Weekend in Krakow: things to do
Krakow is the city outside Ukraine we first visited together 5 years ago. Although since then we have been here over and over again, Krakow is something quite familiar and pleasant. During our 5th visit we discovered different vision of the city, without euphoria of something new and unknown. Every time we were in different places and not always visited the Market Square. And this time we were for the first time in some places but still walked around the heart of Krakow.
Krakow is the most popular city in Poland, and perhaps most Ukrainians who have visas and are abroad have at least once come here for the weekend. There is a box in the Square for donations for the Market Square reconstruction, it’s half full, and it’s possible to say that there is quite a lot of Ukrainian hryvnias.
Krakow has many unique features unlike other cities resembling it and they’re seen with the naked eye.
On the one hand the St. Mary Church with a sad legend of two brothers and rivalry that appears on the view of two towers.
There is the longest building called the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in the very center. This is the building on the ground floor of which there are souvenir shops and the whole market. And a museum and a coffee shop on the first floor.
The City Hall, or rather everything that is left of it since long ago, is on the diagonally-opposite side of the Market Square.
The sculpture, by which Krakow can’t be mixed with other cities for sure.
In the center of Krakow there is Wawel Castle, right near the river. We didn’t approach it this time. However, we could not simply pass the riverwalk. Once we fell in love with this city being in the morning by the river and watching the Krakowians’ life that were cycling, running, walking the dogs – everything near the water along with other Krakow’s features. We thought it’s so spacious, modern, and youthful here.
And then we are back to the center.
This time we decided to climb onto the St. Mary’s Church. Ticket price is 15 zlotys. It will be impossible to climb straight away since a certain limit of people is allowed there at once, and everyone else is to wait until they descend. And everything is because the stairs are very narrow and it’s pretty hard to miss one another.
We have hardly made it and have been almost disappointed because of small windows locked from inside, but fortunately, they can be opened. It’s good that few people are let up, otherwise there would be a queue to those windows.
The whole Krakow on all four sides can be viewed through these 5 small windows.
There is a trumpeter on the top of the tower performing a grand tradition: every hour he blows through all 5 windows (facing different directions), but each time cuts the tune short – as remembrance of another trumpeter, who was killed by enemies before he had to finish the tune. And after that the modern trumpeter waves his hand to everyone beneath.
And then some of the modern Krakow. Congress Centre Building. And intensive traffic around.
Krakow is a youth and creative city. You can find many interesting and creative things here. Just move a little away from the Market Square. For instance, here are dining establishments we were lucky to visit.
Visit Rzeszów, Łańcut, Krasiczyn in Poland
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