Stuff to see in Krakow Poland :)

Main Square

The main square of the Old Town of Kraków is the main urban space of Krakow, and is located in the center of the city. It is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe and is surrounded by historic townhouses. Its has a history dating all the way back to the 13th century.

Town Hall Tower

Town Hall Tower is the main focal point of the main square, and is the only remaining part of the old Krakow Town Hall which was demolished in 1820 to make way for the opening up of the main square. The cellars below the tower once housed a medieval torture chamber as a part of the cities prison. Unusually, it leans slightly after a strong wind in 1703 caused it to tilt.

Cloth Hall

Kraków Cloth Hall is the central feature of the main square and is one of the most recognizable icons of Krakow. Once a major major center for international trade, travelling merchants met here to barter and do business as a variety of silk, leather, wax, spices and other exotic imports from the east were available. Merchants of Krakow also exported lead, textiles and salt from the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine. It was rebuilt in 1555 after a great fire in the city. The Krakow National Museum exibits a beautiful collection of 19th century Polish art upstairs, and in 1978 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You should definitely check out what is essentially the oldest shopping center in Poland!

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine is visited each year by over 1 million tourists from around the world each year. Originally built in the 13th century, it produced table salt continuously until 2007, until then one of the oldest salt mines still in operation. Intricately carved statues and chapels carved from the rock salt, massive underground lakes and caverns, the world largest museum of mining containing ancient mining equipment 135 meters below the earths surface and so much more! Compared by some to the Egyptian pyramids for the magnificence of this underground wonderland, it truly is the ultimate Polish attraction to explore.

Church of St. Adalbert

The Church of St. Adalbert is one of the oldest stone churches in Poland. With a fascinating almost 1000 year history going back to the early Middle Ages, this was the place where travelling merchants went to worship, and nobility used to meet with citizens.

Wawel Royal Castle

For centuries the impressive Wawel Royal Castle was the official residence of the kings of Poland. In 1930 it was established as the countries premier art museum. Its has been home to 3 dynasties of Polish monarchs, and has survived relatively unchanged since King Sigismund I the Old organised for some of the best local and foreign artists to create the awesome palace/castle of which much still survives today. An absolute must see in Krakow.

Wawel Cathedral

Wawel Cathedral located on Wawel Hill, is more than 900 years old and has traditionally served as the coronation site for polish monarchs. Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II in 1978, was originally ordained to the priesthood here in 1946. It has a rich history with numerous treasures to explore, and some believe it to be one of the most interesting places in all of Poland.

Wawel Dragon

Make sure to check out the famous fire-breathing dragon when visiting Wawel!

St. Mary’s Basilica

The stunning St. Mary’s Basilica church was originally built in the 13th century, and then rebuilt in the 14th century after Tartar raids left the original building in a heap of ruins. It is next to the main square, and particularly famous for the wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. The beautiful design of this church has served as an architectural model for many churches built by the Polish diaspora that have been designed in the so called ‘Polish Cathedral Style’. The famous ‘bugle call of Krakow’, played every hour on the hour, is played from the northern tower of this church which was originally raised to 80 meters high to be turned into a watchtower for the city.

Polish Aviation Museum

The Polish Aviation Museum is located at the site of the Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport, which is no longer functional. The airfield is one of the oldest in the world, established in 1912 by Austria-Hungary. This large museum was opened in 1964 after the airfield closed in 1963, and contains over 200 fascinating old aircraft and 100 aircraft engines, serveral of which are unique on a world scale.

Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Church of St. Francis of Assisi dates back to the 13th century. Its was one of the first brick buildings in the city and is considered to be Krakows most colourful church thanks to the spectacular stained glass windows and interiors crafted by the poet, playwright and painter Stanisław Wyspiański

Planty Park

Planty Park is one of the largest parks in Krakow, its 5.2 acres is a popular scenic walkway and encircles the Old Town.

Czartoryski Museum and Library

Czartoryski Museum and Library is the oldest museum in Poland. It was founded by Princess Izabela Czartoryska in keeping with her vision to preserve Polish heritage with her motto: “The Past to the Future”. Its best known for housing Leonardo da Vinci’s famous ‘Lady with an Ermine’

MNK National Museum in Krakow

MNK National Museum in Krakow. Established in 1879, the Museum houses 21 departments divided by art period, and holds some 780,000 art objects, ranging from classical archaeology to modern art, with special focus on Polish painting.

Galicia Jewish Museum

Galicia Jewish Museum. Established in 2004 by the British photojournalist Chris Schwarz in partnership with Prof. Jonathan Webber of UNESCO, the museum houses a photo exhibition which documents the remnants of Jewish life and culture which used to be vibrant in Polish Galicia.

Ojców National Park

Ojców National Park. Poland’s smallest national park contains 2 museums, numerous castles, limestone cliffs, ravines, and over 400 caves. Well worth exploring.

Kościuszko Mound

Kościuszko Mound is an artificial mound that was modeled after the prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. After following the path that leads to the summit, you’ll a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city of Krakow. Originally erected in commemoration of the Polish leader Tadeusz Kościuszko in 1820, the heavy rains of 1997 eroded the Mound to a point where its very existence was threatened. Modern materials and state of the art technology were used in a restoration process between 1999 and 2003, equipping it with a new waterproofing membrane and drainage system. A museum displaying artifacts and mementos from Kościuszkos’ life are housed in a museum next to the Mound

Krakus Mound

This is the second of Kraków’s prehistoric mounds and is the oldest man-made structure in Kraków. Is thought to be the resting place of the legendary King Krakus, Kraków’s mythical founder. Artefacts dating back to the seventh century have been discovered during excavations in the 1930s.

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The biggest of the historic churches in Krakow in terms of seating capasity was built in the early 1600’s, and was the first building in Krakow (possibly in Poland) designed entirely in the Baroque style. Created by Giovanni Battista Falconi, the interior is decorated with scenes from the life and death of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

St. Andrew’s Church

St. Andrew’s Church. Local residents took refuge here during the Tartar raids due to the strong walls of this beautiful Romanesque church. Built between 1079 and 1098, its is a rare surviving example of a church used for defensive puposes, known as a ‘fortress church’. St. Andrews succesfully withstood the Tartar-Mongol raid of 1241.

Rakowicki Cemetery

Located within the centre of Krakow in the ‘Old Town’, Rakowicki Cemetery contains special sections allocated to graves from a variety of events in the history of Poland including both world wars, Polish national up-risings and more.

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. Modeled after some of the top Baroque theatres in Europe, this impressive building was erected in 1893 and still hosts many performances each year. Check out whats on here

Ogrodzieniec Castle

The ruined mediaeval Ogrodzieniec Castle has been rebuilt several times in its history. It is situated on the so-called Castle Mountain and is located on the trail of the Eagles nests. It was originally built between the 14th and 15th century. While is around an hours drive from Krakow Castle offers some of the most stunning views in the area, you should definitely check it out if you possibly can.

Benedictine Abbey

Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec. This historic village sits on the Vistula River and is most famous for the Abbey that was bold around 1044, that has a long and turbulent history.

Malbork Castle

Malbork Castle is a classic example of a mediaeval fortress, and is the largest castle in the world by surface area. It became a world Heritage sites in 1997. It is also one of Poland’s official national historic monuments. Like most such monuments in Poland. It has a turbulent history. It has been residents to Polish kings, being a part of Prussia after Poland was divided by Russia and Prussia, and only became part of Poland again after the end of World War II.

St. Stanislaw’s Church

St. Stanislaw’s Church (Church on the Rock). This is a church and monastery does dedicated to St Stanislaw after he was murdered on the site by the orders of the Polish king Bolesław II the Bold. In 1079. This event resulted in the king being exiled and the canonization of the murdered Bishop. It is one of Poland’s most famous centuries. There is also a crypt underneath the church, which is a burial place for some of the most distinguished Poles that lived in Kraków.

Remuh Synagogue

Remuh Synagogue & Cemetery is possibly the smallest but most active synagogue dates back to 1553. The cemetery which was in use until 1800, was spared vandalism by the Nazis as many of the gravestones had been buried to avoid desecration during the occupation of Krakow by Austrian forces in the 19th century.

Rynek Underground

The Rynek Underground permanent exhibition is an incredible underground is located below the market square of the city and covers an amazing area of over 6000 m². Holograms created using projectors alongside fog machines and dozens of screens and projectors recreate the atmosphere of Kraków 700 years ago for the main exhibit “In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity”. Don’t miss this!

Kraków Opera

You can find some of the worlds best operettas, ballet performances and music shows at this wonderful venue, the Kraków Opera

There’s so much more to the city of Kraków. We’ve tried to highlight a few of the attractions of this incredible city, and will try to add more in the future, but once you get there, you’ll find we have barely scratched the surface of all there is on offer in this beautiful part of Poland.

from http://travelict.com/europe/poland/krakow/