Kraków Old Town

Historic Centre of Kraków

Central Kraków

Kraków Old Town district with the Royal Road

marked in red

Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, Poland.^[1] It is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today and was the centre of Poland's political life from 1038 until King Sigismund III Vasa relocated his court to Warsaw in 1596.

The entire medieval old town is among the first sites chosen for the

.

The Old Town is known in Polish as Stare Miasto. It is part of the city's first administrative district which is also named "Stare Miasto", although it covers a wider area than the Old Town itself.

Medieval Kraków was surrounded by a 3 km (1.9 mi) defensive wall complete with 46 towers and seven main entrances leading through them. The fortifications around the Old Town were erected over the course of two centuries.

(Wieża ratuszowa).

The whole district is bisected by

Vistula river

.

Obwarzanki krakowskie

salesman in Kraków Old Town

In the 19th century most of the Old Town fortifications were demolished.

Planty Park

.

History

The first mention of Kraków dates back to the second half of the ninth century. By the end of tenth century the city was incorporated into the Polish state under the rule of Piast dynasty. The episcopal bishopric was awarded to Kraków in 1000 and around that time, it became the residence of Polish kings for centuries to come. The history of the old city of Kraków revolves mainly around its Old Town District of today. Here, the regalia were stored and, back in early Middle Ages, a cathedral school was erected.

Around 700 A.D., local tribes initiated the process of forming the

but it is extremely difficult to establish when they were built.

The bishops residing at

, one of Europe's oldest institutions of higher learning, was founded.

In 1386 the Polish throne was entrusted to Lithuanian prince

Jagiellon dynasty

. Kraków instantly became the capital of a large monarchy which propelled the city's political and cultural development. Many great artists did their work in Kraków at that time.

Renaissance

The Old Town saw considerable development during the Renaissance. During this period Wawel Cathedral was rebuilt to include the architectural features of the Italian Renaissance. Bona Sforza, the second wife of Sigismund I of Poland, asked Bartolommeo Berrecci, Francisco the Florentian, Giovanni Maria Padovano, Santi Gucci and others to do this task. As a result, Kanoniczna Street became a part of the Old Town. It carries many features that are typical for that period. With the passing of the last Jagiellon king, the political life of Poland began to move to Warsaw.

.

During the first half of the 18th century, some outstanding works of art were created by fine architects including Kacper Bażanka and Franciszek Placidi. The culture of the Baroque era left a lasting mark on this part of the city. Gothic churches were converted into the spirit of the Baroque era and were fitted with new altars, sculptures, and paintings.

In 1794, the armies of

. In spite of these political developments, Kraków in a sense remained important for Polish patriots. The city's many cultural monuments became national memorials and the only representation of national identity for the next century.

In the 19th century, Austrian Emperor

.

During this period the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre was constructed. It is located at Holy Ghost Square. The theatre was built in place of an old hospital that was run by the Order of the Holy Ghost. The building is an example of the Polish Eclectic architectural style. In 1850 a fire spread through the city and caused substantial damages.

In 1876 prince

worked in the Old Town, which was also the place where numerous political independence movements were born.

Wartime

On 6 September 1939, German forces entered Kraków. The city became the capital of the

Plaszow

. The Old Town was plundered and many works of art were stolen. Museums, schools and theatres were closed. Professors were arrested. Jewish synagogues were devastated, despoiled of ceremonial objects and turned into storehouses for ammunition, firefighting equipment and Nazi general storage sites.

On 18 January 1945, the

.

Today the Old Town attracts visitors from all over the world. The historic centre is one of 17 places in Poland that are included on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architectural design of the Old Town has survived many cataclysms of the past and has retained the original form that was established in medieval times.

Throughout the year the Old Town is lively and crowded. There are many tourists, indefatigable florists, and lined up

.

There are many cafes, pubs and clubs, which are located in medieval basements and cellars with vaulted ceilings. The most famous places include "Wierzynek" Restaurant and Club "Pod Jaszczurami". Numerous events, concerts and exhibitions are organized there.

, or twisted ring-shaped breads, are undoubtedly a symbol of Kraków. On the Square there is a obwarzanki seller every few steps. Traditional obwarzanki are sprinkled with poppy-seeds. Today, sellers offer a whole variety of them; apart from poppy-seed, there are also sesame seed, rock salt and even pizza sprinkles. One can eat them while strolling or in a horse-drawn carriage while cruising around and glancing at yet another symbol of the old city, namely Kraków pigeons. One can also come across various buskers and mimes.

Numerous legends purport to explain the presence of numerous pigeons on the Main Square. According to one legend,

, but while on his way he lost everything and never managed to reach his destination. He returned to Kraków. None of his knights ever regained a human form.

Architectural monuments

The Old Town district of Kraków is home to about six thousand historic sites and more than two million works of art.[6] Its rich variety of historic architecture includes Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic buildings. Kraków's palaces, churches, theatres and mansions display great variety of color, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.

Many renowned points of interest in the Old Town, drawing a constant stream of visitors, include galleries as well as departments of the

.

Churches

The extended list of Catholic churches in the Old Town include:

.

• 
  Church of St. Andrew
• 
  Church of St. Anne
• 
  Church and monastery of Franciscans
• 
  Church of St. Martin
• 
  Kościół Mariacki
• 
  Pijary Church
• 
  Church of St. Wojciech
• 
  Church of St. Barbara
• 
  St. Florian Church
• 
  St. Casimir the Prince

The Old Town district has a profusion of bronze statues and marble monuments. The most pronounced is the

Other well-known monuments include the monument commemorating the poet

in 1900.

Along Planty – near the

• 
  Adam Mickiewicz
• 
  Józef Dietl
• 
  Eros Bendato
• 
  Nicolaus Copernicus
• 
  Tadeusz Kościuszko
• 
  Michal Balucki
• 
  Grażyna
• 
  Fredro
• 
  Piotr Skrzynecki

Among the best-known places to visit in and around the Old Town is

cabaret, created by renowned local artists, and a students’ club Pod Jaszczurami. The club is a legend in academic cultural circles. It is a popular place of meetings for the academic environment of Kraków where visitors are always welcome.

Moreover, the Square in the city centre is a place where many famous people and many important events were and are commemorated. There are plaques dedicated to the oath of Tadeusz Kościuszko in 1794, to Prussian Homage in 1525, and to supporting the renovation of

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in Poland
• Culture of Kraków
• Warsaw Old Town
• Wrocław Old Town

• Satellite photograph of the Old Town from Google Maps
• Kraków Old Town from Krakow-Poland.com