Cemeteries and memorials to visit Krakow

This curious 34-meter-high grass-covered mound surrounded by a ring of brick buildings was built in the 19th century to honor Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the independence struggle. Today, it is a popular place for walking and an excellent vantage point. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of the Tatras, although they are 100 km away. At its feet, the small chapel of St. Bronislawa houses a museum to the glory of Tadeusz Kościuszko.

On the Rynek, between the Cloth Hall and the Church of Our Lady, stands this bronze statue of the Romantic poet, the work of Teodor Rygier, unveiled for the centenary of Mickiewicz's birth in 1898. Perched on a pedestal, it is surrounded by four allegorical figures, symbolizing poetry, patriotism, education and heroism. It is a favorite meeting place of Krakow's citizens and the focal point of the Christmas market.

At the end of Grodzka Street, before arriving in front of the Wawel, this wooden cross, installed in 1990, commemorates the victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940, when 22,000 Polish officers and managers were murdered on Stalin's orders and their families deported to Kazakhstan. Despite the evidence, the Communist authorities believe that it was a Nazi atrocity and it was not until the fall of the USSR that Boris Yeltsin acknowledged Moscow's responsibility.

It is the newest mound in Krakow as well as the highest in Poland. It was erected in honor of Marshal Józef Piłsudski after his death in 1935 using soil from World War I battlefields. It is located 1 kilometer north of the zoo. It can also be reached by following the marked trail from the Kościuszko Mound. It was the subject of a real memorial battle: the Nazis thought of razing it in 1941 and the communists removed the cross from its top.