Krakow, Poland
After a few days in Berlin we took a Ryanair flight direct to Krakow to meet up with Tom and John. The main reason to travel to Krakow was to visit the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, but the beautiful town of Krakow blew us all away and maybe was our favorite city of the trip.
A trick we learned from Tom and John - experienced European travelers - is to sign up for a free walking tour the first day you are in a new town. It was a great way to get a quick overview of what the city had to offer.
The original city gate
St. Mary’s Basilica is right on the Main Market Square. Completed in 1347.
They were setting up for the Krakow Marathon while we were there, so the square was a little busier than normal.
The city largely survived WWII as the Nazis loved it and did not want to destroy it, so much of the very old history remains. The square is so old that they just kept building on top of it. So several of the stores there are now a story shorter than they used to be. Several fancy entrances into basements that were once main floors off of the street.
The inside of Wawel Castle. Originally built in the 1300s for King Casimir III the Great.
Wawel Cathedral outside the castle.
Rather than build whole new churches as architecture tastes changed, they built new chapels.
Pope John Paul II studied in Krakow and was bishop there and is a very powerful figure for the city.
The sights just walking the streets is unbelievable.
There is a legend of a dragon outside of Krakow that originated in the 13th century. It is known as the Wawel Dragon. There is now a statue that spits fire at the base of the castle.
Krakow is home to Schindler’s Factory and was the setting of Schindler’s List. The factory is now a museum detailing how WWII affected Krakow.
Was good to meet up with Tom and John while we were there.
There used to be a church in the middle of the Market Square but when they tried to restore it the foundation was so bad that it collapsed. All that remains is the tower.
Ibis Budget rooms are cheap…but not very big.
