"It was originally established in 1335 and named after its founder, King Kazimierz Wielki (Casimir the Great), who intended the established city of Krakow. It remains one of the most culturally significant Jewish areas in the world. In 1495, the Jews who were expelled from Krakow settled here, and Kazimierz became a mixture of Christian and Jewish culture. During the war the Nazis did all they could to destroy and ruin Kazimierz. After the war, decades of communist neglect left Kazimierz a crumbling ruin."
(Krakow Jewish Quarter)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter Memorial)
(Krakow Jewish Quarter Memorial)
After we had finished touring the Jewish ghetto we headed to the castle in the center of Krakow. While it is not nearly as impressive looking at the Prague castle, it has a very different feel to it along with a very different style of architecture. Sadly we didn't stay long because we had a few more things to see and they wanted to give us some time of our own.
"The glorious ensemble that is Wawel, perched on top of the hill of the same name immediately south of the Old Town , is by far the most important collection of buildings in Poland. A symbol of national pride, hope, self-rule and not least of all fierce patriotism, Wawel offers a uniquely Polish version of the British Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey rolled into one. A gorgeous assortment of predominantly Romanesque, Renaissance and Gothic architecture dating from around the 14th century onwards, Wawel is the crown jewel of Kraków's architectural treasures and required visiting for Poles and foreigners alike. Even for those who know little about the country’s past, Poland’s ancient seat of royalty contains a vast wealth of treasures inside its heavily fortified walls that can’t fail to inspire. Made up of the Castle and the Cathedral, of which the former contains most, but by no means all of the exhibitions, Wawel’s must-see highlights include the Cathedral’s mind-boggling interior, a tantalising glimpse of Poland’s very own crown jewels inside the Crown Treasury and, weather permitting, a leisurely stroll around its courtyards and gardens. After the April 2010 Smolensk disaster, Wawel's Royal Crypts became the final resting place of President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria."
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
(Wawel Castle)
Once we made our way down from the castle we wandered around the streets of old town while our guide pointed out some important monuments. We stopped in a beautiful old church that had stunning art nouveau decorations and then we moved onto the big church in the center of town. Krakow in general reminds me a lot of Prague but with more families and just in general more homey feeling.
(Krakow)
(Krakow)
(Krakow)
(Krakow)
(Krakow)
"Yet the world’s arguably greatest modern stained-glass window can be admired barely a block away, where the powerful depiction of the Creation has shone above the entrance to the basilica of St. Francis’ opposite the Archbishops’ Palace at the Franciszkanska street since the turn of the last century. The design of Krakow’s artistic and literary genius Stanislaw Wyspianski (1869-1907), entitled ‘Become!’ but known also as ‘Our Father’, radiates creative energy. It topped his other outstanding works in the same imposing Romanesque temple dating back to the 13th century. In the years 1897-1902 he also designed six stained-glass windows in the chancel–the four elements plus saints Francis of Assisi and Salomea of Krakow–as well as the nave’s impressive fresco decor of giant wild flowers."
(Basilica St. Francis)
(Basilica St. Francis)
(Basilica St. Francis)
(Basilica St. Francis)
(Basilica St. Francis)
(Krakow)
(Krakow)
(Cloth Hall)
(Cloth Hall)
(Krakow)
"Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven (also known as St. Mary's Church) is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century (originally built in the early 13th century), adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by the Polish national Radio 1 Station. St. Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like St. Michael's and St. John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the so-called Polish Cathedral style. The church is familiar to many English-speaking readers from the 1929 book The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly."
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
(St. Mary's Church)
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