I am travelling to Poland next week...?

Travel Info
specifically to Krakow & would like some information about the best places to visit. (Museums/galleries/historical sites/places of interest)

many thanks

Travel Tips

Lived in Krakow for a year. Just the place really, must look inside the University, go to the Wavel castle, take a trip on the Wis艂a. Ko艣ciuszko Mound, a bus ride from the centre of Krakow is worth a visit for the panoramic view of Krakow. There used to be a good restaurant (and a hotel) nearby, but I can't find any reference to that now.

For excursions I'd suggest the salt mine at Wieliczka. visitable by train, and also Oswiencim (Auschwitz), also visitable by train. A few days in Zakopane would be worthwhile, where you can take a cable car up a mountain (one of the Tatras) and have a magnificent view. Some time in Warsaw and Gdansk would also be worthwhile. Source(s): http://www.krakow-info.com/default.htm...
Other Travel Tips

Krakow is a GREAT city to visit. There is a lot to do, and it is so much fun there. You can do so much, sightseeing, beautfiful city with much to do, learn history and all in all have a great time. The city is really beautiful, and the attractions there are great. There are great buildings and places to visit that will leave you in awe. There are so many attractions that will have you busy all day and for a long time that will make you satisfied you went. Also, the nightlife is great, fun, and so much to do. The old city is a great place to visit during the day as well as the night with many bars, restaurants, and cafes to relax and have a great time.

Also, check out this site for even more info.

http://www.krakow.pl/en/turystyka/...

Hope this helps.
www.krakow.com
When I was in Krakow, my hostess (at that time in 1989 it was common for ordinary people to offer lodgings in their homes - they just waited around at the train station for tourists to invite) showed me the "neighborhoods" that the Socialists/Communists had built. She was impressed at how thought-through they were and how every need of regular people was dealt with in them. I must say that when I saw these residential areas, I had to agree with her that their planners and architects had been clever.
Well, apart from the Wieliczka salt mine (it now mostly a museum), and the German Auschwitz death camp near the town of O艣wi臋cim, there are some highlights in the city itself, mostly in the Old Town. In the Old Market Square there's St. Mary's church with an exquisite Medieval altar with countless figures carved in wood. In the Market's center, there is the Sukiennice Hall, originally trading in cloth (hence its name; "sukno" is Polish for "cloth"), but now selling traditional artwork and other souvenirs. The Czartoryski Museum displays the only Leonardo painting remaining in Poland, "Lady with an Ermine".
When you move south of the Old Town, you reach the Wawel Royal Castle, actually consisting of two parts - the Castle proper and the Wawel Cathedral with monumental tombs of Polish kings and queens. The Castle holds a collection of 16th c. tapestries and a small armory plus some other displays.
You must also visit the historical Jewish quarter - Kazimierz, with stylish music and food (not always kosher, however) at local restaurants. A walk along the Planty park would also be nice.
Krakow

Krakow is Poland鈥檚 third largest city and the country鈥檚
most popular tourist destination by far. As the royal capital for
half a millennium, it absorbed more of Poland鈥檚 history than
any other city, and, miraculously, Krakow
was the only large Polish city to emerge from WWII unscathed.

No other city in Poland had so many historical buildings and
monuments. In 1978 Unison included the centre of Krakow
on its first World Heritage list. Many leading figures of
contemporary arts and culture 鈥?Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski
and Krzystof Penderecki, to name just a few are associated with
Krakow, and two winners of the Nobel Prize for
literature live there. The city also produced the first Polish pope.

The first traces of the towns鈥?existence date from around the
7th century. In the 8th & 9th centuries Krakow was one of the main
settlements of the Vistulans, the tribe that several centuries
earlier had spread around the region known as Little Poland
or Malopolska. Some of the time line to the present day include:

鈥?1000 Bishopric of Krakow was established

鈥?1038 Krakow became the capitol of the Piast kingdom.

鈥?11th century Wawel castle & several churches were
built around the castle hill; the town grew in size and power.

鈥?1241 Overran by Tartars & burned down the timber-built town.

鈥?1257 a new town was designed on a grid pattern with a
market square in the center. Gothic became the dominant architectural style.

鈥?Reign of King Kazimerz Wielki,
a generous patron of the arts were good times.

鈥?In 1346 King Kazimerz founded the Krakow Academy (later renamed Jagielolonian University), the 2nd largest university in central Europe after Prague鈥檚. Nicholaus Copernicus studied there in 1490鈥檚.
鈥?16th century, Krakow reached its economic peak, & prospered.
鈥?1596 the capital moves to Warsaw
鈥?1655 Invasion of the Swede鈥檚 brought a lot of damage
鈥?18th centuries numerous invasions brought the population from 300,000 to barely 10,000

Following the Third Partition of Poland, Krakow fell under the Austrian* rule. Austria proved to be less oppressive of the three occupants, the city enjoyed reasonable & steadily increasing cultural & political freedom. By the closing decades of the 19th century it had become a major centre for Polish culture and the spiritually non-existent country 鈥?a focus for intellectual life and theatre. The avant=garde artistic & literary movement known as Mloda Polska (Young Poland) was born here in the 1890鈥檚. It was also here that a national independence movement originated, which later produced the Polish Legions under the command of Jozef Pilsudski.

By the outbreak of WWII the city had 260,000 inhabitants, 65,000 of whom were Jews. The city witnessed their silent departure. The city was thoroughly looted by the Nazi鈥檚 but didn鈥檛 experience much combat or any bombings. As such, Krakow is virtually the only large Polish city that is intact.

After the liberation, the communists quickly established a huge steelwork at Nowa Huta. The by-product was an ecological disaster. Monuments that somehow survived all the above were methodically eaten away by the acid rain and toxic gas. The city today is again the political and cultural headquarters of Poland.

Krakow鈥檚 Dragon
According to legend, once a time there lived a powerful prince, Krak or Krakus, who built a castle on a hill named Wawel on the banks of the Wistula and founded a town after himself. It would have been paradise if not for a dragon living in a cave underneath the castle. This fearsome and ever-hungry huge lizard decimated cattle and sheep, and was not averse to human beings, especially pretty maidens.
The wise prince orders a sheep鈥檚 hide to be filled with sulphur, which was set alight, and the whole thing hurled into the cave. The voracious beast devoured the bait in one gulp, only then feeling the sulphur burning in its stomach. The dragon rushed to the river, and drank and drank and finally exploded, giving the citizens a spectacular fireworks display. The town was saved. The city immortalized in countless images, and the dragon鈥檚 monument has been placed where the beast once lived.

Wawel Castle
The political and cultural centre of Poland until the early 17th century, Wawel Royal Castle is one of the very symbols of Poland鈥檚 national identity. The original residence was small and built by King Boleslaw in the early 11th century. King Kazimierz Wiekli turned it into the formidable Gothic castle. It was burnt down in 1499. King Aygmunt Stary commissioned the new residence. It took 30 years but it was back to its splendor. The Renaissance structure and courtyard are preserved this day from their original.
Repeatedly devastated and sacked by the Swede鈥檚 & Prussians, the last Partition made the occupation by the Austrians. The intended to build a citadel. They did destroy and alter a number of rooms, area鈥檚 and buildings. They also added an additional brick wall around the whole castle for fortification.
Only in 1918 was the castle recovered by the Poles and restoration work began. This continued after WWII and continues to this day. A number of the treasures have been returned. Some of the items that were recovered prior to WWII were hidden away in Canada and given to locals for them to take with them when they fled. The recovery process continues. Russia has given back some of the treasures that were still in the governments possession.

Trumpet Call of St. Mary鈥檚
Stationed in the highest tower of St Mary鈥檚 are three men, 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. Every hour of every day they play their trumpets
to the four directions of the world. This is the legend behind their mournful trumpet sound:

In medieval Krakow the trumpet call came daily at dawn and dusk
from the highest structure which was the tower of St Mary鈥檚 &
sounded to the four directions of the city. In the morning the tune announced the opening of the city gates & time to begin the chores
of the day. In the evening it informed that the gates were closing
& it was time for rest.

The trumpeter was on alert every moment of every day. He was
the one who watched over the city and would play tunes to alert
or warn the citizens of dangers. One year the land was ransacked
by the Tartar hordes who spread through the country like locust.
That is when the trumpeters became even more watchful.

One day, early at dawn, when the night fog enveloping the city
finally starts to break and the sunbeams were beginning to light
the city, the trumpeter saw a massive black horde 鈥?a hostile army 鈥?
no doubt the Tartars. This guard immediately took hold of his
trumpet and blew with all his might. The familiar tune of the call, sounded so loudly & impressively that the citizens got up with a
start anticipating danger. The men armed themselves & took their positions on the towers, walls & various areas ready to fight off the attack. All the while, the trumpeter was still playing & playing as if
he was trying to inspire people to courage for the fight.

Hearing the warning call & commotion in the city the invaders realized their surprise attack was foiled. They were so fierce & intent upon
taking revenge that they released a number of arrows in the direction
of the tower of St Mary鈥檚. One of them reached the trumpeter and pierced his throat. The tune of the call broke off sadly and its echo accompanied the soul of the trumpeter on his way up to heaven.
In this way Krakow was able to avoid a Tartar invasion, as their leader the Khan must have seen this as a bad omen & gave up the invasion.

The story of the brave trumpeter has
survived till today and every day it
sounds over the Market Square in
Krakow. The tune of the call from
St Mary鈥檚 tells this story every hour,
as in order to commemorate the tragic
death of the trumpeter it always breaks
off suddenly in mid-bar, awaking the
memory of bygone days.

Three men are hired for the prestigious
position. They work 24 hour shifts &
two are present at all times. They play
to each side of the tower, every hour.
Since the passing of Pope John Paul II
they play, on the first Thursday of the
month at 9:37pm, a different melody.
The tune will be played until his sainthood
& even possibly for the rest of the times.
The tune is one of his favorites,
Tears for our
ST MARY'S IS A MUST!!!!!