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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 band are performing on a large open-air stage in the centre of the picture. Two musicians playing trumpets can be seen on a bright TV wall to its right. In the square in front of the stage, hundreds of people are listening to the evening concert, there is a large historical brick building behind the stage.

Tapestry of Cultures: Kraków Festival Medley.

Can you preserve your identity while embracing the cultural traditions and spirit of other cities and cultures? Kraków answers with a resounding yes. For many years, the city has immersed itself in the Jewish world through the annual Jewish Culture Festival, held every summer since 1990. It has also transformed into a distant part of New Orleans for the Summer Jazz Festival Kraków, only to return to its multinational cosmopolitan ambiance for the ULICA Festival of Street Theatres. More

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Artificially lit hangar in the museum filled with plenty larger and smaller aircraft. Some of them are fighter planes.

A night like no other.

Every year, select European cities and towns participate in the Night of Museums. Why not choose Kraków/Małopolska this year? More

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A bird’s eye view of Tarnów Market Square with its central Renaissance townhall with a tower and townhouses surrounding it. Many café and restaurant tables are standing under large umbrellas in the square. The background is made up of multiple buildings, their skyline dominated by an impressive church with a tall spire visible against an overcast sky.

Plunge into Małopolska.

Why not treat yourself to a bank holiday weekend in Małopolska, a region whose diversity gives you positive surprises at every turn, whether majestic mountains, forests and lakes, unique architecture or simply great food? It provides a wealth of wonderful options to explore great locations, experience a different culture and – in particular – give you a break from the daily grind. It is a region for everyone – the active and the hedonistic alike. The options are many. More

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Inside the Main Auditorium of the ICE Kraków Congress Centre, an orchestra perform on the stage under a big projection screen sporting the Kraków Film Music Festival logo. The hall is full, with all the seats in the stalls and boxes taken.

Where films are born and celebrated.

UNESCO recognises Kraków in Małopolska a City of Literature, however, with its rich heritage and leisure industry, Kraków offers room for far more than just one art. The movie industry, fondly known in Polish as the “Tenth Muse”, is a goddess the locals bow regularly to. Particularly often during the various film festivals organised in the central city as well as elsewhere in the region. 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