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Krakow Travel Guide
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| Krakow
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KRAKÓW,
the ancient capital of Poland and residence for centuries
of its kings, was the only major city in the country to
come through World War II essentially undamaged. Its assembly
of monuments, without rival in Poland, is listed by UNESCO
as one of the world's twelve most significant historic sites.
The city is indeed a visual treat, with the Wawel being
one of the most striking royal residences in Europe, and
the old inner town a mass of flamboyant monuments. For Poles,
these are a symbolic representation of the nation's historical
continuity, and for visitors brought up on grey Cold War
images of Eastern Europe they are a revelation. All the
more ironic, then, that the government of the 1970s had
to add a further tag, that of official "ecological
disaster area" – for Kraków's industrial
suburbs represent the communist experiment at its saddest
extreme.
Until the war, the city revolved around its Jagiellonian
University, founded back in the fourteenth century, and
its civic power was centred on the university's Catholic,
conservative intelligentsia. The communist regime, wishing
to break their hold, decided to graft a new working class
onto the city by developing one of the largest steelworks
in Europe, Nowa Huta, on the outskirts. Within a few decades
its effects were apparent as the city fabric began to crumble.
Consequently, in recent times, Kraków has been faced
with intractable economic and environmental problems: how
to deal with the acid rain of the steelworks, how to renovate
the monuments, how to maintain jobs. Throughout the 1990s
steady progress was made on environmental issues, and local
initiatives in pollution reduction – combined with
Western funding – mean that Kraków is now cleaner
than it has been for decades, recent figures suggesting
that air pollution levels are seventy percent below those
of the mid-1980s.
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| Krakow
Travels & Tours |
Old Town Square
This is one of the largest and most beautiful historic squares
in Europe. Its proud presence is one of the reasons the
city has become so famous. Lined with cafes and shops and
surrounded by historical buildings and churches, it is simply
spectacular. Measuring 200 by 200 meters, the square is
vast, especially with consideration to the fact that it
was built in 1257. The sights in and directly around the
square are highlights of any visit to Krakow and indeed
to Poland itself.
Ulica Florianska
Ulica Florianska runs almost directly north out of the Old
Town Square, all the way up to the defensive walls. It has
become the city's most fashionable shopping street and there
are many restaurants and cafes along it, as well as the
legendary Kraków McDonalds. Until the mid 1990's,
the street had a decidedly seedy feel despite the many fine
buildings and its inherent charm. Now it has been polished
and renovated considerably making it something of a showcase
street.
Wawel
Conveniently situated in the city centre on the Wawel Hill,
the royal home guarantees an invaluable lesson in Polish
history. This was the seat of power from the 11th century
until 1609 when the capital was transferred to Warsaw. Then
occupied by Austrian troops, eventually, in 1930, the museum
was opened in an attempt to recapture some of its former
glory. Visitors admire a large collection of Renaissance
furniture, paintings and jewellery. There is an armoury
with treasury inside the castle as well as other exhibitions
in the surrounding chapels.
Barbakan
The Barbakan is located just outside the Old Town walls
at the bottom of Ulica Florianska. Built in the 1300s, it
remains a beautiful relic of old Europe. The walls of this
structure are a massive three meters thick and Poles pride
themselves on the fact that the Barbakan was never captured
in battle. Surrounded by a park area, this heavy piece of
history is architecturally fascinating, and massively impressive.
Planty
The Planty is a wonderful feature of Krakow. It used to
be a moat, but has long since been filled in. Now it's an
almost unbroken ring around the Old Town (it is occasionally
broken by roads and stops altogether down at Wawel Castle).
It's a very pleasant place to stroll - some of the areas
have benches and small gardens while others have kiosks
and buskers and still other sections seem completely deserted
(especially on the eastern side). Be careful walking in
Planty at night, particularly at the north end (near the
train station).
Badylak Memorial Plaque
In the north west corner of the Old Town Square stands a
small, green water pump with a small plaque affixed to it.
On this spot on March 21, 1980, Walentyn Badylak doused
himself in gasoline and burned himself alive. The 76 year-old
Badylak, a veteran of the Home Army underground resistance
movement during World War II, burned himself in protest
against the Communist regieme and its refusal to recognize
the Soviet murder of 15,000 Polish Army officers in Katyn
in 1940. |
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