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Krakow Attractions

Cloth Hall and Market Square, Krakow

Main Market Square (Rynek Glówny)

Dating from 1257, the Central Market Square was one of the largest squares in Medieval Europe, and is the social heart of Krakow today. Surrounded by historic buildings, museums and magnificent churches, the impressive expanse of flagstones is a hub of commercial and social activity. Flower sellers, ice-cream vendors, musicians, pigeons, students and groups of tourists fill the square. Occupying the centre of the square is the splendid medieval Cloth Hall, a covered arcade with a soaring vaulted interior where merchants once sold their wares; today it is filled with lively market stalls. The upstairs art gallery houses a collection of 19th century Polish paintings and sculptures. Along the outside walls of the building are elegant terrace cafes. Most famous of these is the Noworolski, which was the centre of Krakow social life before the war, with Lenin a notorious regular. The cafe has now regained its reputation as the prime cake and coffee venue in the city. The most striking church on the square is St Mary's, an impressive twin-spire Gothic structure. Every hour a mournful bugle sounds from the tallest church spire in memory of the lone watchman whose trumpeted warning of an invasion was cut off mid-note by a Turkish arrow in the throat. Within is the famous carved wooden altar, a majestic piece of Gothic art.

Wawel Castle, Krakow © Judith Duk

Wawel

Overlooking the city is Wawel, a hill topped with the castle complex, including Wawel Castle and beside it, the gothic Cathedral. It was here that the Polish kings of the 14th to the 17th centuries were crowned and buried and it lies at the heart of Polish history. The Renaissance-style Royal Castle is now a museum and the historic interior houses an astonishing collection of treasures from the Polish monarchy, including tapestries, period furniture and paintings. Visitors can see the Royal Private Apartments, Crown Treasury, Armoury, and the State Rooms. The Royal Cathedral was the coronation and burial site of all of Poland’s monarchs, many of whom are interred in the Royal Tombs. Of the many royal chapels, the golden-domed Renaissance Chapel of King Sigismund is the finest. The bell tower can be climbed for views over the city and to see the enormous 11-tonne bell.

E-mail: zamek@wawel.edu.pl; Website: www.wawel.krakow.pl; Telephone: (0)12 422 1697 or 422 5155 ext 291; Transport: Tram 10 or a short walk from the Main Square, Rynek Glówny; Opening time: Wawel Hill: open daily from 6am until dusk. The various castle attractions are open on Mondays from 9.30am to noon; Tuesday and Friday 9.30am to 4pm; Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 9.30am to 3pm; Sunday 10am to 3pm. The Royal Private Apartments are closed on Mondays. The Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 12.15pm; Admission: Castle attractions range from 3 zl to 20 zl. The Cathedral is 10 zl. Concessions available

Kazimierz District and the Old Synagogue

Once a separate town and now an inner suburb of Krakow, the Kazimierz quarter was the centre of Jewish religion, culture and learning and the home of the city’s large Jewish population before the war. Badly damaged during the Nazi occupation, with most of the residents either killed or deported to the nearby death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau during the Holocaust, today it has been rebuilt so visitors can admire the restored historical architecture and experience daily Jewish life. Its renewed interest was brought about by Spielberg's film Schindler’s List that was set in Kazimierz, and the Jewish culture of the area is being livened up by art galleries, kosher restaurants and specific cultural events. The Old Synagogue is part of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, and houses a permanent exhibition, ‘Tradition and Culture of Polish Jews’, where the collection of physical memories from the Kazimierz Jewish community is kept.

Address: Old Synagogue: Ulica Szeroka 24; Telephone: (0)12 422 0962; Transport: Tram 3, 9, 11 or 13; Opening time: Old Synagogue: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 3.30pm; Friday 11am to 6pm; closed Mondays; Admission: 6 zl, concessions available

Interior of Galicia Jewish Museum © www.galiciajewishmuseum.org

Galicia Jewish Museum

Situated in the heart of Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter of Krakow, the Galicia Jewish Museum houses a permanent photographic exhibition, "Traces of Memory", documenting the history of the Jewish people in the villages and towns of Poland. This poignant museum also hosts a range of special events, lectures and Jewish music concerts and has a well-stocked bookshop.

Address: Ul. Dajwor 18; E-mail: info@galiciajewishmuseum.org; Website: www.galiciajewishmuseum.org; Telephone: (12) 421 6842; Opening time: Daily 9am to 7pm in the summer and 9.30am to 5.30pm in the winter, closed on Yom Kippur ; Admission: 7 zl (adults) and 5 zl (students)