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Addicted to Krakow

During the 1990s, Prague was an expatriate haven, being often compared to Paris in the 1920s. Now, travellers are looking for the next Prague. And Krakow is the next big thing in European travel. Unlike most other Polish cities, Krakow (or Cracow) came through the last war unscathed, so it has retained much of the history guarded in its walls, works of art and traditions. Since 1978 this quaint, friendly and affordable city is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Krakow’s Main Market Square, the largest such a square in the world, is a medieval wonder.

+ Sites you cannot miss+ Calendar of current events+ Best hotels, hostels/B&B, serviced apartments+ Best restaurants and cafes+ Most popular discos, clubs and pubs

Among the many to be seen is St. Mary’s Church, with its world famous wooden altar carved by Wit Stwosz, Czartoryski Museum housing ancient European artefacts and Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Lady with an Ermine, the Royal Castle Wawel with beautiful 16th century tapestries, klezmer sessions in the Jewish Quarter, and a real wonder Wieliczka Salt Mine, an incredible underground museum featuring lakes and churches carved out of sale, located 15 kms from Krakow.

With its massive student population attending Jagiellonian University, your IQ could possibly rise considerably just by spending a couple

in Krakow – neo-Bohemia thrivesof days wandering through Krakow. In fact, one JU alumnus is none other than Nicolaus Copernicus, the guy who came up with that idea about the Earth revolving around the sun.

Since last year, Krakow is also ranked among world’s most fashionable cities after its recent emergence as centre of ’neo-Bohemian influence’, with a vibrant arts and music scene and flourishing café society. Warsaw may be the political capital of Poland, but raise a glass instead to Krakow, the undisputed pub capital! There are over 300 pubs, cafes and bars in the Old Town alone. Enjoy!

KRAKaddict contents+ Sightseeing tours+ Transport + Shopping venues+ And a whole host of other useful information

2008

Accession Bed and Breakfast is located in a beautifully restored fin-de-siecle Krakovian townhouse, in a quiet neighbourhood within 5 minutes walk of Krakow’s historic medieval market square.Email us at [email protected] to check availability.

Krakow basics

Krakow Milestones:

UNESCO places Krakow on the first World Heritage Site, while the city’s archibishop is elevated to the papacy.

First mention of Krakow in writing (by Ibrahim-ben-Jacob, a merchant from Cordoba).

Krakow becomes the capital of Poland and Polish monarchs take up their residence in its Wawel Royal Castle.

The location of the city according to the Magdeburg law, which gave it a new layout with a centrally situated marketplace.

Krakow becomes European Capital of Culture.

966

1257

1978

2000

Approx. 4th century AD The Wawel Dragon is killed. Prince Krak establishes the city on the Wawel Hill.

Krakow (['krakuf]; variant English spelling Cracow; in full Royal Capital City of Krakow) is one of the oldest and largest cities of Poland, with a 2007 population of 760,000 (1.4 million, counting adjacent communi-ties). This historic city is situated on the Vistula River (Wisla) at the foot of Wawel Hill in Little Poland region (Malopolska).

Krakow has traditionally been one of the leading scientific, cultural and artistic centres of the country, the former residence of the Polish kings and a national capital, considered by many to remain the spiritual heart of Poland due to its history of more than a thousand years. Krakow is also a major centre of local and international tourism, attracting seven million visitors per year.

The earliest known settlement on the present site of Krakow was established on Wawel Hill, and dates back to the 4th century. Legend attributes the town’s establishment to the mythical ruler Krak, who built it above a cave occupied by a ravenous dragon.

A visit to Krakow is a meeting with the most glorious era in our history. Krakow’s Old Town with Wawel and the Kazimierz district were placed on the first World Heritage List, created by the UNESCO in 1978. It should be remembered that this prestigious recognition had then been awarded to only 12 of the

most famous world heritage sites, including the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Today the list contains almost 700 sites.

The Polish people are very hospitable, warm-hearted and they have a very high opinion of foreigners who know at least one word in Polish.

Roman Catholicism plays an important role in daily life and criticism or jokes about religion are not appreciated, despite the general good humour of the people. Music and art are also important aspects of Polish culture. Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Women have to be prepared for the old Polish custom of being kissed on the hand. Smoking is restricted in public buildings.

The Polish people are used to eating early in the morning. Breakfasts are served between 7 and 9 a.m., lunches between 12 and 2 p.m. and dinners usually between 6 and 8 p.m.

Poland’s national currency is zloty (PLN). One zloty equals 100 groszy.

Banknotes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 zloty and there are 1, 2 and 5 zloty, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszy coins in circulation.

Average exchange rates in Poland in the second half of 2007 were as follows: 1 PLN = 3.7 EUR, 1 PLN = 2.6 USD, 1 PLN = 5.5 GBP.

Customs

Money

Time zones

Poland is among countries using Central European Time (GMT + 01:00). This time zone applies for Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, or Hungary and many other countries.

Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles time: -9h

Chicago time: -7h

New York, Toronto time: -6h

Buenos Aires time: -5h

Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo time: -4h

London, Dublin, Lagos, Lisbon time: -1h

Helsinki, Moscow, Athens, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Johannesburg: +1h

Abu Dhabi, Yerevan: +2h

Beijing, Manila: +7h

Tokyo, Adelaide: +8h

Sydney, Canberra: +9h

Auckland time: +10h

Nowadays, the standard of the network of fast-foods, restaurants, and cafes is similar to the European one except for cheap street bars.

In the most expensive restaurants you can expect to pay over 100 PLN for a meal for one. If you want something cheaper, go to a small restaurant or bar, or have a pizza (from

Food

Holidays – The following days all institutions, offices and shops are closed.

1st January – New Year’s Day

24th March – Easter Monday

1st May – Labour Day

3rd May – the 3rd May Constitution Day

22nd May – Corpus Christi 15th August – Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady 1st November – All Saints’ Day 11th November – Independence Day 25th and 26th December – Christmas

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Krakow emerges as centre of ‘neo-Bohemian influence’ with a vibrant arts and music scene and flourishing café society.

2007


Sites you cannot miss!

20 PLN). “Bar mleczny” (milk bar) offers the cheapest food (5 to 9 PLN). A cake in a Krakow café will cost you 3-10 PLN, a cup of coffee 4-10 PLN. The price of a beer in a pub varies from 6 to 12 PLN. The majority of larger restaurants accept credit cards.

Do not forget to try the Polish specialities: bigos, made with sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, onions and any variety of leftover meat. Polish meals start with przekaski (starters), such as pike in aspic, marinated fish in sour cream, salted and rolled herring fillets with pickles and onions, kulebiak (a large mushroom and cabbage pastry) or Polish sausages such as the long, thin and highly spiced kabanos or the hunters' sausage (mysliwska) made with pork and game.

Soups play an important part at mealtimes and are usually rich and very thick. Soups such as barszcz (beetroot soup, excellent with sour cream) or rosol (beef or chicken boullion) are often served in cups with small hot pasties stuffed with meat or cabbage.

Popular dishes include pierogi (ravioli), zrazy zawijane (mushroom-stuffed beefsteak rolls in sour cream) served with boiled kasza (buckwheat) and pig’s knuckles. Poland is

also a good country for fish (ryba) such as carp served in sweet-and-sour jellied sauce, and poached pike with horseradish in cream. Herring (sledz) is particularly popular and is served up in countless different ways.

Pastries (ciastka) are also very good. Table service is the norm in restaurants.

There are a few kinds of good Polish vodkas worth recommending, e.g., zubrowka (bison grass), tarniowka (sloe plum), sliwowica (prune) and pieprzowka (vodka with ground white pepper). Western drinks, such as whisky, gin or brandy, can be obtained in most bars but are expensive. Wine is available but, again, is imported and expensive. The best bottled beer is Zywiec, a fairly strong lager-type beer.

In restaurants, service is normally included in the price so you just pay what is on the bill. Tipping is up to you and there don't seem to be any hard and fast rules about it. In low-priced eateries customers rarely leave a tip; they might, at most, round up the total up to the nearest whole figure. In up-markest establishments it’s customary to tip 10% of the bill.

Tipping

WAWEL HILL

Wawel Royal Castle and the Cathedral

The Wawel Cathedral, the national temple built after the bishopric of Cracow was established in 1000, has witnessed most of the royal coronations and funerals. Its place was chosen to be the Wawel (‘Vah-vel’) Hill. Nowadays, the Cathedral features: Sigismund Chapel, which is the pearl of Renaissance architecture and art; Royal Tombs; Sigismund Bell, popularly called “Zygmunt”, heavier (twelve people are needed to put it in motion) and 350 years older than its famed London cousin, the Big Ben; Poets’ Crypt (where two great Romantic poets, Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Slowacki, are buried) and Black Christ’s Crucifix, which is a 650-year-old, 13-foot-tall remarkable sculpture.

The Wawel Castle was the residence of Polish kings from the mid-11th to the early 17th century. The present image of the castle has Romanesque fragments and Gothic parts. They are visible signs of the reign of the kings Alexander (1501-1506) and Sigismund I the Old (1506-1548) of the Jagiellonian dynasty. The Renaissance architecture of the castle is a work of Master Eberhard Rosemberger and Francesco the Florentine. Their work was finished by Master Benedykt and another

Florentine, Bartolomeo Berrecci (who, when his work was completed, placed the following inscription over the entrance gate “Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos” (If God is with us, who will be against us?)). At the turn of the 16th century some of the castle rooms were refashioned in the early Baroque style. Following the third partition of Poland in 1795, the former royal castle was converted into Austrian army barracks for the greater part of the 19th century. The army did not leave Wawel until 1905. During the Second World War Wawel was the seat of the occupation authorities of the Government General and the residence of Hans Frank.

There are some permanent exhibitions in the castle on Wawel Hill. If you visit the State Rooms you will take part in the travel to the past. The historical interiors are furnished in the Renaissance style, what is more, there is a unique and famous collection of the tapestry of Sigismund August, royal portraits, Italian and Dutch painting of the 14th to 17th centuries. You may also visit Royal Private Apartments, Crown Treasury and Armoury, where are shown the precious examples of arms, armours, horse trappings from Poland and West Europe. Finally, tourists may visit a room dedicated to the Oriental Art with Turkish tents, banners, weapons, carpets, and Chinese and Japanese ceramics. To complete your Wawel trip, you should visit the Dragon’s Den, former home of the legendary Wawel Dragon, located just outside the


Castle, next to the fire-spitting bronze Dragon’s monument. However, the entrance to the cave is next to the Thieves’ Tower at the western edge of the hill.

The Wawel Castle museums may be forgettable. But the complex has one “sight” which – while invisible – attracts travelers from around the world: the chakra. Hindus believe the chakra is part of a powerful energy field which connects all living things. There are seven points on the surface of the earth where this chakra energy is most concentrated. These points include Jerusalem, Mecca, Rome...and Krakow’s Wawel Hill. Look for peaceful people with their eyes closed. One thing’s for sure: they’re not thinking of Kazimierz the Great. The Wawel administration seems creeped out by all this. They’ve done what they can to discourage this ritual, but believers still gravitate from far and wide to hug the wall in the castle courtyard.

The Chakra

THE MAIN MARKET SQUARE

St Mary’s Church

The Cloth Hall

The Main Market Square Measuring 200x200m, Krakow’s Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) is the largest medieval town square in Europe and reputedly in all of the world. It’s considered to be the finest urban design of its kind. Its layout was drawn up in 1257 and has been retained to this day, although some of the buildings have changed a bit. The most recent addition is the monument of Adam Mickiewicz, designed in 1898 by Teodor Rygier; today it is the most popular meeting place for young people.

St Mary ’s Church i s not located perpendicularly to the Main Square which proves that it was constructed before the location of the city. It was firstly mentioned in the chronicle of John Dlugosz in 1222. The oldest Romanesque fundaments has remained as an underground part of the church (2.60 cm under the present floor). The new Gothic edifice has been built in the place of the old one between 1287 and 1320. During the reign of Jadwiga and Jagiello it was converted into a basilica. The famous Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz) altar, the jewel of the basilica, was created from 1477 to 1489. It is 13 metres high and 11 metres wide and is the largest medieval wooden altar in all Europe.

Every hour from the higher tower (81 m) of the church a Bugle Call (hejnal) is played to the four quarters of the world in turn. In the medieval a melody, which now is a musical symbol of the city, was played as a warning call. The hejnal is broadcast on Polish Radio every day at noon.

The creation of the Cloth Hall dates back to the 14h century. Then in 1555 the building, designed as a centre for the cloth trade, was rebuilt after a fire. The present image is a reconstruct ion from 1875-1879.

The ground floor continues to be a trading centre, now for crafts and souvenirs, while the upper floor has been taken by a museum of the Polish Art of the 19th century, featuring works by Jozef Chelmonski, Jacek Malczewski and the leader of monumental historic painting, Jan Matejko.

From the Town Hall of Krakow remained only the Tower and the first floor, which is now covered by the ground. This Gothic building dates back to 1316, but after several fires it was rebuilt several times. The height of the tower is about 70 m. In the past, it contained the city dungeon with a torture chamber as well as a popular beer house. Today, it is a Historical Museum of the City with a café and a theater.

Town Hall Tower

St Adelbert’s Church

MAIN SQUARE SURROUNDS

The Barbican

In the southern corner of the square is the small St Adelbert’s Church. The oldest fragments of the Church date back to the 10th century. Traditionally, it is thought that St Adelbert, who evangelised Poland, used to give here his sermons. The present shape is baroque. You can see the original foundations in the basement, where a small exhibition also presents archaelogical finds excavated from the Rynek. Once inside, one should not miss a look at the figure of Christ crucified on the rood-screen.

It is one of the greatest achievements of the architecture of fortifications of the 15th century due to the fact that it was the first of that type in Poland. It is round, made of brick and has seven turrets and 130 loopholes. Its high walls are three meters thick. The Barbican was connected with the Florianska Gate by a drawbridge and a walled passage. Its mission was to obstruct the first attack of the enemy. The Florianska Gate

Dated to the turn of the 13th/14th century, along the neighbouring walls and tree towers, the gate is part of the powerful fortification system which once surrounded Krakow with a 3-km long band. It was reinforced with 47 towers, eight gates and a moat. The Florianska Gate opened the Royal Route which royal and envoy processions took on their way to Wawel. In the 19th century, city walls were demolished and replaced by the Planty Park.

The Collegium Maius The history of the Polish oldest University starts in the year 1364 when the king Casimir the Great established a Studium Generale. In 1400 the restoration and modernization was possible thanks to the legacy left by the Polish queen-saint Jadwiga. The Jagiellonian University has got its present


name after her royal husband, King Ladislav II Jagiello. It became famous all over the Europe for its high level of mathematics, astronomy, astrology, geography and legal studies. The most famous Polish student of the Jagiellonian University are Nickolaus Copernicus (1491-95) and Pope John Paul II (1938-39, 1942-46). Today, the building of Collegium Maius has been converted into a museum.

“Plus ration quam vis” (Reason over force) reads an inscription on the wall of the Ceremonial Room of the Collegium Maius.

A branch of the National Museum containing Poland’s most valuable paintings: Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine” and Rembrandt’s “Landscape with the Good Samaritan”. On display are also works of European painting, mementoes connected with Polish kings, hetmans and generals, and an exquisite collection of china, goldwork and arms.

This symbolic mound is the effect of work of volunteers who in this way honored a great Polish patriot and a 1794 leader of the nation Tadeusz Kosciuszko. But above all, it is an ideal place to admire a magnificent panoramic view of Cracow.

The Czartoryski Museum

The Kosciuszko Mound

The Franciscan Church and Monastery

St. Andrew’s Church

The Slowacki Theatre

Gothic, single-nave church established in 1237. Interior decoration, including Europe’s largest stained glass window (“God the Father – Let it Be”), from around 1900 by Stanis³aw Wyspianski. The stations of the Via Dolorosa were painted by Jozef Mehoffer.

The Romanesque church dates from the 12th century and is one of the oldest buildings in Poland. Its thick walls (1.5 m) and narrow windows prove that it also had a defensive function. Its small interior is stunning with its splendid Baroque decor; its rococo boat-shaped pulpit is especially noteworthy.

The eclectic building, modelled after the Paris Opera, was designed by Jan Zawiejski and built in 1893. The most outstanding Polish actors – Helena Modrzejewska, Aleksander Zelwerowicz and Ludwik Solski performed on its stage. The stage is adorned with a fine curtain by Henryk Siemiradzki, who painted on it various allegorical and symbolic figures connected with theatrical art.

Kanonicza street

The Divine Mercy Sanctuary Lagiewniki

JEWISH QUARTER OF THE KAZIMIERZ DISTRICT

This peaceful and sheltered street, which turns gracefully towards Wawel Hill, is Krakow’s oldest street with an unique h i s tor ica l va lue which cannot be underestimated. The principal approach to the Wawel ran along this street in the Middle Ages. The street took its name from the canons of the Krakow Chapter who resided here in the 14th-century. All the buildings date to Medieval times, while their portals and arcaded courtyards come from teh Renaissance period, a good reason to have a look at what is hidden behind the gateways.

Up until the 2nd World War, the Convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow’s Lagiewniki was an institution which was closed to the public and which served exclusively the sisters and those entrusted to their care. Today it houses the sanctuary of the Divine Mercy with its famous, grace-working image of Merciful Jesus and the relics of the Blessed Sr. Faustina. The place is visited by some two million pilgrims from all over the world each year.

On August 17, 2002 Pope John Paul II consecrated the sanctuary’s majestic 1,600-sq.m. brand-new basilica. Pope, previously the Krakow archbishop Karol Wojtyla, is said to be once a driving force behind the worldwide Catholic movement to worship the Lord’s Mercy with its center in the Lagiewniki sanctuary.

Kazimierz was established by King Casimir (Kazimierz) the Great as a separate town. In 1494 an autonomous Jewish district was established here to protect the Jews from the numerous persecutions and a rout that took place in Krakow. In the 16th century the Jews

all over Europe had to face the prejudice, persecutions and finally, the exile. They found a safe shelter in Krakow. Due to the fact that they were mainly rich and well educated; moreover, they belonged to the intellectual elite of Europe, the Kazimierz Jewish District soon became eminently prosperous. Kazimierz became the world of philosophers and thinkers. In 1812 the Jews were given a law to settle in all of Kralow. Finally, the walls were destroyed in 1822, which is linked to the incorporation of the city into Krakow. The tragedy of the Second World War and the extermination of Jews by Nazi invaders caused falling into a desolate ruin. However, at the turn of the 1980s heirs of former inhabitants started the renovation. Today, the devastated buildings are continuously restored, so that the district becomes more and more attractive. Steven Spielberg shot here “Schindler’s List”.

The enchanting atmosphere of Kazimierz is created by its narrow streets, the abundance of markets, the small tenements, synagogues and kirkuts – Jewish cemeteries. It is a real treasure of Jewish culture and an important part of their history. Furthermore, thanks to its numerous cafés and pubs, Kazimierz has become a popular place of meeting. It has also a marketplace of antiques and second-hand jumble. Its historic centre is Wolnica Square but social and cultural life focuses around Plac Nowy (New Sqaure) and Szeroka Street.


The Old Synagogue

Remuh Synagogue and Cemetery

Isaac’s Synagogue

Corpus Christi Church

Situated in Szeroka street, the former commercial centre of Kazimierz, the synagogue was built in the 15th century by Czech Jews and is the oldest synagogue in Poland. During WWII it was plunged and devastated by the Nazis. After the war, the synagogue has been renovated to serve as a Jewish history museum.

It is the smallest of Kazimierz synagogues, built in the 16th century and still used for religious worship. It may be visited outside service hours. Next to it extends a beautiful Renaissance cemetery with numerous historic tombstones. The most venerated site is the tomb of Rabbi Moses Isserless (Remuh) which draws Jewish pilgrims from all over the world.

A large Baroque synagogue was built in the mid-17th century. It was commissioned by Izaak Jakubowicz, a rich merchant and banker. Its arcaded portal and fine stucco-work adorn the building. Destroyed by the Nazis during the WWII, has been gradually renovated since the 1980s. Inside, visitors may watch two films about Jewish martyrdom. Interesting 17th-century inscriptions on the walls are worthy of note.

One of the greatest churches in Krakow, funded by Casimir the Great. Various architectural styles blend together here – late Gothic (top of the facade), Renaissance

(Belfry), and Baroque (side chapels). In its atmospheric interior one can admire masterworks of sculptors’ art – the 17th-century stalls in the chancel and the 18th-century pulpit.

The Augustinian church, funded by Casimir the Great, represents the Krakow Gothic style at its best. The great structure of the church looks particularly impressive after the recent renovation. The high-altar, a work of Krakow carvers from the 17th century, ornamental stalls and a 15th century figure of Madonna with Child and wall paintings in the chancel with scenes from the life of St Augustine, attract the viewer’s attention in the church’s bright interior.

The origins of the church date back to the 10th century. It is traditionally believed to have been the site where St Stanislaus was beheaded by Boleslaus the Bold. In the left aisle is an altar with a scene of the death of the saint. The interior of the church is a real jewel of the Baroque style – pastel colours, gift ornaments, sculptures of angels and saints. In the Crypt of the Meritorious below in the church rest J. Dlugosz, J.I. Kraszewski, K. Szymanowski, A. Asnyk, S. Wyspianski, J. Malczewski and H. Siemiradzki. In front of the church is a pond with the statue of St Stanislaus – legend has it that the quartered body of the martyr was thrown into that pond.

St Catherine’s Church

Pauline Church on Skalka

January!

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April!

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May!

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June!

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New Year Concert in the Philharmonic Hall

(1 Zwierzyniecka street)

The Great Holiday Aid Jazz Orchestra

Wawel Evenings – Classical Concerts at the

Castle

Shanties – the International Festival of Sea

Shanties (Korona Sports Club, Kalwaryjska

street, Wisla Sports Club, Reymonta street,

Rotunda Club, 1 Oleandry street)

Bach Days (Florianka Music Academy Hall,

8 Basztowa street)

International Theatre Festival – Krakow

Theatrical Reminiscensces (Rotunda Club,

1 Oleandry street)

Misteria Paschalia Festival (Philharmonic Hall,

Main Market Square, Franciscan’ Basilica)

National Cabaret Review PAKA (Rotunda Club,

1 Oleandry street)

International Festival “Old and Young, or Jazz

in Krakow” (jazz clubs)

Cracow Screen Festival (city’s squares)

Soup Festival (Plac Nowy Square)

Cracovia Marathon (Blonia)

Krakow Museum Night (Krakow museums)

Krakow Film Festival (34 Krasinskiego Avenue)

Krakow Ballet Spring (Juliusz Slowacki Theatre)

Krakow’s City Festival

The Grand Dragon Parade „Wawel Dragon

Festival” (Main Market Square, banks of the

Vistula River at the foot of the Wawel Hill)

Calendar of annual events in Krakow

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Afternoon with Strauss (Courtyard of the Salt

Mine Museum in Wieliczka)

Tyniec Organ Recitals (Tyniec Abbey)

Lajkonik Hobby-Horse – traditional parade

through the streets of Krakow (Main Market

Square)

“Another Cinema” SMOFI International Film

Festival (Paradox Cinema)

International Military Orchestra Festival (Main

Market Sqaure, WKS Wawel Stadium)

“Wianki” – Laying of the Wreths (banks of the

Vistula River at the foot of the Wawel Hill)

International Festival of Jewish Culture

(Kazimierz – the Jewish quarter)

Summer Organ Recitals (various locations)

Intimate Summer Concerts (Dworek

Bialopradnicki, 2 Papiernicza street)


July!

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September!

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October!

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International Festival of Street Theatres (Main

Market Square)

Summer Jazz Festival in the Pod Baranami

(Piwnica Pod Baranami, 27 Main Market

Square)

International Summer Jazz Academy (the final

concert in the Courtyard of Krakow Radio)

“Crossroads” Festival of Traditional Music

Old Jazz in Krakow Festival (Kornet Jazz Club

and Planty park in front of Bunkier Sztuki,

3a Plac Szczepanski Square)

“Cracovia Danza” Festival of Courtly Dance

“Music in Old Krakow” International Festival

(Krakow churches)

The Cracow Pierogi Festival (Little Market

Square)

Dachshund Parade (usually second Sunday of

the month)

International Race-Walking Meeting “March

to the Market Squar” (Main Market Square)

“Young Artists in Krakow” Festival (Golden

Hall of the Philharmonic Hall, Krakow

churches)

The “Sacrum-Profanum” Fest ival

(Philharmonic Hall, Rolling Mill of the Nowa

Huta Steel Mill)

Student Song Festival (Cracow University

of Economics, Juliusz Slowacki Theatre)

International Festival of Ancient Music

(historical halls and churches)

Organ Festival (Krakow churches)

Bajit Chadasz – Jewish Culture Month

(Kazimierz – the Jewish quarter)

“Photo Month in Krakow” Festival (galleries,

Main Market Square)

November!

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December!

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All Saints and All Souls Days (1st-2nd

November at Krakow cemeteries)

Independence Day of 11th November

Zaduszki: All Souls Jazz Festival (jazz clubs)

Audio Art Festival (Bunkier Sztuki Art Gallery,

3a Plac Szczepanski Square)

KRAKFFA Krakow Independent Film Festival

(Mikro Cinema, 5 J. Lea street)

International Film Festival “Etiuda & Anima”

(Kijow cinema, 34 Krasinskiego Avenue /

Rotunda Club, 1 Oleandry street)

International Jazz Juniors Competition

(Rotunda Club, 1 Oleandry street)

Christmas Market (Main Market Square)

“Szopki” – Christmas Cribs (Historical

Museum, 35 Main Market Square)

Silent Film Festival (Pod Baranami Cinema,

27 Main Market Square)

OFAFA National Festival of Animated Films

(Wrzos Cinema, 50 Zamoyskiego street)

New Year’s Eve Party on the Main Market

Square

Getting around Krakow

Princess Wanda of Polish legend threw herself to a watery death in the river Wisla. After living in Krakow for many years we can well understand why. Apparently she had some problems with her boyfriend, but we could suspect that her genuine reason may have been frustration caused by the traffic situation here. The roads of Krakow seem not to have been repaired since medieval times and it could be cheaper and safer to travel by donkey.

The unwary traveller should be prepared for pot holed minor roads and deeply rutted major roads. The damage is often caused by heavily overloaded lorries. The inside lanes of Polish motorways are particularly hazardous in the rain, when the ruts fill with pools of water. Major roads and motorways here are seldom lit at night, and ‘cats’ eyes’ to reflect the light from your headlights are unheard of. There is a toll to pay for the use of the A4 motorway between Katowice and Krakow (6.5 PLN one-way). The official speed limit, (widely disregarded), on motorways is 110km/h (68mph). On major roads the limit is 90km/h (55mph) and on minor roads 60km/h (35mph).

Parking on the street in Krakow may be difficult as the roads are generally overcrowded. Krakow streets are divided into three zones, A, B and C, with zone A being the most central. Parking in zone C is possible with hourly (3 PLN) or half-hourly (1 PLN) tickets. You can purchase the tickets from kiosks or from the parking attendants who work in the streets wearing luminous yellow vests over their normal clothes. Circumspection is to be advised with regard to the safety of your car. If

Arriving to and getting around Krakow

your car has foreign number plates it may be a good idea to use the ‘Security Parking’ or ‘Parking Strzezony’ facilities widely available. The normal cost of this service is 4 to 5 PLN per hour.

The public transport system within Krakow is very efficient and there is no problem travelling from A to B by bus or tram. The tickets are identical for both forms of transport and can be bought at kiosks. One standard ticket is used for one journey and is called a ‘Bilet Normalny’ (2.5 PLN). There are often inspectors aboard trams and buses to check tickets and it is unwise to travel without one.

With the exception of the inter-city express trains, the Polish rail system is slow. Rail travel is, however, a good way to explore Poland and see the picturesque countryside. It may not be a great idea to travel with valuable items and you should keep a close eye on your luggage. Ticket inspectors on trains here generally don’t speak English. At the rail information service in Krakow you may find an English speaker, but in smaller local stations certainly not. There is a buffet carriage on faster inter-city trains, but never on the normal, slower trains and passengers should take their own food and drink.

Beware of travel by taxi as you may be taken by a rather scenic and indirect route to your destination at great expense. Obtaining the highest fee possible from bewildered tourists is a time honoured tradition amongst taxi drivers here and you should exercise great caution if placing yourself in their hands.

Unexpected hazards for pedestrians include deep snow and ice on the pavements during the winter. Outside the city there are usually no pavements and pedestrians walk in the road.

Runners in the city tend to congregate around the Blonia area near Jordan Park, close to the Orbis hotel. This area is the


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Airline(s)CentralwingsCentralwings

Easyjetbmibaby

CentralwingsEasyjetEasyjet

Brussels AirlineLOT

GermanwingsSterling.dk

CentrlawingsEasyjet

Aerlingus, Centralwings, RyanairRyanairEasyjet

LOT/LufthansaRyanair

Jet2.comEasyjet, Ryanair

British Airways, Centralwings, Easyjet, RyanairCentralwings

Ryanair, AllitaliaLufthansaJet2.com

NorwegianLOT, Easyjet, Transavia

CSACentralwings

RyanairNorwegian

GermanwingsLOT/EL-ALMeridiana

LOT, Sky EuropeLOT

Average flight time2hrs 30min2hrs 50min2hrs 55min2hrs 35min1hr 45min2hrs 40min2hrs 40min2hrs 10min10hrs 40min1hr 45min1hr 25min

3hrs1hr 40min

3hrs2hrs 35min2hrs 40min1hr 40min

3hrs2hrs 40min2hrs 40min2hrs 35min2hrs 45min1hr 50min1hr 30min2hrs 35min2hrs 15min2hrs 10min1hr 20min2hrs 05min2hrs 55min

2hrs1hr 30min3hrs 35min

2hrs1hr 10min

45min

Krakow Airport contact phone: +48 12 295-58-00

starting point for the Cracovia Marathon (the seventh edition is to take place this year in May). The long flat path alongside the river Wisla is also a good location for running as well as roller skating. There are cycle paths on central pavements in Krakow and there are some good long distance cycle routes to locations close to Krakow such as Ojcow. The area around the zoo, a forest called Las Wolski, is also a great area for running or

cycling. A high level footpath connects the viewpoint at Kopiec Kosciuszki with Las Wolski.

Krakow Airport, also known as the John Paull II International Airport, is relatively small but dynamically expanding airport. Currently it offers regular, direct connections with 36 cities:

Arriving by plane

The Airport is located to the west of Krakow, at a distance of 11 km from the city centre, in a Balice village. The airport can be reached from the centre of Krakow by four different roads as well its own exit ramp from the A4 motorway.

Getting to and from the airport :

The bus stop (lines #192 and #208 – timetables available at www.mpk.krakow.pl) is located directly at the roundabout, in front of the passenger terminal. Bus fare is 2.50 PLN (one-way). Tickets may be purchased at newspaper stands in the passenger terminal and from the driver (with an additional payment). Travel time to the centre: 35-40min.

Getting to and from the airport

The Krakow-Balice Station is located approx. 200 m from the passenger terminal, you can get there by foot (around 5 min. walk) or take a free shuttle bus service which operates to and from Krakow-Balice Station, this is a 3 minute trip from the airport terminal

by bus

by train (Balice Express):

building. Ticket fare: 6 PLN. Travel time: approx. 15 min. Train arrives at the Krakow’s Main Railway Station (five minute walk to the Main Market Square)

Getting to and from the airport

Individual passenger transport on a round-the-clock basis is offered by Radio Taxi 9191 - the official partner of the Krakow Airport. Approximately 20 minute ride to the city centre should cost around 60 PLN.

Because train travel is relatively inexpensive and therefore crowded, you should consider upgrading to first class on longer trips.

The cost of one-way ticket from Krakow to Warsaw (2hrs 40 min) is about 100 PLN (EUR 25).

Selected international train connections include destinations such as: Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Hamburg, Kiev, Kosice, Lviv, Odessa, Prague and Vienna. Complete timetable is available at http://rozklad.pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en.

by taxi:

Arriving by train


smoking. Hotel is equipped with an elevator,

laundry room, safe, and monitored parking lot.

Welcome to our hotel in the centre of Cracow. Our priority is to make your stay pleasant and relaxing.

The Saski Hotel has a 200-year tradition of service, and is situated in a sixteenth-century building, just steps away from the Main Market Square.

Totu Hostel is a small, cosy hostel with helpful staff.

Located in the centre of Krakow gives you an easy

access to everything you may want to see

or do in Krakow. It is just a short walk to all tourist

sites as well as restaurant and pubs, which Krakow is

full of! We offer only private rooms (double rooms,

triple rooms and a room for five people). We offer

free breakfast, all day-servings of free coffe and tea ,

free set of linen, free towels, free city map with

essential information and free internet access. Just

come and make yourself at home!

Saski*** Hotel

Totu Hostel

Delta Hostel

City centre

Address: 3 Slawkowska street

Phone number: +48 12 421 42 22

Fax number: +48 12 421 48 30

Email address: [email protected]

WWW: www.hotelsaski.com.pl

Number of rooms: 60

Price per double room per night: 85-114 EUR

City centre

Address: 21 Sw. Gertrudy street

Phone number: + 48 12 505 105 102

Fax number: + 48 12 429 29 33

Email: [email protected]

WWW: www.totuhostel.pl

Number of rooms: 7

Price per double room per night: 33 EUR

City centre

Address: 6 Mazowiecka street

Phone number: + 48 12 633 21 11

Fax number: + 48 12 633 21 11


WWW: www.deltahostel.pl

Number of rooms: 16

Price per double room per night: 35-45 EUR

Hostels

Copernicus****

Hotel Relais & Chateaux member

Stary***** Hotel

City centre

Address: 16 Kanonicza street

Phone number: +48 12 424 34 00, +48 12 424 34 01

Fax number: +48 12 424 34 05


WWW: www.hotel.com.pl

Number of rooms: 29


Cite centre

Address: 5 Szczepanska street

Phone number: +48 12 384 08 07, +48 12 384 08 08

Fax number: +48 12 384 08 09


WWW: www.stary.hotel.com.pl

Number of rooms: 53


Located in Renaissance building on beautifully

restored Kanonicza Street, the oldest in ancient town

of Krakow, the Copernicus takes its name from the

Polish astronomer. It offers a splendid change of scene

and is imbued with history and elegance: the vaulted

cellars with the sauna and swimming pool, the terrace

with its panoramic view of Wawel Castle. Period

frescos decorate the specious rooms. Renaissance

ceiling of the hotel’s restaurant has been lovingly

restored to its former grandeur. The warm intimacy of

the restaurant invites one to linger and savor

marvelous culinary delights prepared in tradition of

Polish manor kitchens. Facilities: lift, air-condition,

internet connection in every room, indoor swimming

pool, fitness, sauna.

Modernity and comfort have been combined to create

an extraordinary atmosphere for our guests. Unique

furniture design, discrete decorations, different kinds of

exotic wood, best quality marble, oriental carpets, natural

silk have all been used to create an unforgettable interior.

There is also an excellent coffee-shop with home-made

delicacies right on the ground floor, as well as two bars,

one of them a summer bar on the terrace, on the highest

floor of the hotel with a magnificent view of the Main

Market Square of Krakow.

Facilities: air-conditioning, internet access in every

room, fitness club, swimming-pool, sauna, salt cave.

Beautiful neo-classic tenement-house hides quiet,

charming, the oldest in Krakow Hotel Pod Roza. After

it’s last renovation every floor has unique decor:

individually arranged rooms and modern bathrooms

faced with natural stone present the ideal combination

of tradition and modernity.

The bright, spacious Restaurant Pod Roza located in the

historic yard, decorated with beautiful, renaissance

portals, serves excellent Polish and International cuisine

under a glass-covered atrium. Menu is changed 4

times a year – according to the season.

We are honored to invite you to our hotel situated

within beautiful downtown of Krakow at the

corner of Lazarza and Soltyka streets and just

minutes from the Main Market. Our hotel is known

for its unforgettable ambiance and family

atmosphere. Our friendly and discreet staff

believes in pampering guests.

Some of our features: close proximity to the Main

Market as well as Bus and Railway Stations, unique

family character, modern, elegant, and ecologically

friendly interiors, free parking, Wi Fi high speed

internet access, excellent Polish cousin.

Our 29 rooms are equipped with bathroom,TV,

radio, and internet connection. All bathrooms

have: shower, WC, wash-basin, bidet, hair dryer.

The hotel is handicap accessible as well as friendly

to people with allergies. All of the rooms are non-

Pod Roza**** Hotel

Batory*** Hotel

City centre

Address: 14 Florianska street

Phone number: +48 12 424 33 00, +48 12 424 33 01

Fax number: +48 12 424 33 51


WWW: www.hotel.com.pl

Number of rooms: 57


City centre

Address: 19 Soltyka street

Phone number: +48 12 294 30 30

Fax number: +48 12 294 30 33


WWW: www.hotelbatory.pl

Number of rooms: 29


Hostel Delta is centrally located in the midst of Old

Krakow, within walking distance of most of the city’s

attractions, like the Florian Gate or the Rynek, as well

as the Main Train Station. Best of all, you get all of

the comforts of a budget hotel at hostel prices. Each

room includes its own bath room as well as satellite

TV, Wi-Fi and can fit 1 to 4 people, on free-standing

beds (none of that bunk bed business here!).

The hostel itself also offers a kitchen, a large lobby

with 24 hour reception and free internet access, and

even a dart board and foosball table.

Hostel Centrum located in a city centre, offers

comfortable accommodation for groups and individuals

in 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-bedded rooms with fully

equipped kitchen and bathroom at each floor. Bed linen

& towel, lockers, free tea & coffee all day, TV lounge,

free of charge internet, tourist info, 24h reception.

You can find us in the city centre at one of secluded

streets of the old Kazimierz – thus indicating that all

is not far away! Secret Graden Hostel is an excellent

choice for people looking for a moderately priced

comfort rooms. We are located in an antique

building that after renovation allows us to arrange

interiors in so interesting order closely connected

with our name? We offer you accommodation in

closed-circle atmosphere single,double, triple and

for 4 and 5 persons rooms. The rooms are assigned

its own names corresponding to its interior

decorations instead of numbers.

Centrum Hostel

The Secret Garden Hostel

Address: 10 Sw. Gertrudy street

Phone number: +48 12 429 11 57

Fax number: +48 12 429 11 62

Email address:[email protected]

WWW: www.centrumkrakow.pl

Number of beds: 204

Price per bed per night: from 9 EUR with breakfast

Address: 7 Skawinska street

Phone number: +48 12 430 54 45

Fax number: + 48 12 430 54 45


WWW: www.thesecretgarden.pl

Number of rooms: 18


Best places in Krakow

Hotels

The Kadetus Hostel

City Hostel

Red Brick Apartments

City centre

Address: 25 Zwierzyniecka street

Phone number: +48 12 422 36 17

Fax number: +48 12 422 36 17


WWW: www.kadetus.com

Number of beds: 40

Price per person per night: 10-20 EUR

City centre

Address: 21 Sw. Krzyza street

Number of beds: 85

Price per person per night: 16 EUR

City centre

Address: 3 Kurniki Street

Phone number: + 48 12 628 66 00,

+ 48 12 628 66 20

Fax number: + 48 12 415 97 16 w.115


WWW: www.redbrick.pl

Number of rooms: 16


Nice arranged rooms, kitchen and common room

will make your stay in Krakow unforgettable. Price

includes linen, towels, free internet, WiFi internet

access, breakfast, all time coffee and tea, luggage

storage, use of washing machine, use of phone.

The City Hostel is located 100 m from the main

railway station, in the very heart of Krakow,

3 minutes walk to the Old Market Square. In the

18th century palace you’ll find the three-stars hotel

quality at hostel prices. The modern design of the

interior combined with the building's history

creates the unique atmosphere and inspires to

discover the old and new Krakow.

Red Brick Apartments offer you a great alternative

to staying in a hotel. Our guests may enjoy more

space and privacy, but with all advantages of

a high-class hotel. All our rooms have been

furnished and equipped to meet the expectations

of both the tourist guests who come for leisure and

those who come for business purposes. There

is a restaurant and a pub on the ground floor.

Should someone wish to eat in their kitchen, meals

can be delivered to the apartment.

Accession Apartments

Villa Eva

Live in Cracow

Discover Cracow Apartments

City centre, Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter

Address: various locations

Phone: +48 661 180 824


WWW: www.accessionapartments.com

Price per apartment per night (based on four people

sharing): from 100 EUR

Address: 136 Krolowej Jadwigi street

Phone number: +48 602 466 165


Number of rooms: 4


Address: 4 Wolnica Square, 48/30 Dluga street

Phone number: +48 606 670 222


WWW: www.liveincracow.com

Number of apartments: 5 big apartments and 1 studio-

apartment

Price per apartment per night: from 70 to 85 EUR

for two people

Address: 60/7 Dluga street

Phone number: +48 12 631 05 50

Fax number: +48 12 383 46 85


WWW: www.DiscoverCracow.com

Number of apartments: 50

Price per double room per night: from 35 EUR

We are a family business providing a personal service

and catering for guests looking for a professional,

caring and authentic Krakow experience – whether

you are staying with us for several months or just

a few days.

Villa Eva apartments are located about 1800 meters

away from Old Town. Villa Eva consists of 4 rooms,

2 bathrooms, and fully equipped kitchen. We have

also a garden and a parking for 4 cars.

Live in Cracow offers you comfortable apartments

located in the heart of Cracow's city centre (10-15

minutes on foot to Market Square). All apartments

are fully furnished and equipped with individual

kitchens and en-suite bathrooms.

Comfortable, individual apartments situated in the

very centre of Krakow, in the vicinity of the Main

Market Square, Wawel Castle and the old district of

Kazimierz.

Serviced Apartments

Eva Apartments

Bed & Breakfast Wislna 10

Accession Bed & Breakfast

Address: 3b Sienkiewicza street


Price: approx. 25 EUR per person per night in a double

room

Address: 10 Wislna street

Phone number: +48 12 421 98 71

Fax number: +48 12 421 98 71


WWW.accommodation.com.pl

Number of rooms: 40


City centre

Address: 8/4 Garncarska street

Phone number: +48 661 180 824


WWW: www.accessionkrakow.com

Number of rooms: 4

Price per person per night: 28 EUR

The apartments are located very close to the city

center and the Old Town (15 minutes on foot).

We would like to offer you a peaceful haven,

comfort and rest in a pleasant, cosy atmosphere.

We are situated in the very centre of Old City,

which makes sightseeing more enjoyable and less

tiring. We organize tours to Auschwitz-Birkenau,

Wieliczka, Zakopane and Wadowice as well as

airport transfers. Take advantage of the reception

which is open 24 hours a day, giving you the

freedom and independence to enjoy your stay as

you wish.

Our Bed and Breakfast is located in a quiet

neighbourhood within 5 minutes walk of Krakow’s

historic medieval market square. Set in a beautifully

restored fin-de-siecle Krakovian townhouse,our

4 bedrooms sleep up to a maximum of 10 people.

All rooms have en-suite bathrooms and breakfast

included for as little as 28 EUR per head.

Likus Concept Store

Galeria Kazimierz

Galeria Krakowska

Copernicus Restaurant

City centre

Address: 13 Main Market Square

Phone number: +48 12 617 02 50

Fax number: +48 12 617 02 28

Kazimierz the former Jewish quarter

Address: 34 Podgorska street

Number of shops: over 200

City centre

Address: 5 Pawia street

Number of shops: over 270

City centre

Address: 16 Kanonicza street

Phone number: +48 12 424 34 21

Fax number: +48 12 424 34 05


Opening hours: 12am-11pm

Cuisine: Polish court cuisine

LFC is located in the basement of a historical

building which now houses a premier, elite

shopping complex Pasaz 13. The store which

comprises LFC Boutique (Fashion brands such as:

Diesel Denim Gallery, Dsquared2, Gianfranco

Ferre, Martin Margiela), Delikatesy 13, Vinoteka

13, and a Bar 13, is geared towards a sophisticated

clientele which knows that this is one of the places

where that special something might be found.

The restaurant’s cosy interior melds subtle

modernity with its Renaissance period ceiling and

its original frescoes, a direct reflection of how the

menu has been fashioned. The menu changes with

the rhythms of the season, purveying its delights in

the form of succulent meats, pates, mushroom

dishes, lobster, fresh . water fish and the foie gras.

Shopping venues

Restaurant & Cafes

B&B & Guest Houses

Green Way – Vegetarian Bar

Metropolitan Restaurant & Bar

Paese

Da Pietro

Czasem Trzeba Pub

Nic Nowego Irish Bar

City centre

Address: 14 Mikolajska street

Phone number: +48 12 431 10 27


WWW: www.greenway.pl

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-10pm,

Sat-Sun 11am-9pm

Cuisine: vegetarian, vegan

City centreAddress: 3 Slawkowska streetOpening hours: Mon-Sat 7.30am-12pm, Sun7.30am-10pmCuisine: International

City centreAddress: 24 Poselska streetOpening hours: Mon-Sun 11am-the last guestCuisine: Corsican, French

City centreAddress: 17 Main Market SqaureOpening hours: Mon-Sun 12am-12pmCuisine: Italian

City centreAddress: 14 Mikolajska streetPhone number: +48 12 432 44 44Email address: [email protected]: www.czasemtrzeba.plOpening hours: Mon-Fri 2pm – the last guest, Sat-Sun 4pm – the last guestPrice of a beer (0.5l): 4.50 PLN (1.15 EUR, 0.8 GBP)

City centreAddress: 15 Sw. Krzyza streetOpening hours: Mon-Fri 7am-3am, Sat, Sun 10am-3am

Tasty and healthy vegetarian dishes from all over

the world.

Music style: rock, poprock

Monday & Tuesday only Polish music, Wednesday

Karaoke, Thursday. Live music, Friday & Saturday .

Rock party

Paparazzi

Pauza

Cien (The Shadow)

Regular Krakow Tours

& Private Luxury Krakow Tours

licensed Tour Operator since 1990

Cracow Tours

City centreAddress: 9 Mikolajska streetOpening hours: 11am-1am

City centreAddress: 18/3 Florianska streetOpening hours: 10am-12pm, Sun 12am-12pm

City centreAddress: 15 Sw Jana street

Opening hours: 8pm-5am, closed Sun, Mon

Address: 2 Przy Rondzie street (Chopin Hotel)

Phone number: +48 12 421 84 33

Fax number: +48 12 411 55 17


WWW: www.krakow-poland.eu, www.krakowtours.eu

City centre

Address: 3 Krupnicza street

Phone number: +48 12 430 07 26

Fax number: +48 12 430 07 26


WWW: www.cracowtours.pl

Everyday regular Krakow tours by coach and

private luxury Krakow tours by car in Krakow and

its environs. Krakow sightseeing, Auschwitz

Birkenau, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Old Jewish district

and retracing Schindler’s List, National Park Ojcow

& Pieskowa Skala + Czestochowa, Saint Sister

Faustina, Holy Father John Paul II, Dunajec River

Raft Trip and Zakopane.

Simply the best sightseeing tours in Cracow.

We offer you Tours and Sightseeing, for example:

Cracow City Sightseeing Tour; Wieliczka Salt Mine

– UNESCO World Heritage Site; Auschwitz-

Birkenau. UNESCO World Heritage Site; The Traces

of Jewish Culture; Nowa Huta Tour; In the

Footsteps of John Paul II; Zakopane and the Tatra

Mountains; Czestochowa and the Black Madonna;

Jewish Style Dinner; Dunajec River Gorge and

Niedzica Castle; The Wooden Architecture Route;

Warsaw the Capital of Poland.

Krakow AdvisorAddress: 108a Krolowej Jadwigi street

Phone number +48 501 020 940

Fax number: +48 665 102 106


WWW: krakowadvisor.com

If you want to be driven from the airport to a hotel

in Cracow by a private car, or you are willing to take

part in a tour around the most interesting places in

and around Cracow, contact us! Our English

speaking driver will be waiting for you at the airport

holding a table with your name. By using our

service you will visit the most fascinating places in

and aroud Cracow in a fast and easy way. We will

be waiting for you at the hotel door and we will

drive you wherever you want.

Dental Travel Agency (Poland)Address: 5-10 minutes walk from the Main

Market Square

Phone number: +48 514 68 68 28

Fax number: +48 12 429 15 36


WWW: www.dentaltravelagency.com

Want an inexpensive but at the same time

professional dental care? We offer a full dental

travel service at competitive prices for clients from

all over the world. We make it our priority to ensure

the high standard of our services so our clients are

provided with the finest dental care.

Pubs, clubs & discos

Sightseeing Tours

Transportation and car rental services

Dental and medical treatment

Oswiecim – The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum

Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Museum commemorates the Nazi death camp that was located in the town during the Second World War. The first transport of Polish political prisoners arrived in Auschwitz on June 14, 1940. Following victims of the camp were: the Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Gypsies, and prisoners of other nationalities. From the year 1942 started the Hitler’s plan of the total extermination of the European Jews – the Holocaust. Men, women and children were murdered in gas chambers, and then their bodies were burnt in crematoria. The overall number of victims in the years 1940-1945 is estimated at between 1,100,000 and 1,500,000 people. At the end of the war the SS intended to remove the signs of their enormous crime by dismantling the gas chambers, crematoria and by destroying documents. The liberation of the camp by the Red Army took place on January 27, 1945. The site was converted into a museum in 1947.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The 750-year old mining plant, which was included in UNESCO’s first World Heritage List in 1978, is a unique attraction. The historic Salt Mine lies on nine levels. Its longitudinals, traverses, chambers, lakes, as well as lesser and major shafts stretch for the total of 300 kilometers reaching the depth of 327 meters. There are some magnificent salt sculptures that show the methods of mining. The specific microclimate of the underground

The Neighbourhoods of Krakow

excavation is still used as a treatment for the diseases of respiratory tracks.

The home city of Karol Wojty³a: the Pope John Paul II, Wadowice is an attraction for tourists and pilgrims alike. The city abounds both with places related to the life of Karol Wojty³a and with references to the Great Pole: names of streets and squares, and specific initiatives resulting from the teaching of the Pope.

The Monastery of the Pauline Fathers at Bright Hill (Jasna Gora) is a world widely known pilgrimage center. It is due to the presence of the Holy Virgin Mary embodied in the icon of the Black Madonna. According to specialists the icon dates between the 6th and 9th centuries. The most known event in the history of Jasna Gora is a heroic defend of the monastery from the Swedish invaders thanks to the decision of its Prior Augustine Kordecki in 1655. It is believed that the Mother of God herself helped to protect this holy place. After the Jasna Gora victory, the whole country rose up against the Swedish army.

This monastery is visited by 4-5 million

pilgrims every year, about 200,000 of them

come to Czestochowa participating in so

called on-foot pilgrimages. They start in

different cities of Poland and the longest

route measures 600km. The pilgrims gather

on August 26, to celebrate the day of The

Holy Mother of Czestochowa.

Zakopane, Poland’s largest mountain city and

a winter capital, within a walking distance to

any place in the Tatra Mountains, offers

plenty marked tourist trails and superb tourist

infrastructure (accommodation, cafes and

Wadowice

Czestochowa

Zakopane

restaurants). Picturesque views and the

charming culture of Polish highlanders are

long and pleasantly remembered.

Benedictine Abbey overlooking the Vistula

River from its rocky promontory. Soon after

the Benedictine monks arrived in Poland

(ca. 1044), a Romanesque basilica-type

church was built here (only relics have

survived). The new church and monastery

were built in the 15th century.

The favourite hunting grounds of Polish

kings; today a vast stretch of protected

landscape with bison reserve near Proszow.

Rich flora and fauna, invigorating air, and the

climate of a truly primeval forest help to relax.

Registered by UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape Site (in 1999), Kalwaria houses Poland’s second most important sanctuary, and one of the most important Polish heritage sites. The Sanctuary consists of the Church of Our Lady of the Angels, the Bernardine Monastery, and more than 40 chapels composed into the picturesque landscape, situated along the so-called “paths of Calvary”.

A beautifully situated spa town with mineral springs; the hub of Ojcowski National Park. Preserved of the castle erected by Casimir the Great (Kazimierz Wielki) are the tower, remnants of the gate, chapel, walls, and bridge. A charming chapel was built over the waters of the Pradnik Stream.

Tyniec

Niepolomice Primeval Forest

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska

Ojcow


Polish is the official language of Poland. It has the second largest number of speakers among Slavic languages after Russian. Polish is the main representative of the Lechitic branch of the West Slavic languages. It originated in the areas of present-day Poland from several local Western Slavic dialects, most notably those spoken in Greater Poland and Lesser Poland. It shares some vocabulary with the languages of the neighboring Slavic nations, most notably with Slovak, Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian.

Polish language was once known as a lingua

franca in various regions of Central and

Eastern Europe, mostly due to the political,

Polish your Polish

English

Good day/Good morning/Good afternoon

Good evening

Good night

Hi/bye

Yes

No

Please/You’re welcome

Cheers!

Thank you

Excuse me/Sorry

See you

(pronounciation)

(jen do-bri)

(do-bri vyeh-choor)

(do-bra-nots)

(cheshch)

(tahk)

(nyeh)

(prosheh)

(nah zdrove-yeh)

(jen-koo-ye)

(pshe-prasham)

(nah rah-zse)

Polish

Dzieñ dobry

Dobry wieczór

Dobranoc

Czeœæ

Tak

Nie

Proszê

Na zdrowie

Dziêkujê

Przepraszam

Na razie

Polish letter/combination of letters

“¹”

“ê”

“ó”

“c”

“j”

“w”

“³”

“ñ”

“cz”, “æ”

“dz”

“rz”, “¿”

“sz”, “œ”

“drz”

Pronounciation similar to

“on” in the French “bon”

“en” in the French “bien”

“oo” in “boot”

“ts” in “bits”

“y” in “yeah”

the English “v”

“w” in “win”

“ny” in “canyon”

“ch” in “beach”

“ds” in “beds”

“su” in “treasure”

“sh” in “ship”

“g” in “George”

cultural, scientific, and military influence of

the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Today, Polish is spoken by over 38.5 million

native speakers in Poland and it is spoken as

a second language in western parts of the

Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Because of

the emigration from Poland during various

time periods, millions of Polish speakers can

be found in countries including Australia,

Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, United

States, and so on. There are over 46 million

Polish language speakers around the world.

“Standard” Polish is still spoken somewhat

differently in different regions of the country,

although the differences between these

broad “dialects” are slight. There is never any

difficulty in mutual understanding, and non-

native speakers are generally unable to

distinguish among them easily. The

differences are slight compared to different

dialects of English, for example. The regional

differences correspond mainly to old tribal

divisions from around a thousand years ago;

the most significant of these in terms of

numbers of speakers are Great Polish (spoken

in the west), Lesser Polish (spoken in the

south and southeast), Mazovian (Mazur)

spoken throughout the central and eastern

parts of the country, and Silesian spoken in

the southwest. Mazovian shares some

features with the Kashubian language.

Polish language is awfully difficult to master, however, learning a few key phrases will definitely smooth your time in Krakow. Crucial to achieve this will be learning how to pronounce each letter or combination of letters, especiall those which don’t exist in your alphabet. Many letters represent the same sounds as they do in English. Listed below are those particular to Polish.


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