the gold angels. This is how directions were given in medevil times and is still used today rather than numbers and streets.

The Main Market Square

This is where it is all happening in Krakow. The main square or market square has the clock tower on one side, the Cloth Mall in the middle with the impressive St. Mary's Basilica, flanked by St. Adalbert's Church. The Christmas market was still in full swing just after New Year's with lights, kiosks full of fare to eat, drink and buy.  I picked up a nice Polish potery piece.

Main Square Clock Tower

 

Cloth Hall at night

Inside the hall

St. Mary's Basilica is the showcase for the main square of Krakow and is the main church parish for Krakow citizens. It is also one of the most beautiful churches in all of central Europe. It is built above a Romanesque church. On the hour, every hour a fireman plays a trumpet at every side of the tower. If you have enough money you can get married at the basilica. It is extremely ornate on the inside and I wasn't able to take photos. Let's just say, gold is the word for this church.

St. Mary's Basilica

St. Mary's (left) and St. Adalbert's Church to the right

St. Mary's architecture artwork

Trumpeter top window

Artwork next to clock tower

Speechless

City Theatre names after Juliusz Stowakci

City Theatre was modeled on the Opera House of Paris. Many of the sculpted figures are representative of the arts; poetry, drama, comedy, music, and opera.

The Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz)

Kazimierz is one of the more interesting parts of Krakow and is home to the Jewish Quarter.  On one side there is a town hall and parish Church of Corpus Christi and then almost immediately, you walk into the Jewish Quarter with several synagogues and Jewish history and Polish culture. Unlike many areas, the Jews would live in the quarter but venture outside so there is a blend of both Jewish religion and Polish lifestyle.  

For those movie buffs…Schindler's List was filmed in many parts of the Jewish Quarter and Ariel restaurant was one of Steven Spielberg's favorite restaurants. I did have supper at the restaurant on Sunday. One of the more pricey places in Krakow. 

Old Synagogue on Szeroka Street

Back of Old Synagogue

Inside Ariel

Ariel Restaurant one of Spielberg's favorites

My guide Barbora said the Jews would come to this memorial and put rocks on top because many Jews were cremated and according to Jewish tradition, you need to be buried so you can be resurrected. The rocks are there as a reminder many Jews were not buried.

Krakow is quite reasonable and I would definitely come back to visit again.  I only had two days and really you need at least three if not four.  I missed the Salt Cave and would have loved to see the many interesting museums, but because I was there on the weekend, the museums were closed.

My next post will be my sobering visit to Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau. I hope you will subscribe so you won't miss it.  This trip was truly one of the highlights of my time here in central Europe. Unfortunately I will be leaving here in the next couple of months, so I'm glad to have had the opportunity to visit this wonderful city.

Here is the post on Auschwitz 
http://robinsgreatadventure.blogspot.sk/2014/01/auschwitz-and-auschwitz-birkenau.html