Kraków's Must-See Destinations

By Jessica Douglas

Krakow has become a popular tourist destination in recent years, due to its reasonable prices, cultural offerings, and exciting night life. It is pleasant enough for a short visit, but even better for a longer stay, when one can take in all the sights and customs at an unhurried pace. Home to many architectural and artistic masterpieces, there are some which should certainly not be missed on any tour of Krakow, no matter how short.

Mariacki Church, also known as St. Mary’s, dominates Rynek Glowny with its two towers. A bugle call erupts from the taller tower every hour in each of the tower’s four corners. While this is a wonderful sight, and it is enjoyable to see if the bugler will wave at you when he is finished, this is  nothing compared to the glory which awaits a curious visitor who actually enters the Church. Inside the church resides two masterpieces of carving done by Vitt Stwosz…an altarpiece, roughly twenty feet high and carved of linden wood ,and a crucifix, both dating to the same time in which Leonardo di Vinci painted the stunning Lady With An Ermine, also on display at the Czartoryski Museum, just down the street from Wawel Castle.

Wawel Castle and Cathedral has some priceless artifacts of its own, including one of the three surviving groups of medieval orthodox paintings to be found in Poland, the amazing gothic sarcophagus of King Sigismund III, and the crypt of Adam Mickiewicz, poet and Polish cultural icon.

 For those who feel a bit daring there is a journey up to the bell tower, where it is said that if one touches the heart of the bell (called the clapper in America) with their left hand, all their dreams will come true. And what trip to Krakow would be complete without a trip high above the castle and city on a hot air balloon?

This is just a short list of must-sees within Krakow’s Old Town. For every taste, there is likely to be an expression, and for every expression, there is likely a place to see. From Art Nouveau to Gothic, Eclecticism to Post-Communist, there is a new face of Krakow waiting around every corner. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of sights and experiences in this European cultural center.