POLAND

KRAKOW - Part 2

Story & Photos by Sandy Katz

Travelin' Sandy Katz is a freelance writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. She has visited over 250 destinations and writes for many USA publications. Sandy who has a degree in psychology resides on the Ashley River with her husband.

Once the royal capital of Polish Kings, Krakow is the best preserved medieval city in Poland and the traditional heart of Polish culture. Poland's indomitable spirit flourishes in Krakow, one of the few cities to escape wartime damage.

Krakow is filled with a treasure trove of historical monuments and is recognized by UNESCO as a city of World Cultural Heritage. The capital's history, said to have begun at the end of the 10th Century, reached a zenith under Casimir the Great in the 14th Century. More recently, in 1977, its spiritual leader, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, was elected Pope John Paul II.

Touring the city presents visitors with an unforgettable step into the past, from Wawel Hill with its palace and coronation chapel, to the grand Market Square where St. Mary's Church sits, and Cloth Hall and Jagiellonian University with the great astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus among its notable alumni.

As the royal capital for half a millennium, Krakow had witnessed and absorbed more of Polish history than any other city in the country. Since Krakow came through the last war unscathed, it has retained a wealth of architecture from different periods. The splendor of Krakow is due to many architectural complexes enriched throughout centuries in various styles Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque to Classicism and Art Nouveau.

My guidebook orientation was instrumental pointing out how convenient it is to tour Krakow because most tourist facilities are squeezed into the small compact are of the Old Town. The Main Market Square is in the middle, surrounded by green ring of the Planty, which was once a moat. On the southern tip of the Old Town sits the Wavel castle, and farther south stretches the district of Kazimierz.

THE MARKET SQUARE - The Krakow Market Place is one of the most beautiful medieval squares in the world. It is surrounded by 47 houses of historic value and in its vicinity there is the biggest number of monuments and historical buildings in Krakow. The Market Square witnessed the majority of historical events and has been visited by many famous people.

THE CLOTH MARKET SUKIENNICE is a 14th Century trading hall decorated with a Renaissance attic and sculptures, and the Gallery of Polish Painting is housed on the upper floor of the Cloth Hall. This is where you'll see a monument to Adam Mickiewicz, the greatest Polish poet. This market is the perfect place to do all your shopping. There's plenty of amber jewelry from the Baltic, set in imaginative silver designs, crystalware, in every design imaginable, handmade embroideries, works of art and music and tapestries.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH can be found on the Square in its entire Gothic splendor. An authentic guard sounds a bugle call at the stroke of every hour, every day, from the tower of this church.

ST. ADALBERT'S CHURCH carries an exhibition on the history of The Market Square in its basement.

THE BARBICAN, THE JULIUZ SLOWACKI THEATRE, THE CZARTORYSKI MUSEUM, BISHOP'S PALACE and ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH are all worthwhile stops during a tour of Krakow.

WAVEL HILL, long billed as "The heart of Poland" has been beating in Krakow for centuries - this is the place which contains the most splendid relics in history - tombs of the monarchs and poets in the Cathedral, coronation regalia and royal jewels in the Royal Treasure and the Royal Castle, now houses the collection of the furniture, paintings and sculptures. The Castle boasts the largest collection worldwide of Arras tapestries featuring biblical scenes.

KAZIMIERZ was originally the designated town (near Krakow) for the settlement of Jews since the 14th Century. A legacy of Jewish monuments remains there although the town is bereft of Jews as a result of the Holocaust and the "Winds of War." History lives on at the Museum of Jewish History and Culture which is located at Remuh Synagogue and Cemetery.

"Schindler's List," Steven Spielberg's Oscar winning film was filmed in Krakow, prompting numerous guided tours of the movie locations. The film and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz has renewed interest in the country's Holocaust sites.

The Centre for Jewish Culture Kazimierz was developed in response to a renewed interest in Jewish culture and history since the mid-1980's. Preservation of the heritage of Jewish culture for future generations and its close links to Polish culture is the prime focus of the Centre.

Monuments erected throughout Poland honoring the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust during World War II can be found at Auschwitz, Majdanek and Treblinka. More than three million Jews resided in Poland before the war, yet they now number fewer than 6,500, although half of the world's Jewish population can trace their roots back to Poland.

THE MONUMENT OF MARTYDOM/MUSEUM is located on the grounds of the Concentration Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, about an hour's drive from Krakow, a painful reminder of the unspeakable horrors that were endured by Jews.

THE WIELICZKA SALT MINE - Located 30 minutes from Krakow, this Polish national treasure has existed for more than 700 years, the oldest operating salt mine in Europe. It's also the greatest tourist attraction in the town of Wieliczka. The underground route leads you through galleries and chambers on three mining levels. Here one can see 17th and 19th Century chapels and the natural world unique Crystal Cave.

Open since 1964in the mine is the underground sanitarium "Kinga" which for therapeutic purposes (treatment of asthma and rheumatism) makes use of a specific microclimate. It is located 200 meters below sea level.

DINING IN KRAKOW

WIERZYNEK is located across from the Cloth Market and has been called a royal restaurant because royalty are there and today you feast as royalty. The most notable servings are venison, wild boar, pheasant and partridge dishes prepared by age-old Polish methods.

HAWELKA is where you savor the ambient Baroque music and give your diet a day off. This is where I discovered my now most favorite soup especially because of the presentation. Mushroom soup served in a hollowed-out bread shell.

ARIEL is located in the Jewish section and they specialize in Jewish cuisine. A special highlight is the series of Jewish music concerts performed nightly.

ORBIS HOTEL CRAKOVIA served hearty breakfast buffets with a marvelous selection of hot and cold morning delicacies.

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