Planty in Kraków

Last time that we were in Kraków, we managed to visit the Old Town and the Royal Castle on the Wawel Hill. But the weather was not inviting and we could not admire one of the most enjoyable places there - the Planty park.

The peculiarity of Planty is that the park is actually round shaped and runs around the entire Old Town.

As you probably guessed, it was created in the nineteenth century when the rulers of the city decided that the old and falling walls, together with the accompanying moat, are no longer needed. Our walk today will start next to the Barbican.

Let's move into the green.

As we pass, you can see a small fountain.

It is located in the middle of an artificial lake.

The lawns are embellished with flowery carpets and monuments. The one in the back is commemorating Artur Grottger, a famous Polish painter.

And that one is for Lilla Weneda, a fictious character from a drama by one of the most famous Polish poets - Juliusz Słowacki.

And here comes another one, this time from a poem by probably the most famous Polish poet - Adam Mickiewicz. Her name is Grażyna (actually Mickiewicz invented this name himself but it is quite popular now in Poland).

As we move along, we can see several buildings of great importance to the city. Like the seat of the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts.

 Then comes the Collegium Novum so the new college of the Kraków University.

As you rightly guessed, if there is a new college, there must be an old one as well. But it is not called old but great - Collegium Maius.

It is the Jagiellonian University's oldest building, dating back to the 14th century. Today it is no longer belonging to students but was turned into a museum.

Just next to Collegium Maius you will find the Professor's garden.

Inside, you can realise what professors looked like when Mikołaj Kopernik was one of the students in Kraków.

I admit that I like this porch a lot.

Next to the University buildings, you can see a few remainings of the old walls.

I was walking on Planty with an American friend and he said it looks a lot like Central Park in New York. I have never been there so I cannot judge - any opinions?

Finally, we arrive to the other side of the Old Town, having made half of the length of Planty. Up there, you can already spot the Wawel castle.

But I propose we do not walk up the hill but instead take this nice lane and walk back to the Market Square.

Here, those of you who are too tired to walk can continue in one of those nice carriages. I will stay there and have a chat with my cousins.

Old Town of Kraków

I have shown you the Eastern and the Southern parts of the old Kraków. So let me take you on a trip from the North. The first what you see is a masterpiece of medieval military engineering - the Barbican, a circular fortress with 3 meters walls just outside of the moat, which served as a checkpoint for all travellers entering the city.

And the miniature of my size is also available, to let you see its shape, with 7 turrets. The Kraków Barbican is one of only 3 still left in Europe and the best preserved.

The moat is not needed any more so it was changed in a beautiful park called Planty, ...

... surrounding all the Old City of Kraków.

As you can see on the map, the Barbican was on the opposite end of the city to the Wawel Castle, so it became the starting point for the Royal Route used by kings' horses for coronation processions, parades and funerals. After moving the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to Warsaw it was also the way the royal court came to Kraków. Nowadays you can also follow the route with the help of horses. Here you have a carriage stop ...

and here comes the carriage as well as two of my cousins.

So let us take it and after the Barbican we go through St. Florian's Gate.

Here you can see the only part of the medieval city walls still preserved.

The artists use this place since more then century. I advise you to buy there a painting, you never know, maybe the author will become as popular as Jan Matejko.

Then the kings' horse went down the Florian street to the main city church visible at its end.

Yes, this is the famous St. Mary's Basilica.

Yes, it is huge, but again there is a miniature to let you see it whole.

Let me take you inside.

If you expect the XV century gothic church to be dark you will be surprised. This is my favourite church interior with fabulous ceiling in its back ...

... and the front part with the cross.

But at the end comes the medieval sculpture masterpiece:

The Alterpiece of Veit Stoss, the largest alterpiece in the world.

Did you notice the difference between the two images above ? Is it the same place ? Yes, my friends. Because the alterpiece is a tryptych, which is being daily ceremonially opened at 11.50.

But since it is almost noon, let's go outside to listen to a trumpet signal called Hejnał Mariacki. It is really played from here every hour.

You can listen it live all over the world daily at noon CET/CEST thank to the Polish Radio. The trumpeter made the Basilica famous in United States, thanks to the children novel The Trumpeter of Krakow, which won the Newberry Medal.

The basilica is located in one of the corners of the Kraków's Main Square which at roughly 40.000 square meters is diffcult to be shown in one image. So lets look right from the basilica, ...

... left from the basilica, ...

and let's take the walk through the square, to see the oldest church of Kraków - St. Adalbert's, with walls and portal from XI century, and ...

... to the renaissance Cloth Hall, the city icon, which is situated at the square center.

And it still performs its duty for 500 years.

Going the Royal Route you will take the Grodzka street ...

and passing the churches of St. Peter and Paul and of St. Andrew ...

you will reach the archibishop palace, where Karol Wojtyła, better known as John Paul The Second, has lived before going to Rome.

Going further we would reach the Wawel Hill that I have shown you last week. This way we finish our visiting, but please do not think you know the city. Because the main component of the city are its people, and people in Kraków are fantastic, not only by what they wear. I wish you much great time in Kraków!

The Wawel Hill

The Wawel Hill in Kraków is one of the most important hills in Poland. It is located just next to the best crossing of Vistula river,.

It is high enough to give the defenders natural cover and distant view to notice the danger early. It is also huge enough to gather significant garnisson and its logistical support.

So you should not be suprised it was settled for the last 100.000 years. The first legendary castle existed here already in VIII century and for sure the first cathedral was erected here in anno domini 1000. Below, you can see the remains of the St. Michael's chapel from XII century.

If you came as a foe you had to climb the high bastions covered by the fire from the flanks.

To enter the castle as friends you should instead take this steep road, the times when we horses could helped you are unfortunatelly over.

To assess better the size and the location of many building on the hill here comes a miniature of the place. I like it a lot because I perfectly fit into the size.

The Wawel Hill is so important for the Polish history because it hosted for more then five centuries Polish kings in the Royal Castle (on the right) and the Wawel Royal Cathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus (on the left) hosts them till now.

Although the oldest parts of the castle come from the times of Kazimierz The Great, its current look in reneissance style we owe to the Golden Age of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, King Sigismund the Old and his wife Queen Bona Sforza.



The most impressive part of the castle is its XVIth century internal courtyard.



Since now Poland is a democracy, the castle hosts today a museum with royal chambers. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to take pictures inside but you can have a glimpse at the interior of the castle under this link.

The remains of the great old times are exhibited in the Crown Treasury and Armory.

In the Armory you can see many weapons, like the very versatile halberds ...

... the crossbows ...

... and the muskets that replaced them.

I have told you that the kings are still on the Wawel Hill, because in the cathedral you can find the tombs of Polish Kings from Władysław I the Elbow-high to Augustus II the Strong. They are covered with the sarcophagus sculptured at the times of the funerals, presenting the almost real look of the kings.

Most of what you can see was constructed in XIV century, as a third try after two earlier fires, but there are inside parts, as the St. Leonard's Crypt which date to XI century. You can enter the cathedral but not to take pictures inside.

Please notice the bone left above the entrance.

It belonged to the Wawel dragon. He lived in the Dragon's Den just below the hill.

If you have never been to the dragon's apartment it is the only chance.

It is colourful,

equipped with electricity

and really high. The host waits outside.

If you wait a few minutes he can even breathe fire for you. If you are brave enough to catch him with your hands, they will be hot enough to let you have a star on the boulevard between the Hill and the Vistula river. The company there is really spendid.

But no horseshoe by now. Maybe some knight wants a ride ?