Krakow at the weekend

Krakow is a city that, in fact, cannot be visited only during the weekend. However, today's lifestyle does not often allow us to stay in one place for a long time. A city with over a thousand years of history, many churches, tenement houses, squares, theaters and parks gives us a great room for maneuver when it comes to choosing tourist routes.

We assume that a typical tourist comes to Krakow on Friday evening. After transfer from the airport or arrival by car and accommodation, it is important to familiarize yourself with the atmosphere of the city. Then it is no longer possible to enter most museums, so it is worth taking a walk inside the Planty Park. The beginning of the route is usually around the Barbican, which protected the city from the north. It is a medieval building that was built at the end of the 15th century. It used to be connected with the Florian Gate. Next to this gate we can also see the towers: from the east the Pasamoników and from the west Carpenters and Carpenters. In addition, the city arsenal has been preserved. There is an interesting anecdote related to the preservation of this fragment of the city walls. In the first half of the 19th century, walls and churches were demolished in Kraków to make more space in the city. The well-known Krakow architect Feliks Radwański raised the problem that the Florian Gate must stay, because it would be rude to let the northern winds blow the dresses of Krakow ladies. And so the gate has remained until today.

Towards the Main Square

We go along Floriańska Street to the Main Square. We walk Via Reggia, the Royal Way. This is the route of famous coronations and funerals. It leads all the way to the castle on the Wawel Hill. In Floriańska Street you can see house no. 45 in the evening, we can go for coffee and cake to the famous cafe "Jama Michalika", where in the evening we will feel in stylish interiors like members of Krakow's artistic bohemia from the beginning of the 20th century. After all, the "Zielony Balonik" cabaret performed in these walls. It was here that Boy-Żeleński, Piłsudski, Wyspiański and Sławek met. After a rest, it is worth walking by Matejko's house at No. 41. It is also worth stopping by the tenement house No. 14. This is the "Pod Różą" hotel, which is known for the fact that Tsar Alexander I, Prince Konstanty Pawłowicz and Franciszek Liszt lived there.

After a walk along Floriańska Street, we can see the Main Market Square from the north - one of the largest market squares in medieval Europe. In the evening hours, it is worth just walking around the square, turning right and walking on the northern side because of the great illumination. On the corner with Floriańska Street we have the "Mint" tenement house, where Kościuszko and Moniuszko slept. In the facade of the house at 45, the "Under the Eagle" tenement house, you can see a phoenix designed by Stanisław Wyspiański. On this side of the Market Square, the tenement house No. 41 "Pod Feniksem" is worth seeing. It belonged to the Vienna Insurance Company "Feniks" and was rebuilt in the interwar period by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz. It has a modern shape that is original in the center of Krakow. At the end of the northern part of the Market Square, we have the "Pod Jeleniem" house, where Goethe and Tsar Nicholas I visited. Now we walk along the western frontage. On the corner there is the Krzysztofory Palace, which today is the seat of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. The arcaded courtyard is worth seeing. One of the most representative tenement houses on the Market Square is the "Pod Baranami" Palace at No. 27. It is known for the "Pod Baranami" cabaret and the cinema of the same name. Jan Kochanowski, Łukasz Górnicki, Prince Józef Poniatowski and Kaiser Franz Josef used to pass through this building. Now we go to the town hall tower, which was built in the fourteenth century and is a relic of the old town hall. Under the tower, you can take a photo in the head-shaped sculpture created by Igor Mitoraj. Continuing our walk around the Market Square, we traverse its southern frontage. At the corner of Wiślna, there is a tenement house "Under St. John Capistrano". Its patron is a saint who stayed in it during his stay in Krakow. Legend has it that Mr. Twardowski lived in this building. The famous poet Władysław Orkan died in the tenement house no. 21 "Under the Evangelists". An interesting element of the tenement house No. 19 is the painting of Mary, from which the building took the name of the tenement house "Under the Image". It is worth entering the hall of the "Hetmanska" tenement house from No. 17. You can see Gothic vaults there. The famous Wierzynek restaurant is located in the tenement house 15. House no. 8 "Pod Jaszczurką" attracts attention in the eastern frontage of the Market Square. The famous club "Pod Jaszczurami" is located here. Walking towards St. Mary's Church, we pass the "Szara" tenement house at No. 6. It housed the headquarters of the Kościuszko Uprising. Today's interior was designed by Józef Mehoffer. We turn towards the center and we see the statue of Mickiewicz designed by Teodor Rygier. Behind it are the 16th century Sukiennice, where the trade continues to this day, only in souvenirs. Of course, you cannot ignore St. Mary's Church as the most important in the city and with the tallest tower. Inside you should pay attention to the wooden gothic main altar by Wit Stwosz, the mannerist ciborium, ornamentation and chapels. After the tour, you can go for dinner, which, depending on the venue, can be eaten from PLN 20 upwards. In Krakow, you can find dishes of many cuisines, from Japanese to American.

Museums and other monuments of Krakow

The second day of visiting Krakow should start with museums. At the beginning, you should visit Wawel, of course, due to the avoidance of crowds in the afternoon hours. On the hill, it is worth seeing the "Lost Wawel" exhibition, where you walk around archaeological witnesses who remember the times of the first Piasts. Later the cathedral. In it you should see the funerary confession of St. Stanisław, the tombstone of King Casimir the Great, the Sigismund Chapel, royal tombstones, bishop's chapels and climb the tower to see the Sigismund Bell and the Old Town of Krakow. The key point of Wawel is the Renaissance royal castle. Unique in our region. It was built in the first half of the 15th century. Due to the limited time, it is best to visit the representative rooms on the second floor and the East Wawel exhibition, where you can see the achievements of the Turks near Vienna. Descending from Wawel, we go along the Vistula embankment to Kazimierz. We start our tour of this district from the church on Skałka where St. Stanisław and where a procession from Wawel goes every year to honor this saint. The next point is the church of St. Catherine. It is the longest church in Krakow. It was built in the 14th century and would almost collapse in a 19th century earthquake. We go to Wolnica Square. It was the market square of the former city of Kazimierz. Attention is drawn to the town hall and the Corpus Christi church founded by Casimir the Great. Walking down St. Wawrzyńca street, we pass the 19th century industrial architecture and come to the Jewish quarter. Before World War II, over 60,000 Jews lived in all of Krakow. Today it is several hundred. It is worth going for a walk and having dinner on Szeroka Street or in other pubs in Kazimierz. Then we visit the museum in the Old Synagogue on Szeroka Street and the Remuh synagogue with the adjacent cemetery. While walking around Kazimierz, it is also worth stopping by the Kupa and Popper synagogues. From Kazimierz, we cross the Vistula River to Płaszów and visit the museum in the former Schindler's factory. Then we take the tram to the Main Post Office and visit Krakow churches. It is known that it is impossible to visit all of them, but recommendable in the order of visiting: St. Mary's Basilica, St. Anna (after visiting this church, we go to the university district and visit Collegium Maius), Franciscans, Dominicans, Peter and Paul, St. Andrew and St. Giles. From under the Wawel Hill we go to dinner at one of the many restaurants in Krakow. In the evening, Krakow offers fun until dawn in many clubs, discos and restaurants. Everyone, from millionaire to college, can find something for themselves.

Architecture of real socialism

On Sunday, you can go to Nowa Huta and see the architecture of real socialism. In this district, worth recommending are the Central Square, the gate of the ironworks, the Church of the Lord's Ark, the place where the Nowa Huta cross was defended during the Polish People's Republic and the church, the Cistercian abbey in Mogiła with the grave of Wincenty Kadłubek and the cross with a figure of Christ whose hair grew up were built. After returning to the center of Krakow, you should still see the art gallery in the cloth hall, the Wyspiański museum and the museum in the basement of the market square. After lunch, you can rest in Jordan Park and climb the Kościuszko Mound and see the panorama of the city for the last time. When you are in this area, you cannot forget about the charming monastery of the Norbertine Sisters and the Church of the Holy Savior - one of the oldest in Krakow.

The weekend in Krakow is slowly coming to an end, so you should still walk around the Market Square to say goodbye to the royal and capital city. Then you just have to get home happily and tell about this beautiful city. Certainly, it cannot be visited all over the weekend, but what is most important, you can easily see it. After all, Krakow is a city that will not let anyone say "goodbye". There is always a reason to come back here.