KRAKOW!! One of my favorite places ever! Our June 4-day trip was to Krakow Poland where we met up with my college friends Megan, Melody, Sally, and Hunter. Megan, Melody, Sally and I did our architecture study abroad at the Politechnika Krakowsk back in 2008 and traveled all over Poland and Europe together! We were extremely lucky to have been enrolled in an architectural history class that planned trips all over Italy, Poland, and Ukraine. PJ and Hunter got an earful of memories throughout the weekend and it was great to walk past where we once went to class years before. It was the perfect way to catch up with some UT friends!!
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| Our first afternoon together |
The others had been there for about 2 days by the time PJ and I arrived so we decided to check out a few new things for all of us to see. First off was the castle. I have always regretted never touring the castle while I was there. I can finally check that off my bucket list. Unfortunately, they did not allow photos while we were walking through, but I took a lot from the exterior!
Wawel Castle is located on Wawel Hill and was the home of the Polish Kings. It was built in the 1300's and turned into a museum in 1930. It is a mixture of Romanesque, Renaissance, and Gothic architecture and has housed royalty from all over Europe. It changed hands many times during the invasions and each new resident added their taste to the interior. Polish Kings, poets, saints, and heroes have been buried in the Cathedral.
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| Wawel Castle - Sigismund's Chapel gold dome |
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| Wawel Castle - Sigismund's Chapel gold dome |
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| Group minus Melody |
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| Wawel Cathedral |
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| Sigismund's Chapel gold dome + PJ |
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| Wawel Castle |
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| Wawel Castle |
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| Wawel Castle |
The hill is made up of several caves. According to legend, the largest cave was home to a fire-breathing dragon. This dragon used to terrorize the locals. Supposedly, a shoemaker's student poisoned the dragon and when he crawled to the Wisła River to drink the water, the dragon exploded [and the shoemaker's student won the kings daughter for his heroism]. There is currently a fire breathing dragon statue along the river.
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| Wisla River |
There was also a newer tour of the underground area below the main square called Rynek Underground. It was well worth the tour and was an interesting way to learn about the many layers of the city. It is located under the famous Cloth Hall which has been in business for 700 years!
The rest of the day was spent perusing the cloth hall, the local artists and enjoying the Krakow events.
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| Cloth Hall |
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| Cloth Hall |
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| Cloth Hall |
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| Gallery in the Cloth Hall |
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| Bar on the roof of the Cloth Hall |
While the others headed to Italy, PJ and I spent 1 more day in Krakow. We decided to head out to kazimierz. Kazimierz is the old Jewish quarter.
"Kazimierz...was the centre of Jewish life in Kraków for over 500 years, before it was systematically destroyed during World War II. In the communist era it became one of Kraków’s dodgiest districts while gradually falling into disrepair. Rediscovered in the 1990s, thanks to the fall of the regime and worldwide exposure through the lens of Steven Spielberg, Kazimierz has since been on the rebound and is today Kraków’s most exciting district – a bustling, bohemian neighbourhood packed with historical sites, atmospheric cafes and art galleries. Well-known for its associations with Schindler and Spielberg, traces of Kazimierz’s Jewish history have not only survived, but literally abound in the form of the district’s numerous synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. In fact, no other place in Europe conveys a sense of pre-war Jewish culture on the continent better than Kazimierz. " [1]
It is also home to some of Krakow's best galleries, bars, cafes, and nightlife
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| Kazimierz |
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| Remuh Synagogue |
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| Remuh Synagogue |
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| Remuh Synagogue |
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| Remuh Synagogue |
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| Remuh Synagogue |
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| Old Synagogue |
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| Kazimierz |
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| Kazimierz |
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| Kazimierz |
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| Kazimierz |
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| Kazimierz |
FOOD AND DRINK!
Eating was pretty much all we did between our stops. Tatankas [made with my favorite Zubrowka], Indigo vodka samplers and Polish food are all on the top of my favorites list. I am pretty convinced that I could live off of pierogi, kebabs, and zapiekanka for the rest of my life. PJ enjoyed the Kebab that we ate so much that he went up for a second. He has also clearly stated that it was the best one he has ever had [and he was in Iraq for a year! Lol]
We also ate lots of pierogi. We stopped at a local favorite called Zapiecek. Polskie Pierogarnie for lunch on one of the days. After the others headed to Italy, PJ and I ate out at Restauracja Miód Malina and ordered the Deska pierogow rownych smakow, mixed pierogi platter for 2. These pierogi were the most perfect, crispy, and delicious perogie I have ever had! We were in heaven and the most full we have ever been.
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| Delicious lunch! |
Around Krakow!
St Mary's - The original Romanesque Basilica was destroyed in the 1300's and a new one was built in the Gothic style on the original ruins. In the 15th century the towers took their current form, when one was raised higher, to 80 meters [with a Gothic spire and gold plated crown]. This is where the hijnal mariacki [ the famous bugle call] is played every hour on the hour, day and night. The call stops mid-way through to "honor the mythical trumpeter who was shot in the neck while belatedly warning the city of Mongol invaders." [2] The lower tower sits at 69 meters and is capped by a Renaissance roof with 5 bells. The altarpiece within the interior is amazing.
Another legend about the height of the towers says
"The towers are swathed in legend. Their uneven height is due to the jealousy held between the two brothers commissioned to build them; the designer of the smaller tower, envious of his brother's success, murdered him in a fit of rage and then, wracked with remorse, threw himself from the higher tower. In another version of the legend, the taller tower was completed by the murderer as an act of penitence. No one can quite agree on the story, but the knife that struck the fatal blow can still be seen, hanging beside one of the central arches in the Sukiennice." [3]
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| St. Mary's Basilica |
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| St. Mary's Basilica |
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| Rynek with St. Adalbert's in the foreground |
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| Cloth hall and St. Mary's |
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| Concert at night |
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| Indigo |
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| Indigo |
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| church of St. Andrew's on the Royal Way |
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| Along the Royal Way |
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| Church of St. Peter and Paul |
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| Church of St. Peter and Paul |
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| St. Mary's |
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| Group <3 |
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| Group <3 |
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| Everyone! <3 |
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| St Mary's |
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| Work out in the Market Square! |
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| City walls |
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| Juliusz Słowacki Theatre - where I saw my first opera in 2008 |
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| Trinity Church |
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| Town Hall Tower |
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| Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower |
The next Polish trip will be to Zakopane so I can show PJ the beautiful Tatra Mountains.
Some other places to check out in Poland! [I hope to take PJ to all of these great places!]
- Łańcut castle
- Auschwitz [there is a bus that runs from Krakow]
- Belzec death camp memorial
- Poznan, Poland
- The many wooden churches throughout the country
- Zamosc, Poland
- Warsaw, Poland
- Lublin, Poland
- Gdansk, Poland
- Gniezno, Poland
- Wroclaw, Poland [Centennial Hall and downtown!]
- And most definitely spend the night at Golub - Dobrzyn castle! They let you play with torches!
Poland it truly a beautiful country!! and nothing beats the Polish złoty
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