Why You Should Visit Krakow

26/01/2016 09:46

Krakow was once the capital of Poland; today it remains a beautiful city for both tourists and Poles. Not surprisingly it receives many tourists each passing year. In addition to the old town, beautiful architecture and the many museums we can recommend other things to see in Krakow as listed below.
The first is Wawel Castle. Former residence of the kings of Poland, it today houses one of the finest art museums in the country, with collections of paintings, sculptures and even Italian tapestries, weapons, cutlery and porcelain.
Kazimierz, a very famous area of ​​this city, is known as being the centre of the Jewish community until the end of World War II in Poland. In fact its seven synagogues remain in this district of which one is still open.
And then we go to the Main Square, Rynek Główny. It is important not only in this city but also in Poland; located in the centre, surrounded by houses, palaces and churches.
The square is dominated by the Sukiennice, the Cloth Hall, the most famous Renaissance building in Krakow. The place was so popular that at its height in the 15th century it became a major international trading venue, or at least in Europe, where traders of all types met to discuss business.
Rynek Główny is very popular all year round for its buyers and sellers, and the many pigeons, fed by passers by. It welcomes all those who want to visit it.
But there's more… Visit St Mary´s Church, in the Gothic style, which is located in the main market square of the city. We can see at the top, in the tower, a trumpeter that plays a beautiful Polish traditional melody every hour.
At the Jagiellonian University, the second oldest university in central Europe, no less than famous scientists or saints such as Copernicus and Pope John Paul II studied.
But Krakow contains even more, for instance the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Still active, it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is only 10 kilometres from the centre of Krakow with easy access from the city. You can visit and learn about its history and operation, even in the English language, discovering how it obtains and transports salt.
Finally, despite all the things that we can see in Krakow, we like the birthplace (Wadowice, near Krakow) of Pope John Paul II, philosopher, born Karol Wojtyla. The future pope was born on 18 May 1920 in this house, number 7, Kościelna Street. It is said that the Wojtyla family lived on the first floor.
We have discovered some of the main secrets of Krakow. Tell us how your experience was in this city, whether you've visited or what you expect if you do visit it. In Travelling Europe it always motivates us to hear the experiences of other travellers.

 

Editing by: Catherine Parker