Lynne's Travels : June 2023

Krakow

I can highly recommend a short break to Krakow, there is so much to see here in such a compact city. It is very easy to navigate – the Old City is surrounded by The Planta (a garden planted with hundreds of trees that provide delightful shade in the hot summer months), making it very easy to get your bearings. From the airport, it is only a 15-minute train ride into the city – costing only a few euros – and terminating only 100 yards from the Old Town (which is where most tourists stay). I could not believe how many famous people are from Krakow or had close links with the city – Max Factor, Helena Rubenstein, Marie Curie, Chopin, Roman Polanski, Pope Jon Paul 2^nd, and they are only the ones I have heard of – there are many more!

Most people think of visiting Auschwitz when they go to Krakow, and this is one of the main tourist attractions – but there are many other places to visit. The main attraction for me, was going to Wieliczka Salt mine – and it did not disappoint. Only a 20-minute minibus ride out of the city, I arrived at the grassy valley known as Wieliczka, a very touristy area with stalls selling all manner of goods, as well as places selling food, drinks, and ice creams. The entrance ticket gave me a timed entry, allowing only a restricted number of people in at one time.

You have to follow the guide into the main building and descend the steps down to the first level (64 metres underground). You don’t want to go down here if you are at all claustrophobic, have problems with walking down stairs or breathing – because once you start going down, the staircase is quite narrow – and there is no turning around. There are over 800 steps to descend – but there is a lift back up to the surface – which I will tell you more about later. After the first mammoth section of downhill steps, it gets a bit easier.

From here you go through a series of corridors (the group must all keep together in one air-locked section before the next door can be opened) – and at times you are walking uphill – which is a bit disorientating.

After passing through a series of chambers and chapels you come to St Kinga’s Chapel which is like an underground cathedral – and the main reason I had wanted to visit these mines. Concerts, parties, theatrical performances, weddings, exhibitions, sporting events and even an underground balloon flight have been performed here!!!

This amazing chamber is about 54 x 18 metres and 12 metres high, with beautiful salt crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and a uniformed carved floor looking like shiny tiles. At the far end of the chamber is the altar which holds the statues of St Kinga, St Joseph and St Clement.

The walls of the chamber have some exceptional carvings on them; the Last Supper (inspired by Leonardo da Vinci) as well as several biblical carvings, the nativity scene and a statue of Pope John Paul II. These decorations, some of which were carved my miners themselves were made over the course of nearly seventy years.

It was interesting to hear the history of the mine, from Neanderthal times, through the Middle Ages - to the present day; and I was very surprised to learn that the miners were some of the best paid and most revered men of their time. They could even pass their job down to their sons. The underground Tourist Route leads you through tunnels, seeing more than 20 chambers. There are places to buy refreshments, at stalls and in a modern cafeteria; souvenir stalls, toilets – and a museum to explore if you have time.

After the refreshment stop was the Weimar Chamber (named from the birthplace of J.W. Goethe who visited the mine). We entered a totally dark chamber, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, dramatic music began playing and lighting came on in time with the music – the reflections on the water were spectacular. It was one of my favourite parts of the tour.

We also saw the 35-metre high Michalowice chamber full of white steps and supporting structures, other chambers dating back 400 years, and the Baracz Chamber containing a huge emerald, green saltwater pool.

The last part of the tour was descending hundreds more steps – this led into the Pilsudski Chamber which had the most beautiful reflections of the entire tour – especially the statue and the tunnel. With the water being so still, it was hard to tell what you were actually looking at – let alone the mirror images.

The tour lasted a couple of hours, walking about 2 - 3 miles – only a fraction of its 178 miles of tunnels. Returning to the surface was an experience in itself! Eight people had to squeeze into a metal cage (it couldn’t be called a lift), this then went DOWN about 7 feet, and another 8 people got in another cage on the top of the first one. Then 2 of these double cages were sent speeding up to the surface – arriving in less than a minute – thank goodness! I can highly recommend going to see these mines – they are a fascinating place – nothing at all like the grim ideas I had of prisoners being forced into hard labour down these mines. The only problem is that if you are on a tour from the city, you may not have the time to see the museum part – due to the pick-up time to return to Krakow.

https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/

Luckily, we arrived back in the city with plenty of more time for exploring. Next stop was the University Botanical Gardens about a 15-minute walk from the Old Town.

It was established in 1783, making it the oldest of its kind in Poland; and in 1976 it was named a Heritage Site in Krakow. It only cost 15 PLN to get in, and is an ideal place to spend a few hours exploring, as well as stopping at its little café for a drink. The glass houses look very impressive – but unfortunately, they are closed on Mondays.

Shaded walkways give way to several delightful ponds, fountains, and ornamental areas. There are many varieties of trees, shrubs and plants to admire………..and if you are lucky, you may see a red squirrel darting about among the greenery. It wasn’t as big as other gardens I have seen – but delightful nether the less. Heading back into the Old Town, there was still time to visit St Mary’s Basilica (Bazylika Mariacka) – described as a beautiful example of Gothic architecture. From the outside it isn’t that impressive, but it was only 10PLN to go inside (you must get tickets from a little shop at the side), so I decided to have a look.

What a surprise! This 13^th century basilica contains the most amazing sculptural masterpiece – the largest altar of its kind in Europe; an enormous cabinet depicting figures of Mary and the Apostles. There was so much gold!

When you look up, there is a ceiling like you could not imagine – entirely blue and gold. This theme continues down the walls, with these colours encasing biblical scenes. I was in absolute awe of this beautiful building – it was so much more than I had expected and can highly recommend a visit.

There is a tower you can go up, for an extra cost - for views across the Old Town. A trumpet call is made from the tower every hour four times, once in each direction – so listen and look out for him. https://mariacki.com/en/

Walking around the Old Town there are so many interesting buildings, many of them are places of worship – The baroque style Church of St Peter and Paul has statues of the 12 Apostles in front of the main building.

Next to this is one of the oldest buildings in Krakow – the Church of St Andrew the Apostle, built between 1079 – 1098. It was originally a fortress used by the local townspeople when they were in times of danger.

Its Romanesque architecture is most impressive, especially the altar made from black marble and the pulpit that was designed in the shape of a boat. Although it has been renovated many times, it hasn’t lost the feeling of how old and precious it is.

Wawel Castle is one of the main tourist attractions of the city, standing proud on Wawel Hill overlooking the city in one direction and the Vistula River in the other. The Castle has stood there since the first historic ruler of Poland settled there in the 10^th Century, and today it contains a museum, an armoury, a treasury and private chambers of the royal family.

It is free to go in the grounds, which open at 6am – just walk up the hill, through the portcullis; you only have to pay if you want to go into the exhibitions. It’s a lovely place to visit even if you don’t go in the Museums or the Cathedral; it has beautiful, manicured gardens, interesting buildings, places to eat and drink - as well as fabulous views in every direction.

Whilst there, I did notice a strange conical mound in the distance – more about that later! Directly below the castle, along the riverbank, you will find the famous fire breathing statue of Wawel Dragon.

There are some stalls here selling souvenirs and food, as well as several options for river cruises on anything from a gondola to a paddle steamer. I went on a delightful 30-minute cruise on a gondola, and as well as magnificent views of Wawel Castle, I got great shots of the Norbertine Monastery and of the Pauline Monastery Church on the Rock.

https://wawel.krakow.pl/en

From Wawel Castle you can follow the Royal Walking Trail along Kanonicza Street (the oldest in Krakow) back into the Old Town. This route takes you up Gorodzka Street, past some beautiful buildings, up to the Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny).

This is the largest medieval market square in Europe, built in the 13th century; and today it is a vibrant area attracting thousands of tourists every day. There are stalls selling food from many different countries, souvenir stalls, all types of performers, horse and carriage rides and the famous sculpture of a face/mask.

The middle of the square is home to the magnificent Cloth Hall, once a thriving centre for trade, it is now filled with souvenir shops selling amber, crafts, toys etc. Throughout the centuries, this building has evolved from 2 rows of wooden stalls, been rebuilt in both Gothic style and Renaissance styles, before its renovations in the 19^th century show what is seen today. It is a very impressive structure – from all angles.

There are several different types of museums dotted around the Old City, but one of the most unusual has to be the new Underground Museum beneath the Cloth Hall – showing what medieval life in Krakow was once like. Continuing along the Royal Route, you head up Florianska Street, filled with all manner of shops and restaurants, arriving at the medieval walls that flank the northern part of the town.

You can pay to walk along this section of the City Walls, and from Florian’s Gate you will get a different view back down Florianska Street – but it is just as good to admire them from below. Florian’s Gate is the only remaining city gate, built in the 14^th century, as the main entry point to the city – St Florian (the patron Saint of Krakow) can be seen on the side facing Florianska Street.

Included in the same City walls ticket is access into the Barbican - a round, defensive fortress just on the other side of the City Walls.

By this time, you will be back in The Planta and probably in need of a well-deserved rest on one of the numerous park benches – where I found this interesting statue.

As well as the Old City, you can wander around the Jewish district known as Kazimierz, which has its own delightful buildings, monuments and squares - often with music being played in the cafes.

There are several old synagogues within this district :- The Old Synagogue built in the 14^th Century, with its Gothic-Renaissance interior – it is now part of the Historical Museum of Krakow dedicated to the history of the Polish Jews.

It is the site where the Jewish Town began all those years ago. The 16^th Century Remuh Synagogue and the High Synagogue (the tallest in the city); and the Isaac Synagogue built in 17^th Century – are just the most well-known. As everyone knows there is also a sad, dark side to Jewish history, and if you cross over the river, you will learn more about this. (Look out for the bridge with pretend people hanging from it!).

The sombre Ghetto Heroes Square is the place where deportations started, sending tens of thousands of people to the death camps during World War Two.

The square now comprises of fixed black chairs and notice boards telling the heart-breaking story of those unfortunate souls who lost their lives. It is a very thought-inspiring place!

Only a few minutes’ walk away is the museum which was once Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory – during WW2 this man devoted himself to saving as many Jews as he could from the nearby ghetto. He is epitomised in the film “Schindler’s List”, which tells the story of how he managed to save 1200 Jews from certain death in the concentration camps.

https://www.schindlers-factory-tickets.com/

This is also one of the stops on the “Wow Krakow” Hop on Hop Off bus. A whole circuit on this bus takes 90 minutes and is good if you just want a ride, to save your legs and see the sites from the road (it also includes a 30-minute gondola ride), but there are only 3 circuits of the town each day. This means if you get off, you have to wait over an hour for the next bus; and the last bus starts its final loop at either 13:20 or 14:10 – depending which day of the week it is! As I discovered, it was quite a walk back from the Ghetto to the Old Town one afternoon. One really useful thing I discovered on my circuit of the town, was what the cylindrical mound was that I had spotted from the Castle walls – Kopiec Kosciuszko (which I visited the next day). You are given a complimentary map on the bus and can use the headphones provided - that give information about the various drop off points. You can buy a one or two day pass or just have one circuit of the city (children under 4 years old are free). The bus can also be useful to drop you off at the Railway station if you need to get there – it has a huge shopping centre attached to it where you can easily spend half a day. www.wowkrakow.pl

Kopiec Kosciuszko is a mound that has been built to commemorate the life of the great Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1814), who was a talented General in both Poland and America. The museum tells the story of his life, from his early days, his outstanding military career – he was involved in the United States Declaration Independence in 1776; and he was also known to have created beautiful mansions and gardens.

He was totally ahead of his time – being against slavery and servitude – believing them to be a disgrace to humanity. You have to go through the museum to reach the mound (there is a little chapel and garden on the way) and it isn’t too arduous to walk up to the top. On a clear day there are magnificent views over to Krakow – but not the day I went.

There is a café and toilets back at the bottom. Just over an hour was ideal for this stop – so doing it on the bus worked perfectly – so long as you went in the morning and could get back to the city! https://www.kopieckosciuszki.pl/en/

Krakow is somewhere you can visit for 2/3/4 days depending how much time you have – choosing to cram in as much or as little into each day as you want to. Some museums and the Castle are free to go around on Mondays or Tuesdays – so do check before you go. There are lots of golf type buggies offering city tours – if you wanted to save your legs (I don’t know how much they cost but they were very popular). I hope you have enjoyed reading about my short trip to Krakow as much as I did visiting it – I can highly recommend it.