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Cracow
About Cracow
Cracow is the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, situated on the Vistula (Wisła) River at the foot of Wawel Hill in the southern part of Little Poland (Małopolska). It is the former seat of the Polish kings and national capital. The city has a history going back more than a thousand years and its rich heritage of palaces, churches and historic houses attracts millions of tourist every year to this part of Europe.
Local highlights
Explore the city!
- Visit the Old Town and the famous Wawel Hill
- Walk the Royal Route that takes you from the Barbican and St Florian's Gate to the Main Market Square and Wawel Royal Castle
- Walk the banks of the Vistula River
- Visit the historical Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) in the centre of Krakow. See the historical Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the Church of St Adalbert (Wojciech or Voitek), and St Mary's Church, one of Krakow's landmarks where the famous bugle call is played every full hour from one of its towers. See the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, the International Cultural Centre, or simply enjoy the numerous shops, restaurants, pubs and summer festivals.
- See the old Jewish city Kazimierz (today a city district) reminding of the history of Polish Jews. This is where Steven Spielberg shot Schindler's List. Walk its narrow streets, see the synagogues and Jewish cemeteries or simply enjoy the many cafés, clubs, and galleries.
Explore the rich cultural heritage of Cracow, such as
- The renaissance Royal Castle at Wawel with its royal chambers, collections of Oriental art and Flemish tapestries. Spend some time in the arcaded courtyard and visit the Wawel cathedral, the Royal Tombs and "Sigismund" Bell.
- The gothic St Mary's Basilica
- The historical trade pavilions of the Cloth Hall
- The House of Jan Matejko
- The Museum of Archaeology
Highlights in the vicinity
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Oświęcim (Auschwitz)
- The medieval Salt Mines of Wieliczka
- Ojcowski National Park
- The rocky Tatra Mountains a small 100 km away
- The city of Zakopane
- The mountainous trails of the Beskidy Mountains
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 1.2 Million (urban area)
- Timezone: UTC +1
- Police tel. number: 997
- Emergency from mobile phone: 112
Local transport
- Trams
- Buses
- Rent a bike
- Boat cruises along the Vistula River
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: The John Paul II International Airport Krakow-Balice
- Trains with InterCity connections to Warsaw takes (2.5 hours), and direct links to Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Kiev, Prague and Vienna
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