Holiday in Krakow

About Krakow

Krakow is the secret capital of Poland and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe — a metropolis that fascinatingly combines medieval splendor, Jewish history, vibrant student culture, and an emerging gastronomy scene. The Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny) is the largest medieval marketplace in Europe at 40,000 square meters and the pulsating heart of the city, surrounded by magnificent townhouses, church towers, and the Gothic Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). Wawel Castle sits atop a limestone rock above the Vistula River and was the residence of Polish kings for over 500 years. The adjacent Wawel Cathedral is the coronation church and burial place of Polish monarchs, featuring the Sigismund Bell from 1520, whose deep tolling resonates over the city during national events. The Dragon's Wall of Wawel Hill houses the legendary Smok Wawelski — the Wawel Dragon, whose fire-breathing bronze sculpture delights both children and adults alike at the riverbank. St. Mary's Basilica (Kosciol Mariacki) at the Rynek houses the famous Veit Stoss altar, the largest Gothic wooden altar in the world (13 x 11 meters, carved from 1477-1489). Every hour, the Hejnal — a trumpet melody that abruptly stops — sounds from its higher tower, commemorating the trumpeter who was struck by an arrow during the Mongol invasion in 1241. Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter, is now Krakow's most creative district: synagogues, Jewish bookstores, and kosher restaurants stand alongside craft beer bars, vintage shops, and galleries. Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List was filmed here, and Oskar Schindler's enamel factory is now an impressive museum about the Nazi occupation of Krakow. The Wieliczka Salt Mine, just 14 kilometers southeast, is an underground wonder: at a depth of 135 meters, a labyrinth of chambers, chapels, and lakes carved entirely from salt extends — including the breathtaking Chapel of St. Kinga with chandeliers made of salt crystals. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978.