5 reasons to visit Krakow this year
June 3, 2010 by marek.miller
Krakow - Main Square (flickr.com/gi_theWhite)
You cannot think about Poland without thinking Kraków. This is a great medieval city, dating back in history to the 7th century (although the first written record of the city’s name dates back to 966, the archaeological findings provide evidence that Wawel Hill was settled as far back as the early Stone Age). It is an interesting place for tourists, business travellers, gourmet and night life lovers. It is also the host city for this year’s INMA/OPA European Outlook 2011 conference (29 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2010). And why would you want to visit Kraków this year?
First, take a look at this commercial (taken from CNN) and in next steps, please read 5 reasons for visiting Kraków:
1. Kraków is a town with a long history
Kraków – Poland’s second largest dates back to the 7th century. Its historic centre (together with Auschwitz-Birkenau former nazi camp, and the nearby Wieliczka salt mine) are inscribed in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. For centuries Krakow was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings, drawing great scholars and artists from the whole world. Throughout the history Kraków has been reaffirming its role as a major academic and artistic center of Poland.
By the 12th century, Kraków was a boom town and many important monuments of Romanesque architecture has survived until today. In the 14th century, King Kazimierz the Great brought Gothic building projects on a massive scale to Kraków. Among his many achievements was the original founding of the Jagiellonian University in 1364. When Poland was joined with Lithuania by the marriage of Queen Jadwiga and Grand Duke Jagiello, Kraków was suddenly far from the centre of the territory it ruled. Kraków remained a vibrant centre of religion, culture, education, and international trade for centuries.
However, in 1596, King Zygmunt III felt need to move his administrative capital to what was then the tiny village of Warsaw, in order to be closer to an empire that threatened to break away at any moment.
The latest history of Kraków is the Second World War. Kraków miraculously escaped destruction at the end of this war but it became at that time a place of martyrology of the Jewish nation. A lot of sad evidence from these times can still be found around Kraków in former nazi-camps like Auschwitz.
Read the brief history of Krakow here
2. Kraków is full of must see monuments and relics
This beutiful town is situated on the Vistula River in the lower parts of Poland. It is the second largest city with more than 800.000 inhabitants. Tradition entwines there with modern times nearly everywhere you go, and each stone has its own history. There is a multitude of architectural monuments – etimated at 6,000 buildings and other structures. This is supplemented by approximately 2.5 million artefacts collected and displayed in museums, churches and archives.
Krakow (flickr / Let Ideas Compete)
It is impossible to describe or even list all the tourist attractions in Krakow, but each tourist will discover his own Krakow. While some will follow the footsteps of Nicholas Copernicus, others will be interested in sites linked with John Paul II. Yes, it was Karol Wojty?a, the archbishop of Kraków, who was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first ever Slavic pope.
Read about the attractions of Krakow here
3. Kraków is famous for its night-life attractions
Krakow - Main Square by night (flickr)
As the European capital of culture (Kraków received this title in 2000), this town has a lot to offer night life lovers and party animals. With its astounding atmosphere as well as a thriving and immersing night life Kraków can offer many various entertainment options. The city center is full of clubs, pubs, cafes, and restaurants.
The Main Market Square in Krakow is said to have the highest number of pubs per square kilometre in the world. In some pubs, people can dance till dawn; others resemble galleries with paintings, drawings and photos on the walls. There are also plenty of small, dim cellar pubs if you want to hide away from the outside world.
An extraordinary cellar pub in Kraków is the Tower Pub, which is particularly popular among students and musicians. There’s a slight Gothic feel to it when the Polish rock bands descend and the pub also hosts a dance floor with lasers, a pinball machine, darts and satellite TV for the sports fan, all in a 14th century basement with medieval frescos on the wall.
Read about the night life in Krakow here
Open air restaurant in Krakow (flickr/tbertor1)
Large number of restaurants, inns, cafés, pubs, and clubs unmatched by other cities makes Kraków the capital of gourmet. Tough competition and eagerness to entice clients and patrons make the city the best place for eating and drinking in pleasant surroundings. Kraków’s maestro chefs are masters of nearly all the world’s cuisines.
Some of the best places to eat and drink lie off the main touristic track of Kraków. The best way is to discover them on your own while taking long walks around the city. Many interesting places can be found in Kazimierz district, where publicans cherish the highly individual character of their sites: usually unorthodox and always interesting.
Read about Krakow’s gourmet tourism here
Wieliczka salt mine, 327 meters under ground (flickr/Michal Osmenda)
Around Kraków, there are many well-known places – for dramatically diverse reasons. The most tragic of these is Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Oswiecim. At a closer distance lie the quiet, medieval Salt Mines of Wieliczka. Although these sites require nearly day-long visits, they are frequently treated, as “must see” places.
There are plenty of popular and charming destinations lying not so far from the city: the picturesque Jurassic valleys, Ojcowski National Park, Pieskowa Ska?a with its castle. Krakow provides a perfect base for side-trips to the scenic landscape of the country’s most attractive corners. The city lies only 100 kilometres from the rocky Tatra Mountains and Zakopane, frequently referred to as the winter capital of Poland. It is just as close to the far smaller and by no means less beautiful Pieniny Mountains, the famous spas of Szczawnica and Krynica, and the uncrowded mountainous trails of the Beskidy Mountains. Local traditions cherished throughout the region, as well as the very well-developed network of agritourist accommodation, make Malopolska (the Lower Poland region) one of the few regions of Europe so favourable for leisurely relaxation in such close proximity to nature.
[...] Krakow, the host city of the conference, is itself a reason to come. Recognised throughout the world as an authentic and charming historical city, it is one of Europe’s official cultural capitals. It has a great location between the West and the East, and travel has become easy with affordable direct flights. (Learn more at this site.) [...]