Kraków is the biggest city in Małoposka region and live here about 800000 people. You can find here fascinating history, stunning architecture, rich cultural life, delicious cuisine and vibrant nightlife.

The most popular attractions in Kraków:

The Main Market Square:

The Main Market Square in Krakow is the largest medieval market square in Europe  with a size approximately 40,000 square meters. It is located in the Old Town of Krakow and it dates back to the 13th century, built up after the mongolian invasion in 1241.

At the Square you can find several big attractions, for example the 10th century Church of St. Wojciech, the Saint Mary’s Basilica, the Town Hall Tower, the Adam Mickiewicz Monument (the biggest Polish poet in the 19th century) and the most popular attraction is probably the Sukiennice a market with a great atmosphere in the center of the square. If you like pigeons, you might get the chance to make close friendship to them if you buy some seeds and place them in your hand!   The square has always had important functions throughout history, and the road on which the kings on their way to the Wawel Castle had to travel passed through the main market square.

Certainly , it’s the place that you should start your sightseeing with. This is definitely the most famous of Kraków attractions, and today’s center of the social life of young students and tourists from all over the world. It is a showcase of Kraków where all the most important events take place and hundreds of Europe’s most creative street artists gather each day to amuse us.

St. Mary’s Basilica:

This unique building is a Gothic church. It comes from the 14th century and is located just a few steps from the Cloth Hall, so you w’ont have any problems to find it. ST. Mary’s Basilica is famous for a wooden altarpiece made by Wit Stwosz, which has an incredible history and is surely one of a kind. The most interesting thing about the basilica is a trumpet signal played every hour to all four sites of the world. Visit the church and you will know why the signal ends so unexpectedly.

Cloth Hall: 

The magnificent building in the center of the Main Market Square, the Cloth Hall, is one of the city’s best landmarks. The Cloth Hall has been the heart of the city’s trade since the 13th century, local merchants traded here  textiles, lead and salt from Wieliczka Salt Mine in exchange for a variety of exotic products imported from the East. The Cloth Hall is still the most bustling area in the entire Main Square. Today, mostly jewelry, souvenirs, amber and various arts and crafts can be bought in the Cloth Hall.

Wawel Castle:

Wawel Castle is one of the most imposing royal castles of Europe and one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance architecture. It was the residence of most Polish rulers since the first historic ruler of  Poland had settled down there in the 10th century.                       

Today, Wawel Castle houses the museum dedicated to the history of Polish monarchy, presenting private chambers of the royal family and representative chambers, where king would meet with Polish parliament and foreign envoys, as well as armoury with excellent examples of military equipment and treasury with unique 13th-century coronation sword.      

Wawel Cathedral: 

Wawel Cathedral has been the most important temple in Poland for over 1000 years. It is where the crowning ceremonies of Polish kings took place. Wawel Cathedral is also the main burial site of Polish kings, their wives and national heroes. You can see here the heaviest bell in Poland : Zygmunta Bell.

Barbican: 

The Barbican is one of only three such fortified outposts still existing in Europe. It was built between 1498 and 1499. The latest achievements in the art of medieval fortification were implied with the constructions. Once connected with St. Florian’s Gate by the so-called 'neck, it was the most important element of the city’s fortification, built to protect the northern borders. In the past Barbican was connected with Florian Gate, a Gothic style tower built in the 14th century. The Florian Gate is one of eight gates , created to hide the city behind the defensive wall. It is 34,5 meters tall and is decorated with a sculpture from 1820. The gate leads to Floriańska street and further to Main Market Square.

The Florian Gate:

It’s a gothic style tower built in the 14th century and it’s one of eight gates, created to hide the city behind the defensive wall. It’s 34,5 meters tall and decorated with a sculpture from 1820. The gate also leads to Floriańska street, an atmospheric part of Kraków and to the Main Market Square

Rynek Underground:

The newest branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow spreads underneath the surface of the Main Market Square. Opened as a result of 5-years archaeological excavations, Rynek Underground is a journey to the medieval Krakow. Using a glass floor suspended right above original cobbled paths, visitors explore the every-day life of merchants and inhabitants of medieval Krakow. Following all stages of the exhibition, they learn about trade, transportation and have a chance to see how the merchant stalls that predated the Cloth Hall looked like. The museum relies heavily on multimedia, enriching the exhibition with touch-screens and holograms.

Jewish Quarter Kazimierz

Jewish district in Kraków is extremely worth seeing. Not only does it gather the most creative pubs and bars, but above all is full of history and amazing sites. You have to go there to listen stories about Jewish life before and after World War 2 (prepare yourself to be very moved). On Kazimierz you can find: popular synagogues, cozy stories and souvenir shops, pubs and restaurants, beautiful murals and street art

OSKAR SCHINDLER’S FACTORY

Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory at 4 Lipowa Street is now the museum dedicated to the life of a man who devoted himself to saving Jews during World War II. Taking over the factory in 1939, Schindler employed Jews from the nearby ghetto, at first because they were expected to be paid much less than Polish employees. But soon, Schindler began to care about the fate of Jewish people and using his personal connections and bribes, he tried to save as many Jews as possible. His actions became widely known thanks to Steven Spielberg’s film „Schindler’s List” telling the story of how Schindler created a list of 1200 names of Jews that he managed to save from certain death in the concentration camp

GHETTO HEROES SQUARE

The starting point of deportations to death camps, during World War II, Zgody Square is known as the Ghetto Heroes Square (in Polish Plac Bohaterow Getta). An art installation inspired by descriptions of abandoned furniture and personal things strewn around the square after the liquidation of the ghetto, commemorates victims of the Holocaust. The installation comprises dozens of large iron chairs. Located at the corner of the square, „Pod Orlem” Pharmacy is a museum dedicated to the only Pole living in the ghetto, Tadeusz Pankiewicz. He run the pharmacy during World War II and provided medicine for Jewish people in the ghetto, often free of charge. He also created a secret meeting place for Jewish intelligentsia, smuggled food and information and was entrusted for safekeeping with the most valuable objects that deported Jews had to leave behind.