Krakow is, in many ways, the most beautiful city in Poland. This is confirmed by the large number of tourists they know. Its main difference with the capital of the Country, Warsaw, is in the construction. Warsaw, having been completely destroyed during the Second World War, was rebuilt with more modern standards. It is a modern city with many skyscrapers and a fast pace of life. Krakow, on the other hand, is much more traditional with picturesque buildings, lush green parks and lower traffic. The city was founded in the 7th century and was the capital of the country between 1038-1596. It is also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

How to get there

Krakow has an airport and there is a connection with Greece. Alternatively, however, you can travel to Warsaw in order to combine with both cities your Visit. From Warsaw, you will move to Krakow, with state-of-the-art trains in the country. The journey takes about 2 hours and on the way you can enjoy the dense forests of the country, combined with old houses.

What to See

Once you reach Krakow, it is sure to be fascinated by the traditional architecture combined with the lush parks. If the visit takes place in winter, the snow will be greatly combined with the city. Christmas, especially Krakow, is also transformed through the exceptional adornment into a truly, fairy-tale city. The center of Krakow is considered to be its great medieval square, which is one of the largest in Europe. Its length reaches 200 meters and is surrounded by plenty of traditional buildings, cafes, restaurants, and other shops. In the middle of the square, there is the Sukiennice, a medieval fabric market, built in 1555. Today you will find many tourist shops in the arcade located on the ground floor, as well as the homonymous museum with paintings by Polish painters of the 19th century. The square also has many artistic venues and many bar-cafes housed in them. In addition, it is a good opportunity to visit the Mariacka cathedral, the town hall (built in the 15th century) and the historical museum at the Krysztofory Palace. Krakow If you choose to have fun at night in a bar or club, do not miss the chance to taste local street food in the center of the square. Indeed, if you are a meat lover, you will not be disappointed at all. And the prices are also very good. A short distance from the square, you can visit the Wawel Castle, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Krakow. This particular castle was the center of the administration of Krakow, when the city was the capital of the country. The Castle Museum consists of five interesting sections. Explore the palace rooms, the king’s special apartments, the treasury, the arsenals, and the chapel of the Shimond. One visit, in addition, is worth the city’s cathedral, which was built in 1364 and where all the Polish leaders were buried historically.

The Jewish Quarter

Next stop is Kazimierz, or the Jewish Quarter. For more than 500 years, the heart of the Jewish culture of Poland has been beaten here. During the German occupation, the place was used as the place of concentration of the Jews before being taken to Auschwitz. Today, there are many facilities on issues of German occupation in the country and Jewish life, such as the Galician Museum and the old synagogue. Despite its past, today the area is very lively and there bohemian artists gather, while it has lively nightlife through bars, restaurants and clubs. Krakow Around Krakow May the city enjoy unique beauty, yet there are places around it, which are just as remarkable. Primarily the Wielizka salt mines at only 15 km are one of Poland’s most famous sights. It is really a very interesting destination, with beautiful natural salt-based items, such as hanging chandeliers, the premises of an underground monastery, made of salt alone.

The most famous sight I kept for the end. Of course we are talking about Auschwitz, the concentration camp and then exterminating millions of people, by the Nazis. It is located in Oswiechim. There are no words about how frightening it is. A visit to Auschwitz will really make you look and trouble you, especially when you see the victims’ personal items exhibits and when you hear the stories behind them. Many times, human horror transcends every imagination. It is no coincidence that it is said that on your visit you will feel that “you are listening to the cries of the victims”, by the atrocities of the Germans.

“Auschwitz” is the German name of the city of Oswiecim located in Poland, about 60 kilometers outside of Krakow, where the conquerors converted old military camp sites in Poland concentration and then mass extermination of souls. What is most shocking to the visitor, after passing the threshold with the cynical inscription “Arbeit macht Frei” (the work is liberating), is the methodical work, the intensive study of procedures and the construction of infrastructure to ensure maximum effectiveness in this terrible work . Terrible and brutalities have been many in human history, many of them motivated by sick, religious or non-ideologies. However, the case of the mass extermination of people for racial or religious reasons in Auschwitz and other Nazi spikes stands out because it has been carefully and studied, just in the same way that a modern factory would be set up to increase productivity and reduce Of the cost. A visit to Auschwitz generally requires a stomach, especially when one finds in front of the exhibits of personal items, small shoes and children’s clothes, many of which were apparently of childhood when they were murdered. The highly organized museum is highly instructive and acts as a serious warning about the dangers of totalitarianism and the fanaticism of any hue that we can not ignore even today. Each year it receives more than 1,500,000 visitors (including 5,500 Greeks) and is one of Krakow’s main “attractions”. The day trip can be combined with a visit to the Wieliczka Saltwater, which has a history of 700 years and more than 300 kilometers of galleries and a small part of it is open to the public. A stoa is in fact shaped into a chapel in honor of the Blessed Kinga, patron saint of the workers in mines. The “salt sculptor” in this church has been carved, entirely and impressively by craftsmen, by the saltmakers themselves, who even made the chandeliers of salt crystals.

The post Krakow: A city-jewel in the heart of Europe appeared first on Travel your dreams.