Kraków, Historical capital in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
Description
Kraków is a historic capital in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in the south of the country, set among hills near the Slovak border. The city spreads along the Vistula riverbank, while Wawel Castle rises above the medieval lanes of the Old Town.
History
The city served as Poland's political center from 1038 to 1596 and hosted the coronation of kings in the cathedral during that time. After losing its capital status, it remained an academic and religious center for the country.
Culture
Street musicians and students fill the Old Town around Rynek Główny, where cafés and food stalls serve regional specialties throughout the day. A trumpeter plays a signal from the tower of St. Mary's Basilica each morning at the same time, a tradition locals and travelers alike have come to expect.
Practical
The central square offers direct access to museums, churches, restaurants, and the Cloth Hall, where regional crafts are sold. The Old Town is mostly reserved for pedestrians, while public transport connects the outer districts.
Did you know?
The underground museum beneath the square displays archaeological finds through glass floors that reveal medieval structures of the original settlement. Nearby, a corridor between two buildings connects the Old Town with the former Jewish district of Kazimierz.
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Wieliczka Salt Mine
12.2 km
Main Square
89 m
Wawel Castle
840 m
Wawel
873 m
St. Mary's Basilica
168 m
Sukiennice
48 m
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory
2.4 km
Altarpiece of Veit Stoss
227 m
Sigismund Bell
808 m
Wawel Cathedral
820 m
Old town Market Square in Krakow
40 m
Kościuszko Mound
3.2 km
Tyniec Abbey
10.7 km
Kraków Old Town
16 m
Piwnica pod Baranami
98 m
Krakus Mound
3.1 km
Kraków Barbican
526 m
Sigismund's Chapel
836 m
Unity Tower
1.6 km
Rakowicki Cemetery
1.9 km
Juliusz Słowacki Theatre
493 m
Saints Peter and Paul Church
576 m
Hujowa Górka
4.1 km
Stadion Miejski in Kraków
1.8 km
Grunwald Monument
625 m
Czartoryski Museum
373 m
National Museum in Kraków
945 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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