Anjas
18 Nov 2006 / #1
Cracow is a diverse place and everyone might find his own key to its rich culture cognition. You could go through the sacral architecture and follow its development from early Middle Age till present days. You’ll be able to have fun during the night going from one pub to another and doing the clubbing as all of them are close to one another. You may have your fancy drink in a restaurant’s garden and observe the passers - by. Classic sightseeing tours allow to immerse in he city atmosphere. Such walking remains in our memories for a long time.
The following are some of the possible tourist routes one might find attractive to choose from.
1. The Royal Road.
Ceremonial tour of royal march, great funerals and festive parades. The historical road leads from St Floriana church through Barbakan, Florianska Gate and Grand Market to the Royal Palace on Wawel Hill.
At Florianska street we can find interesting, historical houses: Jan Matejko House, Hotel “Pod Roza”, old Palace of Kmita. Next the tour leads through Grand Market. This is the heart of the city life, place for meetings, full of tourists in each season of the year, with its characteristic pigeons and florists near monument of Adam Mickiewicz, and hackney cabs. Here we should see Mariacki church with its magnificent altar sculpted by Wit Stwosz. Every full hour a trumpet player gives an unique signal from the church’s tallest tower.
Sukiennice is located in the central Market’s area. It’s a medieval shopping arcade. A town hall’s tower rises above it. The tour leaves Grand Market leading towards St Wojciech Romanesque church, to Grodzka street where there are St Trinity church, Franciscan monastic order and Wielkopolski Palace.
Grodzka street leads us past baroque church of St Peter and Paul to the Royal palace and a cathedral on the Wawel Hill. Wawel cathedral is the necropolis of Polish kings and national heroes. There are Zygmunt chapel - a great Renaissance work of art and Zygmunt’s Bell (it weighs 8 tons) originating from 1521. The unique collection of 137 tapestries and artwork of oriental collection from 16th –17th centuries (period of Polish and Turkish wars).
2. The Univeristy Tour.
Jagellonian University (JU) was founded in 1364. It’s one of oldest universities in Central Europe. That was the golden period of Cracow’s prosperity, humanism and reformation, which created the identity of the city. Among the students of Jagelloninan University there were many Polish scientists and famous thinkers such as e.g. Mikołaj Kopernik and John Paul II..
The university tour begins at the Academy of Arts, it leads through Planty park and winds itself among historical structures: Collegium Maius, Nowodworski Collegium, Collegium Novum and Collegium Iurisdicum.
Not far from the center there is a modern building of Jagellonian Library and the beautiful Kopernik street with a lot of university’s clinics - Collegium Medicum. At the end of the tour you should visit JU Botanical Garden. There is an old astronomic observatory there.
3. Trail of John Paul II.
Cracow was always present in life of John Paul II. Being a student, worker, priest, teacher, bishop, archbishop and finally being the Pope, John Paul II was constantly close to various places in the city. One might visit them and find oneself closer to the phenomenon of Karol Wojtyla.
The early period of John Paul’s stay in Cracow is related to Jagellonian University, his parents’ grave at Rakowicki Cementery and houses in Debniki. During the II world war Karol Wojtyla was working in Zakrzewek quarry and at the plant “Solvay” in Lagiewniki and studying at the High Seminary in Cracow Archdiocese. After the war he came back to Cracow and took over St Florian parish near Matejko square.
He took holy orders in Wawel Cathedral and settled down in Cracow Bishop Palace. Being a bishop he supported Arka Pana church’s uprising in Nowa Huta. During Polish pilgrimages John Paul II was visiting Cracow and consecrating its churches.
The following are some of the possible tourist routes one might find attractive to choose from.
1. The Royal Road.
Ceremonial tour of royal march, great funerals and festive parades. The historical road leads from St Floriana church through Barbakan, Florianska Gate and Grand Market to the Royal Palace on Wawel Hill.
At Florianska street we can find interesting, historical houses: Jan Matejko House, Hotel “Pod Roza”, old Palace of Kmita. Next the tour leads through Grand Market. This is the heart of the city life, place for meetings, full of tourists in each season of the year, with its characteristic pigeons and florists near monument of Adam Mickiewicz, and hackney cabs. Here we should see Mariacki church with its magnificent altar sculpted by Wit Stwosz. Every full hour a trumpet player gives an unique signal from the church’s tallest tower.
Sukiennice is located in the central Market’s area. It’s a medieval shopping arcade. A town hall’s tower rises above it. The tour leaves Grand Market leading towards St Wojciech Romanesque church, to Grodzka street where there are St Trinity church, Franciscan monastic order and Wielkopolski Palace.
Grodzka street leads us past baroque church of St Peter and Paul to the Royal palace and a cathedral on the Wawel Hill. Wawel cathedral is the necropolis of Polish kings and national heroes. There are Zygmunt chapel - a great Renaissance work of art and Zygmunt’s Bell (it weighs 8 tons) originating from 1521. The unique collection of 137 tapestries and artwork of oriental collection from 16th –17th centuries (period of Polish and Turkish wars).
2. The Univeristy Tour.
Jagellonian University (JU) was founded in 1364. It’s one of oldest universities in Central Europe. That was the golden period of Cracow’s prosperity, humanism and reformation, which created the identity of the city. Among the students of Jagelloninan University there were many Polish scientists and famous thinkers such as e.g. Mikołaj Kopernik and John Paul II..
The university tour begins at the Academy of Arts, it leads through Planty park and winds itself among historical structures: Collegium Maius, Nowodworski Collegium, Collegium Novum and Collegium Iurisdicum.
Not far from the center there is a modern building of Jagellonian Library and the beautiful Kopernik street with a lot of university’s clinics - Collegium Medicum. At the end of the tour you should visit JU Botanical Garden. There is an old astronomic observatory there.
3. Trail of John Paul II.
Cracow was always present in life of John Paul II. Being a student, worker, priest, teacher, bishop, archbishop and finally being the Pope, John Paul II was constantly close to various places in the city. One might visit them and find oneself closer to the phenomenon of Karol Wojtyla.
The early period of John Paul’s stay in Cracow is related to Jagellonian University, his parents’ grave at Rakowicki Cementery and houses in Debniki. During the II world war Karol Wojtyla was working in Zakrzewek quarry and at the plant “Solvay” in Lagiewniki and studying at the High Seminary in Cracow Archdiocese. After the war he came back to Cracow and took over St Florian parish near Matejko square.
He took holy orders in Wawel Cathedral and settled down in Cracow Bishop Palace. Being a bishop he supported Arka Pana church’s uprising in Nowa Huta. During Polish pilgrimages John Paul II was visiting Cracow and consecrating its churches.