Monuments to visit Krakow

A symbol of Polish national pride and unity, Wawel Hill and its architectural ensemble overlooking the Vistula River are the historical and cultural heart of Krakow, and a fortiori of Poland. Among the tourists, you'll see a host of classes from all over Poland reconnecting with their heritage. With its Christian sanctuary and castle, Wawel has symbolized the union of religious and secular power since the ^11th century, centered around the cathedral building, which was both the coronation and burial place of Polish kings, and is now also the site of the pantheon of Poland's most illustrious men. The last ones to be installed there, Lech Kaczińsky and his wife, caused a great deal of controversy.
The complex has two entrances, on either side of the Planty (logical, given that the Planty follows the trace of the old walls). The first, opposite rue Kanonicza, is the most authentic. It takes you up a short series of steps, past the wall on which the main contributors to the ^20th-century renovation are commemorated, past the site's secondary ticket office and through the cathedral door. The second, opposite Grodzka Street, is longer but less crowded, and offers superb views of the Vistula River.

Practical advice before starting your visit: the site is divided into numerous exhibitions, each with its own admission ticket (the cathedral has a separate ticket office). We advise you to keep things simple and buy your tickets online: there's no need to queue at the ticket office to find out that the day's stock is sold out. As the site is not always accessible, we recommend that you head for the main ticket office inside the venue, where the flow is faster and you'll get much more information. We also recommend taking a guided tour of the castle's interior. Make sure you don't arrive too late (especially in the afternoon), or you'll be forced to turn back rather quickly.

Wawel Esplanade. In the center, you can see the foundations of the ^14th-century churches of St. Michael and St. George, which were destroyed by the Austrians to build an arsenal. If you face the castle, you'll see the entrance to the main ticket office on your right, and to its right a small café terrace overlooking the city. On your left is the cathedral, facing the ticket office and the ecclesiastical apartments. Behind you, the surviving Austrian barracks, which include a café.

Lost Wawel(Wawel Zaginiony). Before rushing off to the royal apartments, we strongly recommend you visit this small, modern exhibition in the castle's basement kitchens. It traces the eventful history of the site and, above all, the enormous efforts made by the Poles to reclaim and restore their heritage. The exhibition is enhanced by archival images and videos, models and computer representations illustrating the parts of the building that have now disappeared. Understanding what the Wawel means to Poles makes the visit all the more enjoyable.

Royal Castle(Zamek królewski). The estate's main building boasts a splendid Renaissance courtyard. Its three superimposed galleries with columns and arcades give it the appearance of a fairy-tale palace. The present building dates from the ^16th century, commissioned by Sigismund I the Elder to the Italian architects Francesco Florentino and Bartolomeo Berecci. The castle marked the start of the Renaissance in Poland and symbolized royal authority for six centuries, before it burned down and the Court moved to Warsaw in 1596. First plundered in 1655 by the Swedes, then successively by the Russians and Prussians, it was already in a poor state of repair when it passed into Austrian hands in 1796. After the Krakow uprising, the castle was militarized by the Habsburgs in the ^19th century, who turned it into barracks and destroyed several buildings in the complex. The Austrian Poles obtained the right to buy it back and renovate it by raising a large national subscription in 1905, but restoration work didn't really get underway until 1918, when the country became independent. In 1939, Hans Frank, the bloodthirsty Nazi governor of Krakow, made it his residence.

The royal apartments(Prywatne Apartamenty Królewskie) include rooms from all periods, intended for the country's leaders. Several rooms have retained their Renaissance architecture and ceilings, while others with marble floors copy Versailles. The apartments also recreate the presidential suite, last occupied in 1938. The highlight of the visit is the collection of ^16th-century Flanders tapestries adorning the walls of the apartments of King Sigismund the Old and the state apartments on the^2nd floor. These tapestries, from the workshop of Brussels artist Michiel van Coxcie, were evacuated to Canada and only returned to Poland in 1962.

The State Apartments(Komnaty Królewskie). These enfilade rooms are a less lively, more solemn mirror image of the royal apartments. Luxurious styles from all eras can be found here, in former ceremonial and meeting rooms that once hosted foreign ambassadors, balls and weddings, and several throne rooms. The most surprising room is the Poselska Room, with its ceiling featuring thirty sculpted heads watching you. The most impressive and symbolic room is the Senatorska Hall, where Szczerbiec, the sword of the kings of Poland, is displayed in all its splendor.

The exhibition of oriental art(Sztuka wschodu) features trophies brought back from the legendary Battle of Vienna (1683) by John III Sobieski. The ^17th-century Turkish banners and tents were impressive works of art, marking the power and might of the Ottomans in the face of their enemies. The exceptionally rich tents could be worth several years' rent for small kingdoms. After this victory and the parade of the finest Ottoman artefacts, the Polish aristocracy adopted orientalist "Sarmatian" fashions in clothing, objects and furniture. If you're short of time, don't bother: better preserved and presented pieces can be found in the Czartoryski Museum.

The Crown Jewels and the Armory. The Armory has some superb pieces, but they are interchangeable with those in the National Museum or the Czartoryski Museum. It's also not very entertaining, and we marvel at the craftsmanship of the weapons and the exoticism of the hussar armor without knowing what they represent. The crown jewels suffer a similar fate. Unique and with a strong symbolic value, they're more than worth a visit, but then again, without having done your research, it's hard to understand the emotion of the Poles around you.

The Sandomierska Tower(Baszta Sandomierska). This artillery tower was built around 1460, during the reign of Casimir IV Jagellon, to reinforce the castle's defences. In times of peace, it was used as a prison. From its summit, there's a fine panoramic view of the city.

The Dragon's Cave(Smołka Jama). Legend has it that the Kraków dragon once lived here. Accessed from the top of the citadel via a small tower set against the surrounding wall, a 135-step staircase leads down into the bowels of the hill before bringing you out 70 meters further on to the Vistula quays. The little ones will be fascinated by the fire-breathing bronze dragon (every 5 minutes) installed at the exit (no need to pay a visit to the cave to see it), erected in 1972 by sculptor Bronisław Chromy. We recommend ending your visit to Wawel Hill with the Dragon's Grotto, which will take you straight to the banks of the Vistula.

A true symbol of the city, the Cloth Hall stands in the center of the Rynek. Built in the 14th century, it was destroyed by fire in 1555 and then remodeled during the Renaissance by the Italian Giovanni il Mosca. The building has since retained this appearance except for the neo-Gothic side arcades, added between 1875 and 1879. On the second floor there is the Gallery of Polish painting of the nineteenth century and a bar perfectly located to admire the view of the basilica.

Józef Mehoffer (1860-1946) was one of the greatest artists of the Polish Secession movement. In the 1930s, he bought this absolutely magnificent building and turned it into a musical and literary salon, the atmosphere of which can be clearly perceived during the visit. During the Second World War, he produced several works here, as the Nazis had forbidden him access to his studio at the Academy of Fine Arts. Some of his stained glass windows, paintings, projects and drawings can be seen here. The house has a pleasant garden and a café with terrace.

At the end of Rue Floriańska, this ^13th-century medieval gate and the two adjacent towers are the only remains of the old town fortifications demolished in the early ^19th century. At the time, the city wall comprised seven gates and forty-seven towers. You can access what remains of the old fortifications and walk the walkway between the two bastions still standing. The gate takes its name from the nearby Saint-Florien church.

This small circular fort was added to the fortifications in the ^15th century to ensure more effective defense of the town. Now isolated in the middle of the Planty, the fort was originally linked to the Porte Florian by a corridor known as "le cou". It is one of Europe's best-preserved barbicans, a marvel of medieval military architecture. It is open to visitors and, in summer, is sometimes used as a backdrop for medieval shows (sword fights and folk dances, of questionable quality, but entertaining).

Located in the center of the Rynek, this imposing 14th-century Gothic tower is all that remains of the old medieval town hall, which was destroyed in 1820. You can go up to the tower at different times of the year, and on the way up you learn more about the building and its importance at the time. The visit ends at the clock mechanism from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city and the church of Our Lady.

The first floor boasts a magnificent collection of Orthodox art from the Czech Republic, including icons and cult objects from the ^16th-17th centuries and an ^18th-century iconostasis. The collections on the second floor are devoted to Polish art from the ^12th to the ^18th centuries. Enthusiasts can really spend hours in this museum, while the more layperson will come away impressed. A must-see in Krakow.

This artillery tower was built around 1460, during the reign of Casimir IV Jagellon, to reinforce the castle's defenses. In times of peace, it was used as a prison. From its summit, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city.

The Plaszów camp was built in 1942 on top of two Jewish cemeteries whose gravestones(matzevahs) were used by the Nazis to make roads. In 1944 it became an extermination camp and more than 50,000 prisoners are believed to have disappeared there. At ul. Jerozolimska n. 3, you can see the house that housed a prison and torture rooms. In ul. Heltmana n. 22, was the residence of Amon Goeth, the SS officer in charge of the camp, known for his cruelty and executed in 1946.

You will certainly have noticed the building of the theater. Built by the Cracow architect Jan Zawiejski, between 1891 and 1893, it reminds by its shape the Opera Garnier of Paris. Its facade, rather eclectic, combines Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque elements. Its construction caused a lot of controversy at the time, since it led to the demolition of the medieval complex of the monastery and the church of the Holy Spirit. In protest, the painter Jan Matejko renounced his title of honorary citizen of Krakow.

The former Krakow ghetto extended between Lwowska Street, Rękawka Street and Podgórski Square, covering 20 hectares. Established by a decree of March 3, 1941, from March 20, 1941 all non-Jews residing in this area were forced to move to the other side of the Vistula River, while nearly 20,000 Jews were crowded here. The liquidation of the ghetto took place on March 13 and 14, 1943. Its population was deported to Auschwitz or the nearby Plaszów labor camp. In the central square, renamed Heroes' Square, was the Eagle Pharmacy. At that time, a streetcar passed through the ghetto without stopping. Passengers were not allowed to look out the window. There are still some fragments of the ghetto wall, one of which is located between Lwowska Street 25 and 29. It has a commemorative plaque and it is easy to recognize the shape of the arches, which are reminiscent of the Torah scrolls and Jewish tombstones.

Józefińska Street : it is in the main artery of the ghetto that the "path of memory" begins. At No. 10, the agency of the German Employment Office, where Jews were given a "job" without pay. At number 12, the orphanage. No. 14 was the hospital, from which all the wounded who were unable to reach the rally in the central square were shot dead one by one in March 1943. No. 18 was the welfare center for Jews, with a school for 6-14 year olds. Again, all the children were killed during the liquidation of the ghetto.