The Jewish Quarter of Krakow was named for King Kazimierz the Great, who was the ruler of Poland for much of 14th century. He was described in my guidebook as a "progressive and tolerant" king who encouraged Jews to move to Poland while other countries…Read More

The Jewish Quarter of Krakow was named for King Kazimierz the Great, who was the ruler of Poland for much of 14th century. He was described in my guidebook as a "progressive and tolerant" king who encouraged Jews to move to Poland while other countries at the same time were deporting or discouraging them.

The Jews did not originally live in this area, but rather were integrated into Krakow and welcomed all over. Later in the 15th century, after some unrest between the Jews and the university students of Krakow, the Jews were made to live at Kazimierz. Walls were built (now gone) to keep the area separate from the rest of Krakow, and the community had its own town hall and market square. Around 65,000 Jews lived in this community.

Of course, the Jews were forced to move again during World War II, where Podgorze ghetto became their captive home. And they were made to move one more time–to their demise in Nazi death camps. Only 1,000 to 2,000 Krakow Jews survived the war, and only around 100 Jews live in Kazimierz today. Nonetheless, these folks are working to revive the Kazimierz community and reclaim it as their own, embracing Jewish culture and sharing it with visitors.

In his guidebook, Rick Steves touts Jarden Bookstore on ulica Szeroka as a tourist center. I did not visit Jarden Bookstore, but Mr. Steves says that there are walking tours and guidebooks available from the bookstore. Ulica Szeroka is also the main area of restaurants, hotels, and synagogues.

There are plenty of synagogues to visit. We only visited Isaac Synagogue at ulica Kupa 18 (7 zloty). This synagogue was built in 1638. During WWII , it was used as storage for theatre props. Later it was a sculptor’s workshop, then a theatre. During the 1970s, Isaac Synagogue was damaged by fire. Finally, in 1989, the Jewish community regained control of synagogue and proceeded to renovate it. It is now a center for worship, concerts, Hebrew courses, and side room with documentary films. The documentary films depict the area before World War II, and the forcing of Jews into the ghettos. My understanding is that the one film was a "training film" for Nazis, on how to move Jews into ghettos.

The Stara Synagogue is the oldest surviving Jewish building in Poland, and is now a small museum of Jewish culture (7 zloty). Also nearby are Remu’h Synagogue and Temple Synagogue.

Remu’h Synagogue is attached to the Old Cemetery. We did not visit the Old Cemetery (burials from 1552 to 1800–but renovated, so is said to feel newer than the New Cemetery), but if it is anything like the New Cemetery (burials after 1800), it is worth a visit and is a very moving experience. To get to the New Cemetery, go east on ulica Miodowa and go under the railroad tracks, then jog left, and the cemetery is on the right. The cemetery was bulldozed by the Nazis during World War II. After the war, many of the headstones were put back into place, but many others were in pieces. The pieces were made into a mosaic wall, as a sort of Holocaust monument. Some that were put back into place were damaged, and some were leaning or toppled over. The entire place had a look of damage and neglect, which made me very sad. Were so many Jews killed in World War II that there weren’t any left to pull the weeds that were overtaking the cemetery now? Or was this just not a priority of the Jewish religion, which I have absolutely no understanding of? Or a little of both? I found my walk through the New Cemetery to be a little spooky, a lot sad, and frighteningly introspective. Entrance to the Old Cemetery is 5 zloty, and entrance to the New Cemetery is free. Remember that cemeteries and synagogues are closed on Saturdays.

After coming out of the New Cemetery, we turned right to take a back route to our hostel. To our delight we found a local outdoor market, not listed in any guidebooks. There were colorful fruits and veggies, lots of other food, clothing, baskets, anything you might need. What a hidden gem!

A couple other places of interest in Kazimierz are the Polish Folk Museum (ulica Krakowska–see separate journal entry) and the Plac Nowy, an old market square and hall, which is now a local gathering place for local folks. The booths offer cheap lunch fare, but on the streets surrounding the market hall are more upscale restaurants and bars catering to tourists.
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No trip to Krakow would be complete without a visit to the unforgettable salt mines in Wieliczka. Although they are the oldest mines in the world still open, absolutely no knowledge of Polish history is needed to appreciate them. The tour of the mines involves…Read More

No trip to Krakow would be complete without a visit to the unforgettable salt mines in Wieliczka. Although they are the oldest mines in the world still open, absolutely no knowledge of Polish history is needed to appreciate them.

The tour of the mines involves a lot of walking underground and a steep descent which included 300 steps if I remember correctly. Very young children and the elderly might wish to avoid it. A small portion of the tour is wheelchair accessible but you will need to pay extra for the lift. Remember that it remains a constant 15 degess Centigrade all year round in the mines so dress accordingly. I went in August and although it was scorching outside I did wear jeans and a fleecy hooded jaket and boy, I was perishing once inside the mines and my teeth wouldn't stop chattering.

As the primordial seas that covered the area dried up, they left thick deposits of rock salt. Humans, who arrived milennia later, quickly discovered the flavouring and preservative qualities of this valuable substance. They collected salt from the rocks and pools on the surface from at least 3000 Bc.

In the Middle Ages, the locals learnt to dig down to the uppermost portions of the salt deposits in open pits. The first known mines are from AD 1280, shortly after the arrival of Princess Kinga in Krakow.

Legend claims that when Princess Kinga (Kunegunda) of Hungary (1234-92) was betrothed to Boleslaw V the Bashful, she took a ring off her hand and threw it down a Hungarian salt mine, declaring that her dowry would be salt. Shortly after her wedding in Krakow, the new queen travelled to Wieliczka and ordered the locals to start digging for her dowry. When they struck rock, they chipped off a piece and handed it to her. It was pure rock salt and her ring was found miraculously suspended within it.

The historical reality seems to have been that Princess Kinga brought experienced salt miners and engineers in her retinue from Hungary. Her husband Boleslaw put royal patronage behind the mining operations at Wieliczka and nearby Bochnia. Within a few generations, salt production accounted for nearly a third of the royal income. Trade in salt was a major driver of the local economy and encouraged the development of infrastructure along the trade route from Wieliczka to Kazimierz to Krakow.

Wieliczka has more than 350 kilometres of tunnels, of which only 2 kilometres are part of the tourist track. You can buy tickets to see just the mines, or both mines and museum. Although the underground museum is fascinating I have noticed on many a visit that most tourists seem to be too tired to visit the museum and usually only visit the mines.

I recommend you see the tour with a guide. If a tour in English is not available when you visit, just buy a small guide book in English and do what I did, follow a Polish- language tour. The gudes repeat the text word for word.

I was surprised to discover that Wieliczka salt is a dirty grey when it is in large blocks. It only becomes white when it forms smaller crystals, such as the salty stalactites that appear on any object left in the mines near a source of moisture. You will be told by the guide not to lick the walls but there is always someone in the group who won't be able to resist and no, it wasn't me!

Another surprise is that miners occasionally succumbed to artistic urges, carving odd figures in the salt. At first they tended to be simple religious shrines for men working at a dangerous job. The Chapel of St. Kinga, however, is a full-blown underground church in which everything from the altar to the chandeliers is carved entirely from salt. It is absolutely fantastic to see and I just stood in awe as I couldn't believe that such a beautiful creation could be sculpted out of salt. You could close your eyes and imagine you were in a Tolkeinesque dream.

There are smaller chapels dotted around including the 17th century chapel of St. Anthony, also a huge saline lake and many statues of saints all made out of salt. In communist times, the workers were encouraged to carve more secular subjects, leading to a collection of salt-mining dwarves frozen in the middle of their work. This is quite a spectacular scene and one I will always remember.

The miners apparantely like to joke that the salt keeps them well preserved. There is a certain truth to their jest: the mines contain unusually clean and bacteria-free air. At a level below the one that tourists visit, there is a small hospital for respiratory disorders.

The easiest way to get to Wieliczka from Krakow is to take one of the minibuses that leaves every ten minutes from the front of the railway station (ul. Worcella). There are also PKS buses that run from the top of Starawislna Street opposite the main Post Office. Check departure details as details do chop and change. The trip takes around 40 minutes.

In Krakow you will see tours to the mines advertised but be aware that some of these are only offering transport to the mines not offering the services of a guide. The guide service can be arranged at the museum and costs roughly around £16 - 19 euros.

Summary
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Would I recommend a visit to the Wieliczka Mines - Yes, most definitely. It is a wonderful experience but be aware that because you will be with a tour you can't always spend as much time lingering in the ice chambers. The guides generally move along through the mines at a quick pace.

Although Krakow is one of Poland's most beautiful cities it is worth leaving the city for a few hours to visit this underground cavern of exquisite beauty. Put your woolies and boots on and climb those 300 steps - you will be in for a treat!

The mines are a superb underground experience in Poland.



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Designated a World Heritage Site, the Old Town of the Polish city of Krakow is undoubtedly very impressive and beautiful but, for a student of twentieth century politics and history like myself, the suburb of Nowa Huta is far more interesting. Nowa Huta was basically…Read More

Designated a World Heritage Site, the Old Town of the Polish city of Krakow is undoubtedly very impressive and beautiful but, for a student of twentieth century politics and history like myself, the suburb of Nowa Huta is far more interesting.

Nowa Huta was basically a present from Stalin to the working people, those involved in industry and agriculture, from the area around the city. Krakow had always been associated with the intelligentsia, the bourgeoisie, and the first uprisings against Communism in Poland sprang from Krakow. the new city was not to be for people from Krakow but only the surrounding areas. Much of this part of southern Poland had been devastated during the war so Stalin had the idea of building a new city with the industry to employ its inhabitants. At the centre was to be an enormous steelworks; Nowa Huta translates as "The New Steel Mill".

Of course, Nowa Huta was in reality a mammoth work of propaganda; look how happy these Polish people are living in their new apartments around tree-filled courtyards, look at the men climb on board the trams on their way to work in the steel factory, how wonderful life is under Communism!

Work started in 1949; in 1952 Nowa Huta was joined by tramline with Krakow. The "Lenin Steelworks" opened in 1954. In spite of the fact that the scheme was uneconomic and really only to make a propaganda statement, steel production in Nowa Huta reached an annual 7 million tonnes by the 1970s. However, by the 1980s the growing pressures on the economy were causing production at Nowa Huta to slow dramatically. The steelworks had no easy to access to either coal, brought in from the Silesia area, nor iron ore, which was brought at great expense from the Soviet Union. Even when the city was being built people were employed with dubious necessity; one photograph shows three men laying one brick between them.

Nowa Huta was another great Communist example of job creation for the sake of it. However the building of Nowa Huta also provided plenty of stories of personal sacrifice and achievement well suited to the needs of the Communists; one man, Piotr Ozanski, was reported to have laid a staggering 33,000 bricks in one single day!

Still, Nowa Huta did provide decent homes for its inhabitants in the shape of well designed apartments built around courtyards and situated on wide tree-lined avenues. When we visited in October "golden autumn" as it's called in Poland was well underway and the trees were a glorious symphony of coppery browns, burnt golds and russet reds. The apartments had full heating and indoor bathrooms, features most of the inhabitants tenants had never enjoyed before.

Plac Centralny is the heart of this showpiece of Stalinist or "Social Realist" architecture which borrows heavily from the neo-classical style. Photographs from the 1950s and 1960s show the buildings that form the square as smart stores selling quality goods, another propaganda move of course. The long road from Plac Centralny leads to the absurd crenellated twin buildings of the steelworks, a kind of twentieth century fortress of industry in the Venetian style - local's still refer to it as "the Doge". Opposite the Plac Centralny is an open spot of land that was going to be the site of a cultural family centre but this was never achieved. Plac Centralny was originally named after Stalin himself but in 2004 it was re-named after Ronald Reagan (a post-pub discussion of ever there was one!)

On the left as you make the approach to the steelworks is a vast manmade lake which was badly polluted in the 1980s but has now been greatly (though not entirely) cleaned up thanks to EU grants. Most of the original Nowa Huta buildings are discoloured from the awful smoke that poured out of the steel works and other Nova Huta industrial plants. Some facades have been cleaned but nothing can be done for the many people whose health has been irrevocably affected by living in this heavily polluted region. Sadly the pollution from Nova Huta also did damage to the valuable buildings of Old Krakow too.

One of the most striking sights in Nowa Huta is the Arka Pana church, built to resemble an ark. Nowa Huta was designed, of course, to be a good Communist city without churches but so strong was Catholicism among the people who went to live there that a movement started up to campaign for a church to be built. The citizens of Nowa Huta raised the money themselves with the help of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (later Pope John Paul II) who laid the first cornerstone in 1969. The interior is as remarkable as the exterior; inside there's a tabernacle containing a fragment of rutile brought back from the moon by the crew of Apollo 11, and a statue to Our Lady the Armoured made from ten kilograms of shrapnel removed from Polish soldiers wounded at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Nowa Huta contains all the shops and services its citizens could need. Today there are modern places like pizza restaurants and mobile phone stores in the units beneath the apartments but the real highlight is "Stylowa" a restaurant and bar that was recently refurbished true to its old style. Indeed the name means "stylish" and lovers of retro chic will find this an appealing place for a beer or a coffee (the latter is horrifically strong!)

A branch of the Krakow History museum charts the history of Nowa Huta with some fascinating photographs from the first work on the site, through construction and some of the propaganda shots issued once tenants had moved in. The photographs were so successful that even in the mid-1960s farm people from southern Poland were still turning up hoping to move in, bringing their goats and pigs with them.

Ironically Nowa Huta turned out to be almost the very antithesis of what was hoped for. Nowa Huta proved to be a particular stronghold for the trades union Solidarity which was instrumental in bringing about the end of Communism in Poland. When martial law was imposed on an increasingly volatile Poland in the 1980s the steelworks had to be put under military control so concerned were the authorities about subversive groups working there. Then there is the role of the church; not only were churches built in Nowa Huta but Pope John Paul II played a big part in ensuring the religious freedoms of the people there by making sure he visited regularly. He knew that the authorities would not want to risk the censure of international community by showing that Polish people were denied the freedom to worship.

Originally we planned to take a tram to Nowa Huta and this is an easy option taking about thirty minutes from the centre of Krakow. However I then discovered Crazy Tours who offer "Communism Tours" in original Trabant cars (the little fibreglass cuties from East Germany) and I decided that this would be a better way to learn more about what we'd see. There are other tour companies who will take you around Nowa Huta but not in such a memorable way perhaps. Tours tend to last around two hours and you can usually be picked up and dropped off wherever you like in the city (within reason). If you go independently there are plenty of diversions to occupy you for at least a half day visit, longer if you stop for lunch and explore on foot. The wide pavements and leafy avenues make walking a pleasure and there are enough places to stop for a beer and take the weight off your feet every now and again.

I loved Nowa Huta, but then I do have a particular penchant for Communist history. The Old Town of Krakow is all very well but if you have time, or maybe on a second visit to Krakow, Nowa Huta certainly merits a visit to appreciate the more recent history of the region which is easily ignored on the Rynek Glowny. Surpisingly Nowa Huta is not grim at all; I found it rather charming and it looks like a lovely place to live. It was certainly more appealing than the labyrinth of 1970s and 80s high rises near my hotel. It is easy to criticise the legacy of Nowa Huta; yes, it did create terrible pollution but what industry didn't in the 1960s and 70s? I predict that within the next few years Nowa Huta will be the "in" place to buy and live in Krakow, full of cool bars, media companies and arty young people. It is somewhere I would be happy to live now - but I already live in the Slovenian equivalent!

http://www.crazyguides.com/krakow_tou rs (to be reviewed separately)

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Around Plac Nowy are a series of bars set into old houses so, on arriving, you are greeted with a series of rooms, rather like the snugs in pubs in the North of England but with more character.Here are a number of choices,Singer: No more…Read More

Around Plac Nowy are a series of bars set into old houses so, on arriving, you are greeted with a series of rooms, rather like the snugs in pubs in the North of England but with more character.

Here are a number of choices,

Singer: No more than a couple of rooms full of sewing machines. (Could be useful!) Atmospheric but crowded.

Alchemia: A blast of classic moody Led Zep greeted my arrival in this haunting, classic, candlelit establishment with rooms seeming going on for ever out the back. Very nice choice.

Brewerie: Two character rooms with the highlight being the large fishtank out back. The bar plays chill out sounds and is the friendliest of the three. I just sat with a book out back one night, talking with another 'aquariumist'. It has a delightful selection of cakes to go with a coffee. A Dreamers Paradise, my pick of the bunch.

Moment Cafe Bar: A modern cocktail bar, with a nice seating area in back and an entertaining range of cocktails, such as a safe sex on the beach, a non alcoholic option, and good food, especially their breakfast omelets.
Sadly, none of the bars offer much of a range of beer, just the standard Polish choices. Close

A small corner of Poland is forever etched on the conscience of the world as the scene of almost unimaginable horrors. In 1939, the town of Oswiencim was blessed with good rail connections, proximity to industry and the major Jewish communities of eastern Europe, and…Read More

A small corner of Poland is forever etched on the conscience of the world as the scene of almost unimaginable horrors. In 1939, the town of Oswiencim was blessed with good rail connections, proximity to industry and the major Jewish communities of eastern Europe, and a Polish army barracks. These blessings were to be its undoing. Now it is infamous as its German name: Auschwitz. For this town became the site of the most horrifically efficient of all the Nazi death camps. At first a concentration camp for Poles deemed a threat – officers, teachers, scout leaders – it soon powered up to exterminate Slavs, Gypsies, Communists, homosexuals, and, most notoriously, Jews. In all, roughly 1.5 million souls met their ends here.

A visit to Auschwitz is not recommended for the sensitive or easily upset. The museum does not pull its punches. The Jewish friend I was travelling with flatly refused to accompany me. Its horrors are laid thickly one over the other. Upon arrival, you watch a documentary showing footage of the camp and its liberation. As the Soviets closed in from the east, the Nazis abandoned the camp, driving those who were fit enough to walk before them in the March of Death. The weak, the infirm, and the sick were left behind, walking skeletons on the verge of death whose emaciated frames greeted their liberators. From there you enter the old Polish army barracks that formed the original nucleus of the camp, pleasant red-brick buildings interspersed with trees – if it were not for the barbed wire and the watchtowers and the signs reading “Halt! Stoj!” you might forget where you were. You pass beneath the wrought iron gate with its dark motto ‘Arbeit macht frei’ – ‘works makes you free.’ For the central conceit was that this was a work camp – those who worked well would be freed. Instead, strong workers would only have their liquidation postponed while their wives, parents, and children perished.

The barrack buildings are now a museum, each room a new hammer blow. The maps detailing where the prisoners were shipped from – Krakow, Hungary, the Baltic States, and even as far away as France and the Netherlands. The numbers – 3,000 from here, 482 from here, 6,000 from here, each numeral a real person slaughtered for a mad ideology. The photos – at its inception, full accounts were kept of those sent here, members of any potential Polish resistance: photo, name, occupation. Over and again the same phrase reappears: nauczyciel, nauczyciel, nauczyciel – teacher, teacher, teacher. The Germans were here to stay, and they wanted to eliminate every trace of an independent Polish culture. Then the exhibits. Case after case crammed with shoes, spectacles, dolls, and human hair. Sacks and sacks of human hair, shaved from the prisoners, to stuff pillows and cushions to aid in the war effort. I had seen many of the exhibits before at London’s Imperial War Museum, but that room of hair was nauseating.

My criticism would be that the museum is busy, full of people. You never get the chance to read all the boards or take in what you are seeing as your guide hurries through. The exhibits are shocking, but you merely feel that you are in a museum with no psychic residue of the atrocities committed here.

That is not the case at Birkenau. As the extermination programme stepped up, the needs of the Final Solution outgrew the original site. Another camp was constructed on the outskirts of town, a camp of wooden huts, the train line running into its rotten heart, beneath a brick arch to a siding where families would be torn asunder, the strong rerouted to work projects; women, the elderly, the infirm, and children sent off to the gas chambers disguised as shower blocks. Here the assistants of Dr Josef Mengele would select children, particularly twins, to vanish into his labs to be the subject of eugenic experiments. Now the huts are gone, except for a few reconstructions, and the gas chambers and crematoria demolished by the retreating Germans, hidden beneath a screen of trees. Yet, the archway and siding are instantly recognisable from any number of films, from Schindler’s List to X-Men. And here you feel alone, the vast scale of the site shocking you, the cold breeze chilling, the trees silent. The absence of bird song oppresses. Here you can feel the evil.

At the treeline there is a row of plaques. Written in all the languages of those who perished here, plus English, they read “For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945.”Close

At first glance it seemed like a strange idea. We had a free afternoon in Krakow, and I proposed we visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine on the outskirts of the city. My friends were dubious: why would we want to visit a salt mine?I must…Read More

At first glance it seemed like a strange idea. We had a free afternoon in Krakow, and I proposed we visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine on the outskirts of the city. My friends were dubious: why would we want to visit a salt mine?

I must admit, my motivations were partially selfish. I knew that the mine was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, the last time I had been in Poland, I had met a backpacker in my hostel who had raved about them. However, I managed to persuade my friends to join me on a tour booked with Cracow Tours through Orbis on the Rynek Glowny. The tour (which included coach travel there and back) cost 120 Zl each. I later found out that entry at site was only 65 Zl (55 for concessions), and it would have cost only 2.50-ish Zlotys via either an hourly train (20 minutes), or a bus from opposite the main bus station. However, it was cold and slushy, so maybe a tour was the easiest way to go. The coach picked us up from Pl. Jan Matejki, then spent an inordinate amount of time stopping off at each of the ‘big’ hotels.

Reaching the mines, we found an unremarkable cluster of buildings – not much to look at. But the true treasures of Wieliczka lay beneath our feet. For 7 centuries salt had been mined at this site, salt being one of the most precious treasures of the earth. Since the middle ages, governments had jealously guarded their monopolies over salt mining and distribution. Earlier Roman legionaries had been paid in salt (from which the modern word ‘salary’ derives). The rulers of Poland based in nearby Krakow were no different, and the industry here reported directly to them. In all that time, more than 300km of shafts, passages, tunnels, and chambers had been excavated, reaching a depth of 327m.

Arriving, we were fitted out with miners’ helmets, and proceeded to descend via a wooden staircase of 380 steps into a strange subterranean world of grottoes and caverns. The nearest way to describe it is to refer to the Mines of Moria from the film Fellowship of the Ring – all exposed timber beams, grey stone, and heavy lintels, with the odd chapel thrown in for good measure.

Chapels? Yes. As the tour explains, the job was arduous and dangerous. It was only natural that the miners would turn to religion, particularly St. Kinga, their patron saint. According to legend, the Hungarian princess was pledged to a Polish prince. Asking for a salt mine for her dowry, she threw her ring into a mine in her homeland. Arriving in Krakow, she instructed her new subjects to dig – they found not only rich deposits of rock salt, but also her ring. The first chapel you reach is for Saint Antonius from early in the mine’s development – heavy blocks of rock salt framing plain unadorned portals. Once there were delicate sculptures constructed from salt, but moisture from the entrance has corroded them. As a result, you will see vast airlock doors throughout the complex, to maintain the dry salty atmosphere intact.

The Cathedral of Saint Kinga lies much deeper into the complex, down steep slopes dotted with candle-holding gnomes. It is an incredible sight. The floor, the walls, the ceilings, the altar, the statues, the murals, and even the chandeliers were painstakingly carved from rock salt. It was discovered that rock salt was semi-translucent, and that candles could be displayed behind the carvings to make them glow a warm amber colour. Examine the bas-relief copies of da Vinci’s famous Last Supper, seemingly stretching away deep into the wall, but really only an inch at most deep. A new statue honours Pope John Paul II. Throughout the complex there are statues of the most prominent visitors – King Casimir the Great, Polish astronomer Nicolas Copernicus, and German man-of-all-talents Johann von Goethe.

Passing dark forboding lakes of brine you finally reach the end of a tour, where a tight, multiple-storey elevator shoots you up 135ms – claustrophobes and scotophobes beware!

The whole tour takes around 3 hours and involves walking roughly 2km, so wear decent shoes. Temperature is a constant 14 degrees C, so take a sweater. The dry atmosphere is great for those with asthma or respiratory conditions, though – there is still a sanitarium in another part of the mine dealing with similar ailments (though in the 19th century it focused more on infertility, hysteria, and “illnesses resulting from excesses in love”! - 3,000 patients were treated in a 10-year period – that’s a whole lotta love!).

For up-to-date information, check out the mine’s website at www.kopalnia.pl.
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The journey of John Paul II began in this medieval market town nestled among hills and woods along the Skawa river. Today this sleepy town is alive with tourists following the trail of the late Pope. They flock to the pale yellow baroque basilica of…Read More

The journey of John Paul II began in this medieval market town nestled among hills and woods along the Skawa river. Today this sleepy town is alive with tourists following the trail of the late Pope. They flock to the pale yellow baroque basilica of Saint Mary, where he was baptized. Outside flowers and candles are massed under a bronze bust brought from the town hall, and it is to remain until a statue of the late Pope replaces it. Today it seems as if the flower sellers have been cleaned out.

We traveled by bus to Wadowice; the hour-long journey was very pleasant and gave us a chance to observe the landscape. Ten minutes after leaving the center of Krakow the road began to wind through narrow wooded hillsides, and through tiny villages. Peppered along the route we noted fine wooden houses the overriding impression was of Alpine chalets, colorful duvets hung over most of the balconies and crisp white sheets fluttered on the wash lines.

The bus station in Wadowice is very small and a 10-minute slow walk to the center. After leaving the bus we turned to the left and walked along the path through the open green space. Surrounding that area are large blocks of apartments pretty grim looking buildings that have a communist era look to them. At the top, we crossed the road and climbed the steps, which led us to the side of St Mary’s Basilica and the town core. Although it was only 10am, a throng of tourists were already there along with busloads of schoolchildren.

The 15th century onion-domed Basilica is set in a small green square. A large picture of a younger John Paul his arms outstretched decorates the church entrance. Inside a mass was ongoing and the wide center nave filled with kneeling young people, all pews were filled. We went to the Chapel of the holy cross in the left nave. The chapel holds a miraculous picture of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help that was crowned by the late pope on June 16, 1999. The crown was made of gold coming from wedding rings, earrings, chains, etc., all presented by the people of Wadowice. The baptismal font where Karol Wyojta was baptized is also on the left nave, opposite end to the chapel. The 15th-century font is topped with a gold dome almost like the dome of St Peters, beneath the font was a huge bunch of red and white roses and a photograph of John Paul kneeling in prayer, taken on his last visit to Wadowice. The interior of the basilica is very beautiful, with cream and pale pink walls. Its style is Baroque, with several notable paintings.

After leaving the church, we visited the Town Museum next door. The exhibits are pretty sparse; we had just missed the Ground Zero exhibit, a tribute to its victims and to America. We wandered through spacious rooms filled mainly with photographs of the Pope many from private collections. Historic documents and photos relating to life in Wadowice, and a pretty ceramic stove (c. 1930s), held our attention. Directly opposite the town museum is the apartment where John Paul was born and where he lived for the first 18 years of his life. A humble home indeed. The small rooms are filled with mementos of John Paul, school records, Ski’s papal robes, and many personal items donated by the late pope. The building is much too small to accommodate the tourists, but it is worth a visit. Unfortunately, photography was forbidden inside the apartment.

The town records date back to 1325, noting a small community settled along the Skawa River. The core itself is centered around the church. A few shops and restaurants ring the small square but it is simply a small town of a famous son and its unique character is expressed in the words of a popular song.

"This place is extremely pretty
Here Karol Wojtyla was born.
This is a mountainous region
This is my town--Wadowice.
This is graceful singing of the Skawa.
This is my beloved house."

Pope John Paul II must have agreed--among the last words he spoke in public during an appearance in his Rome hospital window March 13th were "Hello, Wadowice."

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I hadn't intended on seeing any plays while in Poland because I couldn't find any English language shows currently running. However, I stayed with a Pole who is studying theatre, and he was heading to a show on Thursday night, so I decided to join…Read More

I hadn't intended on seeing any plays while in Poland because I couldn't find any English language shows currently running. However, I stayed with a Pole who is studying theatre, and he was heading to a show on Thursday night, so I decided to join him.

It was the first time I'd ever seen a play in a foreign language. I wasn't sure what to expect. I only know a handful of Polish words, some of which weren't likely to show up on stage. I knew I wouldn't be able to follow the story.

The play was Jean Genet's The Maids, a play I, as a theatre student myself, probably should have read by now, but haven't. I am familiar with other works by Genet, so I knew I was in for a good story, whether I understood it or not.

And of course, I didn't. But it didn't matter—I had a great time. Since I couldn't rely on the words to convey the story, I had to depend on action, facial expression, sound effects, and everything else to get the drift. With no words to focus on, I could pay attention to various other aspects of theatre, which as a theatre student, I loved.

If you're not into theatre, you might not enjoy a production where you can't understand the words. But, if you're a student of theatre or even someone who just really enjoys it, I'd highly recommend watching a show in a foreign language. It's a fabulous experience.Close

Not far from the medieval market square stands the sumptuous Royal Castle, the crown atop Wawel Hill, once the scene of coronations and home to the royals of Poland. Adjacent to this castle is another jewel, Wawel Cathedral, the burial place of kings and…Read More

Not far from the medieval market square stands the sumptuous Royal Castle, the crown atop Wawel Hill, once the scene of coronations and home to the royals of Poland. Adjacent to this castle is another jewel, Wawel Cathedral, the burial place of kings and queens, poets, statesmen, and saints. I will cover the cathedral in a separate entry.

The castle commands an incredible view of the surrounding area and Vistula River. A few miles away, the huge Kosciusko’s Mound is plainly visible. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over Poland brought baskets of earth to make the hill that honors this great patriot of Poland. In fact, the approach to the castle is dominated by an equestrian statue of this general. The statue is a copy, as the Germans melted down the original. In 1960, the people of Dresden gifted the present statue to the town, a thoughtful gift from a town badly damaged at the wars end. The bastions surrounding the statue dates to 1581 and were part of the fortifications that protected the road leading to the hilltop.

As you walk up the hill toward the entrance, you will pass the "Wall Of Little Bricks," named for the plaques that display the names of donors. The government (1921-29) used this method to raise funds for rebuilding. I noted many Polish names from all over the USA.

The castle’s origins date back to 1000, but the earliest settlements date from the Stone Age and agricultural activities began in 300 BC. In 1138, the castle became the principle residence of the sovereign. The Kings of the Jagiellonian Dynasty transformed the building into a magnificent Renaissance palace. Of course, several fires and many wars damaged the building, and in the 16th century, Italian architects rebuilt the castle that is a must-see for all visitors in Krakow. Even if you are in the city briefly, do make time to at least visit the castle grounds. Its courtyard is beautiful, surrounded by graceful colonnades, and its interior is indeed palatial. There are lofty rooms with exquisitely carved doorways and mantles of rich timber. Many rooms have wonderful ornate stoves enclosed within a pattern of decorated tile work, beautiful works of art.

Our visit to the castle occurred over a few days. We opted to pay for individual tickets so that we could take our time. We visited the Royal Chambers, plus the Armory and Treasury.

The chambers consist of three floors. We wandered through an Aladdin’s cave of historic furniture, paintings, and pottery, and I was impressed by the collection of huge Flemish tapestries that belonged to King Zygmunt August. The Deputies Room (or Audience Hall) is notable. The Royal Throne sits in the center of the room. Behind the throne, a lovely tapestry depicts the Polish court of arms and an exquisite baroque-tiled stove stands in the corner, but it is the ceiling that commands attention. It is divided into compartments, each used to hold a carved, head but only 30 remain out of 194. One of the heads is that of a garrulous woman a cloth tied firmly around her mouth - so real that I wonder if the artist modeled it on his mother-in–law! The tour ended in the senator’s chamber, the largest of all the rooms, and we exited down the Royal Staircase. We spent 2 hours perusing the chambers, and I could have lingered longer.

The Armory and Treasury exhibitions are outstanding, with one sword of special interest, the Szczerbiec (Jagged Sword). It was used during the coronations of Polish kings and queens. Amongst the treasury items, we saw a stunning chalice belonging to Casmir the Great (1351), pins, and precious jewels. The armory section displayed armor worn by winged hussar knights, helmets, bayonets, and crossbows. Old weapons from various epochs were on show, as well as replica banners of the Teutonic Knights. I wasn’t very interested in those items and gave them only cursory glances, but noted the collection was huge. I preferred to examine the wonderful carved doors, and I enjoyed the treasury section. The tour ended in the bricked basement rooms containing cannon mortars, field weapons, and battle banners.

No photographs are allowed in any exhibition, and each room seems to have a guard, so you can’t sneak a photo. Backpacks and non-collapsing umbrellas have to be checked into the luggage room (left as you enter the courtyard - no charge). Royal Chambers Closed Monday. Admission. 14Zlty. Open 9:30am-13pm; Sunday 10am to 4pm
Treasury& Armoury. Opening hours as above. 14 Zlty admission.
Visit to entire castle exhibits. 100 Zlty

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St Mary’s You can’t miss this lovely gothic church in Krakow’s square. In 1241, Tatar invaders attacked Poland. As the army entered Krakow, a watchman sounded the alarm, but a Tartar arrow pierced his throat. For hundreds of years since, the trumpeters of Krakow…Read More

St Mary’s You can’t miss this lovely gothic church in Krakow’s square. In 1241, Tatar invaders attacked Poland. As the army entered Krakow, a watchman sounded the alarm, but a Tartar arrow pierced his throat. For hundreds of years since, the trumpeters of Krakow continue to sound the Heynal hourly. This haunting melody ceases abruptly in the middle of a note exactly where their predecessor did so long ago. This particular sound fascinated me, and I found myself checking my watch frequently when we were anywhere near the square. The tallest tower is open to visitors in May.

Even if religion isn’t your thing or ornate churches don’t turn you on, I recommend that you at least check out the magnificent piece of sculpture inside the church, and if you have been wandering around the Rynek, you will have passed the door so go in and take a peek. Inside, Wit Stwoz’s acclaimed altar pentapytch 12 years in the making is superb. It is the largest and most detailed of its kind in Europe, and the gilded hand-carved gothic figures are exquisite and seem almost alive. Try to be there just before noon to see the opening ceremony. The altar was consecrated in 1489, when the pentapytch was revealed. Other notable features in this church are its monumental stained-glass windows and wall paintings by Jan Matejko.

The lively square, known as Rynek Glowny, is one of the largest in Europe. It was designed in 1257 and is largely unchanged. Many of its venerable buildings now contain hotels. Shops, museums, and a visitor could spend several dreamy days here without venturing onward. It bustles with street life, horse-drawn carriages await your pleasure, and human statues and musical groups entertain. One of the highlights (out of many) was sitting in the square watching the parade. Krakow’s visitors might well punctuate each evening with an alfresco dinner on one of its many cafés, basking in its unique atmosphere. I attempted to count the number of nuns and priests crossing the square but gave up - it was like counting sheep in New Zealand. Watching the changing light play over the spires and cloth hall at dusk was truly magical; surely it was as lovely and romantic a setting as exists anywhere in the world.

The Sukiennice, or Great Cloth Hall, dominates the Rynek, the surrounding former Burgher houses creating an unequaled setting. Wealthy cloth merchants built the hall in the 24th century as an establishment for cloth trading. Destroyed by fire in 1555, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style by an Italian architect. Arcades were added in the 19th century, giving it a splendid appearance. The interior ground floor now houses merchants selling a variety of souvenirs. The best buys are amber, chess sets carved platters, and hand knitted articles of a good quality. The interior walls are ornamented by the coats of arms of Polish cities and stalls line both sides of the center aisle, which, at times, can get very crowded. The upper floor houses the gallery of Polish paintings and is a branch of the National Museum. Beneath the outer arcades there are a good selection of shops, cafés, and galleries. A branch of the tourist office is located on the north side, and we found the staff very helpful. They provided Maps, a Krakow in Your Pocket guide, and bus and train timetables.

All that remains of the former town hall is its tower, reputed to have a fine view from the top, but it was undergoing renovation when we were there and was closed to the public. We did have lunch in its very atmospheric basement café, and they serve great coffee. There is also a theater adjoining the café.

In the opposite corner of the square is St Adalbert’s. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest and smallest church in Krakow. Its basement houses the original foundations and some archeological artifacts.

Take a walk via the Planty Park. It is an oasis of peace, surrounding the old town with greenery and hundreds of shade trees. The Planty forms an outer ring around the town. It was once a moat running alongside the city walls, part of the city fortifications. The moat was filled in around the late 19th century, leaving behind the St Florien’s Gate and Barbican Tower.

Krakow’s old town is best explored on foot; in fact, most of the streets surrounding the square and the square itself predominantly make up a pedestrian zone, the only traffic being bikes, electric tourist trolleys, and sometimes skateboards.

Festivals

Many festivals take place throughout the year in the square and around the city, and all have a long history. Every spring, beginning in May, the rector of the university hands over his authority to the students, and for just 1 day, they enjoy the freedom of the city. There are processions, dancing, and no schoolwork.

Krakow days in June have a carnival atmosphere: there are bands, parades involving giant masks, and historic figures, including the legendary Krakus the dragon, nor are the invading Tatars omitted, but now they take on comic characters. The favorite seems to be Laikonic, a Tatar horseman and the villain of the parade who has an outsized moustache and rides a skirted horse. He is always heartily booed and hissed a great favorite with the children, who eat his effigy in sugar or gingerbread. The Laikonic figures are sold in all the souvenir shops and around the square. We bought a few for our grandchildren, and they were a big hit.

A gentler celebration seen just before Christmas is the competition of the Christmas cribs. Different organizations compete in the construction of the cribs (Szopkas), some of which are so ornate that they resemble cathedrals, and they are exquisite. I saw one in a gallery on the outside of the cloth hall. When I inquired as to the price, it was over $1,000. I settled on a smaller one for the more affordable $90.

We felt that 2 weeks in Krakow would be ample time to explore the city. We were wrong, as a month would be more like it. We tried to resist the temptation to rush madly around in an effort to cram in absolutely everything, knowing at the end of the vacation all that is left is a handful of hazy memories, fatigue, and the feeling of having missed something. There is so much to see here, and Krakow is definitely the kind of city where even a short visit will become a source of pleasant memories.

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