Krakow

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Krakow is the third largest city in Poland behind Warsaw and Lodz; located on the Wisła, it is the capital of the Voivodship of Lesser Poland (Małopolska). It was Poland's capital until 1609 and is one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions. Krakow is also one of the most important cultural cities of Central Europe. It is therefore called the "Florence of Poland", and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the continent.

As one of the few cities in Poland, the city also survived the Second World War undamaged, but it nevertheless has got many "Jewish" memorial places partly known by the film Schindler's List. The city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The oldest still existing buildings (in Ulica Kanonicza) date from the beginning of the 13th century. The rest of the buildings were built and/or rebuilt in the various centuries, which brings together many different architectural styles. There are also a lot of buildings in Renaissance style.

The Wawel is the crown of the Polish identity, but perhaps the largest square in Europe - Rynek Glowny and its old town make the city unique. In addition, Krakow has got an abundant nightlife city with an exuberant student life. Around the city centre is a park where once the town walls of the city arose and many people sit here when it’s nice weather. A few kilometers outside the city is the Wieliczka salt mine and you can even visit concentration camp Auschwitz.

The old town:

The heart of Krakow is the Rynek Główny which is one of the largest and most beautiful market squares in Europe. On the edge of the market square is the St. Mary's Church, which is one of the main urban features. On the square there are various buildings in different styles: the Town Hall Tower (Ratusz), the Cloth Hall and the Church of St. Adalbert.

Another city symbol is the Wawel hill; the hill has a height of 228 m and is located on the bank of the Wisła, at the southwest point of the center. There are also numerous historic buildings on this hill. Most important are the Wawel Cathedral and the Wawel Castle - a place of Polish tradition. At the foot of the hill is the Dragon Cave situated. Planty is a city park that has been built around the old city.

In the northern part of it there are still the Barbakan and the Florianus Gate and you can see parts of the city wall.

Kazimierz, Podgorez and Plaszow

Apart from Roman Catholics, Krakow is also an important city for Jews: especially from the Thirty Years War they came to live in large numbers in former Kroke, mainly in the Kazimierz district. While many people think that this is the Jewish ghetto that is so clearly visible in Spielbergs" "Schindler's list will be disappointed.

When the Nazis occupied Krakow, a new Jewish quarter was used as a ghetto; Podogrez a bit further south in the city. When the Krakow ghetto was evacuated in 1943, it was destroyed and the remaining Jews were deported to the still more southerly concentration camp Plaszow: most of the 70,000 Jews who lived in Krakow before World War II did not survive the Holocaust. Currently only 180 Jews live in Krakow.

You can still visit the old camp house, but also the path made with Jewish graves to the quarry. On the grounds of the former concentration camp a park with numerous monuments can be visited. Finally you can visit the old e-maille factory of Oskar Schindler in which the Czech had hundreds of Jews working who became so "indispensable" for the German warindustry and this way survived the war. It is now a museum (see below).

Wieliczka salt mine

The salt mine which stands on the UNESCO World Heritage List is just outside Krakow and has contributed a lot to the prosperity of the city. It has done 700 years of service and can now be visited as part of a tour (museum).

It is a labyrinth of tunnels that spread over nine floors in more than 300 km of tunnel. The deepest is 327 meters below the ground.

In a tour through the mine in which you are brought down to a "real" mine shaft, you going to experience a magical underground world with rooms, chapels and holes all minced from the salt.

The New Capital Warchau

In 1596 Warchau became the new capital although state funerals and tributes still took place in Krakow. The Swedish attacks would herald the decline of the city; Cracow was taken by Austria at the Third Polish Division (1795), but was conquered by Napoleon in 1809 and annexed to the Duchy of Warsaw set by him. This duchy was dismantled after the fall of Napoleon and granted to Russia (Congress-Poland) and Prussia (Posen) at the Congress of Vienna. Since they did not agree on Krakow, they declared this city and the surrounding areas a free, independent and strictly neutral city. This Republic of Krakow was annexed in 1846 by Austria again.

The city got a lot of freedom from the occupiers and it was not surprising that here the Polish national feelings first rose in 1890. After the First World War in 1919 the city became Polish again. When WWII broke out, some 65,000 Jews lived in the city. During World War II, Krakow was the capital of the Nazi German General Government and Hans Frank lived in the "Wawel". Despite the fact that the inhabitants of the city were tackled hard, Krakow was spared from major bombing or artillery bombardments.

When the communists after the war took power, the construction of a new factory was started immediately outside the city and a new city district. This is because of the traditional values and religious background of the city that did not stand with the new communism that was introduced. Now Krakow is most of all a big tourist attraction and is visited by millions of people – national and international.

The bus and train station are located next to each other just to the northeast of the center (within walking distance). For the rest there are trams and buses in the city.

Krakow - Kedzierzyn Kozle: the train journey takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes. The price is 42 Zloty.

• Name: Oskar Schindler emaille factory

Address: Lipowa 4

Price: 20 PLN (combi ticket 29 PLN)

Content:

This e-maille factory was active from 1939 to 1944 by the Sudeten-German industrial Oskar Schindler. He used in his factory cheap Jewish workers and became famous with it. He treated his Jewish workers well and kept 1,100 of them out of the hands of the Nazis by transferring them to a labor camp at his new company in Brünnlitz, Czech Republic.

For the rescue of these Jews, Schindler was named Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem after the war. His story was used by the feature film Schindlers's List (1993) by director Steven Spielberg. The former factory of Schindler has been transformed into a unique museum that tells the story of the city of Krakow from the years 1939 to 1946. Opened since June 2010. The desk and the stairs from the film are also integrated in the tour.

• Name: Pharmacy under the eagle

Address: Plac Bohaterow Getta 18

Price: 4 PLN (combi ticket 29 PLN)

Content:

This pharmacy was opened until the Nazis set up the Jewish ghetto in Krakow in 1943 and deported the remaining ones to the nearby Plaszow concentration camp. In this Polish pharmacy, people were taken care of, free medicines were provided and the international news was also (secretly) published.

Now it is a small but spectacular museum on the central square of the old Jewish ghetto. By means of moving images on the windows you get a good idea of how the people lived here during those hard times. The story is told from the deportation of the Jewish district Kazimierz to this district and then the regular raids and deportations until the camp was divided in two to the general elimination of the neighborhood.

A monument for everyone interested in the Holocaust and WWII.

In Grodzka street you have a bar named McLeczny - it sells (at least) good food at a very competitive price during the afternoon. Do not expect a five star restaurant although it is in a very central location but the food is fine. You can order soup, a main meal and drinks - a meal costs about 15 to 20 Zlt.

• Name: Strawberry youth hostel (1996)

Address: Ul Urzednica 68

Phone nr. : (012) 633-27-77

Content:

The only thing I remember of this hostel is that it was a bit out of the center. A large white building with a front garden and a long corridor. We had a double room with single beds with a sink and a small table. The shower and toilet were both in the hallway. It was easily accessible by tram.

• Name: Hostel Backpackers Krakow (2014)

Address: Florianska 13

Price: 30 Zlt (dormitory - 10 people)

Content:

The hostel is very centrally located between the bus and train station and the main square. You have to search for it though - it is number 13 and you first come to a central square with a bar-restaurant with a large outdoor terrace - there you have to go with a large white antique stone staircase to the first floor where the reception is. Here is also a small common room, a kitchenette and a toilet shower.

Our room was on the second floor where you enter the room through an old somewhat shabby-like hallway. The beds are cracking and old but the bedding is clean. There is WIFI and there are some chairs in the hallways, a small table and a couch, but space is very limited. Another disadvantage is that there is only ONE shower/toilet. Staff is friendly but very young. It should get a good clean up too.

The advantage is that in the morning free coffee and tea is served during breakfast hours - there is also some cruesli and milk available.