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Welcome to the heart of Poland

6  Photos
The eastern half of the artificially lit Main Market Square proudly demonstrates its Christmas lighting at pre-dusk. The bottom left-hand corner is taken by the roof of the Cloth Hall. A tall Christmas tree is standing to its left in front of the uneven-towered St Mary’s Church. A large expanse of the city spreads behind a line of bright façades of Main Market Square mansion to its right, reaching the horizon behind which the Sun has just set.
Kraków’s Main Market Square
Two almost identical small three-storied white buildings with red roofs flank a low gate of masonry topped by two white lions, huddling between two taller buildings. The name “Ariel” displayed on all the three central structures is that of a popular Kazimierz restaurant. A group of tourists standing outside on the pavement under a tall leafless tree are greeted in its door by a waiter.
Kazimierz: district of Kraków
Pork ribs garnished with chilis, cherry tomatoes, and lamb’s lettuce leaves, are arranged on a wooden board, its Polish highland ornamentation partly covered by ramekins with sauce. A corner of a cloth-lined basket with some cutlery was caught in the top left-hand corner of the shot.
Spareribs, highlander delis, Witowianka Restaurant, Witów
The massive round body of the brick barbican in the foreground sports seven green-spired turrets. On the right it is reached by a lowered drawbridge. Its neck extends towards St Florian’s Gate visible among the lush greenery of the Planty Garden Ring that replaced former moats and most of the fortifications. The background consists of the roofs of houses and spires their perimeter used to defend. The skyline merges into a vividly blue though slightly overcast sky.
Rondel: Kraków’s barbican
The whole of brightly sunlit Wawel Hill seen from a drone. A wavy line of buildings and walls roofed with brick-red tiles are standing among the greenery, to reach the Cathedral with its green-spired towers in the centre, just left from the imposing body of the Castle. The city centre with its numerous churches makes up the background.
Wawel Hill from above the river, Kraków
A bird’s eye view of Wawel Hill. The brick and limestone walls of the cathedral with its towers boasting tall patinised spires dwarf both the Gothic houses of the same material on the left, and the wing of the castle plastered white under a tall dark red roof on the left. The distant plane consists of the mottle of buildings under a dusky sky with sandy, blue, white and almost black clouds.
The Cathedral and Castle on Wawel Hill, Kraków

Welcome to the heart of Poland

 

When choosing your holiday destination abroad, apart from the obvious desire for comfort, you look for unique and fascinating architecture, delicious cuisine, and a lavish treasury of stories, ranging from ancient legends, via tales of great historical moments, to gems of information about the lives of the locals, whether famous or ordinary, Małopolska and its capital Kraków are here for you. More

Małopolska, with an increasing number of sites recognised as part of the World Heritage by UNESCO, has waited for you for at least ten centuries, preparing an especial welcome for you in recent years.

Our region is not only compact and very well connected, but also boasts a perfect accommodation base and many people with vast local knowledge who are eager to help you. Apart from the obvious tourist guides, you’re likely to find aficionados of local culture among, e.g., the bartenders. Some, like you, were attracted to the city from far away. And they have decided to stay. We, the locals, attribute this to the genius loci – the spirit of the place.

Speaking of the spirit, there are many who believe that the steep limestone rock on which Wawel Castle was built contains a very special stone: one of the seven chakram of the world radiating soothing energy and lavishly bestowing it upon people coming within its range. And like stones – it has been here forever. Waiting for you.

Built on that rock known as Wawel Hill are Wawel Castle and the Cathedral – the heart of Polishness and the key to understanding Poland. There were times when the local dynasty, now buried here, commanded a quarter of Europe from this very place. And that’s only the beginning of your history lesson…

You’re probably interested in the most recent additions to the city: they include the full range of hotels, from five-star chains, boutiques and spas to accommodation preferred by students. You are also certain to find your preferred fare as, apart from delicious local cuisine, the region offers a range of international tastes and – believe it or not – English breakfasts with dishes as alien to the Polish palette as fried tomatoes and baked beans in tomato sauce.

May we suggest?

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A view of the figure of St Simon on a column surrounded by beautiful Easter palms, very tall and colourful, submitted to the annual competition. The palms are made of willow reeds, and decorated with boxwood, and colourful flowers and ribbons, mostly made of tissue paper. The figure is surrounded by a crowd of people admiring the beautiful palms under the blue sky against the tall roofs of the market square.

Małopolska Rites of Spring.

There is no other time for joyful celebration like the end of winter slumber, when all the nature is joyfully springing to life. Little wonder, all cultures and religions have developed particular celebrations for this time. Many of them are observed in local communities of Małopolska, a region that has retained many traditions, some of which date back to pagan times and have been transformed by not only the Western but also Orthodox and Greek churches. More

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A young man is leaning over a wooden table while working on a colourful stained-glass decoration. The furnished studio where stained glass is made provides the background.

The Miracle of Light.

Stained-glass may seem a forgotten art, yet it has never ceased to fascinate, especially when you are dazzled by the beauty of the light that has penetrated the multiple colourful glass panes. More

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A wide-angle shot of an evening at the Christmas fair in the Main Market Square. Clusters of people are gathered in front of brightly lit stands with assorted Christmas products in front of the warmly lit central section of the Cloth Hall. The top of the Town Hall Tower peers from behind it against a dark blue sky.

The Tinfoil Marvels of Kraków.

Dazzling with elements of local architecture in more colours than the rainbow has amassed around a minuscule Christ’s Manger, Kraków Nativity Scenes are perhaps the gaudiest element of early December in the city. More

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An aerial view of Wawel Hill – a huge castle built on its top and surrounded by ramparts, with cathedral towers visible in the back against a knee of a river flowing among distant urban developments.

Wawel: your royal treat, free of charge.

There is no more place more quintessentially Polish than Wawel. In November, the month when Poland celebrates its Independence Day, the Royal Castle opens to visitors for free. More

Małopolska has more to offer. Look and see:

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delicious local food
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incredible adventures
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wellness and relaxation
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meetings
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tour operators