Krakow Flights

Cracow (Krakow), long heralded as The New Prague, is now well established as a major tourist destination. At the height of summer, Polands fourth largest city throngs with tour groups, all manner of tourist tack and countless pavement cafés that seem to occupy every cobble of the main square. Out of season, late at night or even in the first slivers of morning light, it is clear why so many people flock to visit. This magical city, situated in the southeast of the country, between the Jura uplands and the Tatra Mountains, on the banks of the Wisla (Vistula) River, has one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Dozens of churches cover almost every architectural period and are surrounded by monasteries and abbeys walking through the Old Town streets is like drifting back through the musty pages of a historical novel.

The city has largely been left intact since the Tartar raids of the 13th century, which accounts for the largely unspoilt Old Town now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Laid out in 1257, the Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) is one of the largest medieval market squares in Europe as well as a remarkable set piece fronted by elegant façades. It is dominated by the 16th-century Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), which continues to perform its role as a trading centre with lively market stalls and pavement cafés in and around the building. The surrounding lanes of the Stare Miasto (Old Town) are ringed by the Planty, a leafy, linear park that follows the line of the Old Town walls. The voluminous hulk of Wawel Hill, to the south, is home to Wawel Castle, the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to the early 17th century. It was at this location, in 1000 AD, that the bishopric of Cracow was established and the Cathedral remains the spiritual home of Poland.

One area that has seen traumatic times is the Kazimierz district. For centuries it was a centre of Jewish culture, until the Nazis killed most of its residents and deported many of the survivors to the wartime ghetto of Podgorze and thence to nearby Auschwitz. Kazimierz had largely fallen into decline since World War II, but the area is undergoing something of a renaissance in response to the renewed interest brought about by the film Schindlers List. The Jewish culture of the area is being revived, with lively art galleries, kosher restaurants and regular cultural events, such as Klezmer concerts (see Culture). In fact, Cracows cultural attractions in general are manifest, with almost a quarter of Polands museum holdings housed here and the citys cultural scene is without equal in Poland the city was justifiably named as one of the nine European Cities of Culture in 2000.

The citys cultural heritage is mirrored in its intellectual achievements the Jagiellonian University is the oldest in Poland. The student population of the city numbers over 100,000 and it fires a lively nightlife scene that burns brightly in the atmospheric cellar bars away from the tourists above. Cracow has sharply contrasting seasons with cold, snowy winters and fresh springs and autumns. Visitors should beware of the locals use of the word fresh an optimistic reference to blatantly cold weather. The labyrinthine cellars of the Old Town are an ideal place to escape the winter chill. However, come summer, the quintessential Cracow experience is relaxing in a pavement café on the main square enjoying one of the long and balmy nights.

The number of tourists to Cracow has increased significantly in recent years, partly due to the introduction of easier visa regulations, and also because of the media coverage the city received in the international press in the months leading to Poland assession to the EU in May 2004. The death of Pope John Paul II (born Karola Wojtyly) in April 2005 is likely to bring even more pilgrims to the city where he lived for several years and which he served as archbishop and then cardinal before leaving for Rome to start his Pontificate in October 1978.

Krakow Tourist Information Office

Address: Rynek Glowny 1/3, Krakow 31-042

Email: info@mcit.pl

Phone: +48 (0) 12 421 7706