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Krakow Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Krakow
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Krakow Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Krakow - The Tatras, forming the border with Slovakia, is
Poland's beautiful alpine range of towering peaks, rocky cliffs and
glacial lakes, dotted with numerous little villages preserving
traditional highland lives. The region's largest town is Zakopane,
Poland's premier mountain resort and a popular tourist destination,
both in winter and in summer. It is the winter sports capital of
Poland, superbly situated at the foot of the Tatras with immediate
access to the ski slopes in winter, but also to the well-marked
walking trails during the summer. The charming town has a laid-back
fairytale atmosphere, the steep streets lined with traditional
wooden cottages made from roughly cut logs and the 'Zakopane-style'
architecture featuring delicately carved patterns and intricate
woodwork decoration. The town's heart is a pedestrian mall lined
with restaurants, cafes and shops. The region is popular for
outdoor activities and one of the more popular attractions is the
trip to the exquisite glacial lake, Morskie Oko. Zakopane has good
facilities and is also known for its fascinating highland folklore
and culture and many of the inhabitants wear colourful traditional
dress. The resort lies about two hours south of
Krakow.
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Krakow
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Main Market Square (Rynek Glówny)
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What is it? Dating from 1257, the Central Market Square
was one of the largest squares in Medieval Europe, and is the
social heart of Krakow today. Surrounded by historic buildings,
museums and magnificent churches, the impressive expanse of
flagstones is a hub of commercial and social activity. Flower
sellers, ice-cream vendors, musicians, pigeons, students and groups
of tourists fill the square. Occupying the centre of the square is
the splendid medieval Cloth Hall, a covered arcade with a soaring
vaulted interior where merchants once sold their wares; today it is
filled with lively market stalls. The upstairs art gallery houses a
collection of 19th century Polish paintings and sculptures. Along
the outside walls of the building are elegant terrace cafes. Most
famous of these is the Noworolski, which was the centre of Krakow
social life before the war, with Lenin a notorious regular. The
cafe has now regained its reputation as the prime cake and coffee
venue in the city. The most striking church on the square is St
Mary's, an impressive twin-spire Gothic structure. Every hour a
mournful bugle sounds from the tallest church spire in memory of
the lone watchman whose trumpeted warning of an invasion was cut
off mid-note by a Turkish arrow in the throat. Within is the famous
carved wooden altar, a majestic piece of Gothic
art.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
2. Wawel
www.wawel.krakow.pl |
What is it? Overlooking the city is Wawel, a hill topped
with the castle complex, including Wawel Castle and beside it, the
gothic Cathedral. It was here that the Polish kings of the 14th to
the 17th centuries were crowned and buried and it lies at the heart
of Polish history. The Renaissance-style Royal Castle is now a
museum and the historic interior houses an astonishing collection
of treasures from the Polish monarchy, including tapestries, period
furniture and paintings. Visitors can see the Royal Private
Apartments, Crown Treasury, Armoury, and the State Rooms. The Royal
Cathedral was the coronation and burial site of all of Poland's
monarchs, many of whom are interred in the Royal Tombs. Of the many
royal chapels, the golden-domed Renaissance Chapel of King
Sigismund is the finest. The bell tower can be climbed for views
over the city and to see the enormous 11-tonne
bell.
Hours of Operation: Wawel Hill: open daily from 6am to 8pm (April to
September), and from 6am to 6pm (October to March). The various
castle attractions are open on Mondays from 9.30am to noon; Tuesday
and Friday 9.30am to 4pm; Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 9.30am
to 3pm; Sunday 10am to 3pm. The Royal Private Apartments are closed
on Mondays. The Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm,
and Sunday from 12.15pm
Phone:(0)12 422 1697 or 422 5155 ext 291 |
3. Kazimierz District and the Old Synagogue
Old Synagogue: Ulica Szeroka 24
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What is it? Once a separate town and now an inner suburb
of Krakow, the Kazimierz quarter was the centre of Jewish religion,
culture and learning and the home of the city's large Jewish
population before the war. Badly damaged during the Nazi
occupation, with most of the residents either killed or deported to
the nearby death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau during the
Holocaust, today it has been rebuilt so visitors can admire the
restored historical architecture and experience daily Jewish life.
Its renewed interest was brought about by Spielberg's film
Schindler's List that was set in Kazimierz,
and the Jewish culture of the area is being livened up by art
galleries, kosher restaurants and specific cultural events. The Old
Synagogue is part of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow,
and houses a permanent exhibition, 'Tradition and Culture of Polish
Jews', where the collection of physical memories from the Kazimierz
Jewish community is kept.
Hours of Operation: Old Synagogue: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and
Sunday 9am to 3.30pm; Friday 11am to 6pm; closed
Mondays
Phone:(0)12 422 0962 |
Krakow
holidays - Top Events
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