Historic Centre of Kraków

Kraków, Poland

The urban layout of Cracow, an outstanding example of medieval architecture, is based on four core areas: the centre, around the market square; the Wawel, the hill inhabited since the Palaeolithic and the site of the imperial palace; the urban district of Kazimierz; and the Stradom quarter.

The historic centre of Cracow, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants' town has Europe's largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town's fascinating history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, the Jagellonian University, and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried.

Stare Miasto is the old city, characterized by the rigid grid of perfectly orthogonal streets, the layout ordered by Boloslaw the Chaste in 1257 when he decided to unify the various peoples scattered around the hill of the Wawel. All that remains now of the medieval enclosure walls is the gate and the little wall that was built in 1499 near the main city gate.

The old city is separated from the old district of Kazimierz. Until the 1880 Diet Kazimierz was an island, forming the Jewish quarter of Cracow. As in every city, Jewish culture enriched Cracow, until in the Second World War the entire Jewish community of 64,000 individuals was deported to the nearby concentration camps at Auschwitz; only 6,000 returning at the end of the war.

The university quarter is the oldest in Poland and among the oldest in Europe. Students here have included Copernicus and Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II). Within the historic centre there are many churches and monasteries. The limestone hill of the Wawel is the site of a complex that houses some of the most important buildings. These include the Royal Palace, seat of the king in the period when the boundaries of Poland extended from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Today the palace accommodates a museum that displays splendid tapestries, the Royal Treasury (unfortunately depleted in periods of difficulty), royal standards, and antique furniture. Within the Wawel is the Gothic cathedral of St Wenceslas. Its exterior illustrates the complex history of this building. The cathedral was for centuries the scene of the main events of the Polish royal families - coronations, weddings, and funerals.

In the part of the castle accessible on the Wisla, there is a small park at the base of the hill with the cave of the legendary Krak, prince and head of a Slav tribe. At the entrance to the Wawel the ancient Royal Way of monuments and remarkable historical buildings begins. Then comes the heart of the old city: the Market Square (Rynek Głowny). This is one of the largest medieval public squares in Europe, 200 m on each side. The building in the centre of the square is the Skiennice, the ancient cloth market. One side is dominated by the Gothic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Historic city squares, old towns and villages in Poland

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

P K (4 months ago)
Great location and walking distance to most tourist attractions. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I took out one star as the bathtub is poorly designed, the bathtub is very high, and the glass door barrier is 1/3 of the tub, which caused the flooding everywhere when shower. Something to think about as it could cause slip and fall.
Mike M (4 months ago)
What a fantastic establishment. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Krakow city Center for four days during a recent visit to Poland. The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance of old town and a good majority of the tourist destinations. There are small little stores just down the street from the hotel, so you can easily resupply your water and other needs for the day. The hotel staff is very polite and friendly. Much to my surprise I was upgraded to a suite upon my arrival even though I had booked a standard room. Thank you!!! The hotel was immaculate and well kept and housekeeping kept the room clean. I had an excellent stay, and I would highly recommend the Holiday Inn if you were visiting Krakow!
Ahmed Al ali (4 months ago)
Prime location near to the city center. The staff were professional and very friendly. The size of the room was good "premium room". The check-in and check-out process were fast. The only thing that need to be improved is the breakfast. The breakfast was good, but they need to have more variety of food. In summary, I highly recommend this hotel.
Mischelle Greener (5 months ago)
The rooms were clean and the location was within walking distance of the old city. We had a reservation for an upgraded room. At first, we were put into an “upgraded room” that was directly above the car elevator which was very loud. We asked to be moved and our second room on the top floor was much quieter. We paid extra for the hotel breakfast. It was HORRIBLE! There wasn’t a lot of variety and it didn’t taste very good. However, what made it our worst experience in the three weeks of our Europe trip was that the breakfast area was so incredibly busy that there wasn’t enough room to sit or get your breakfast without being repeatedly jostled. It was also incredibly loud. When I complained to the front desk, they shrugged their shoulders and said it’s always like this. If that is true then they can problem solve by opening up more space and/or offering a continental breakfast that can be picked up and taken to your room to eat in peace. The next day, my husband went earlier thinking it would be better but it was even worse. There were children grabbing lots pastries with their hands and then putting them back on the serving platters. It was still completely crowded with people bumping into others to get their food.
Vishnu K Ajith (5 months ago)
The hotel is located in the very good location with a good accessibility to the old town and main city centre.. The hotel is always busy with customers because of its good service, location and hospitality. So that sometimes in the very peak time the staffs were little busy and thus might be a small delay happens. I prefer the hotel. And the staffs were very kindly, friendly and maintaining good manner.
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