Krakow was my longest stay in Poland. A friend told me I shouldn’t miss it, but also because my only paying client for this trip had family in Kraków.
I had done a little research, but not enough. I had an idea of a few things in the city to look for. Mostly, I just wandered around and saw what I saw, and took a lot of pictures. I did a lot of walking; my feet were in pain for days. Unfortunately, that kept me from crossing the river to visit more things I should have seen. I didn’t know exactly where they were and did not feel up to wandering more.
My photos begin in a small park near the train station. I had an incredible knack for exiting the train stations in the wrong direction and ending up in the “back”. I walked through the park, then headed the long way around towards the front of the train station. I took a taxi to my hotel because my phone had again died, so it couldn’t lead my way.
After a nap, I walked to Stare Miasto, the Old Town of Kraków. I returned again two days later for two days, as the archive was also there.
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- Krakow Glowny
I was waiting in this station for a while on the way out of town; I don't know why I didn't get better pictures then.
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- Park Srzelecki
This park near the train station wasn't named on my map, but I found a familiar face among the statues: Jana Pawla II, better known in America as Pope John Paul II.
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- Wawel Castle
Wawel Hill and Castle was a short walk from my hotel. From inside the grounds, the foreground shows the outlines of two churches that once stood there.
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- Wawel Castle
A model of the castle and its buildings.
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- Wawel Castle - Wisla River
Looking out from the castle wall at the Wisla River.
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- Wawel Castle View - Wawel Dragon
I saw this guy from the castle wall. And there were stuffed versions of him in shops all over. I didn't learn the story until after returning home so I missed the cave and sculpture that was probably somewhere below me.
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- Wawel Castle View
I saw this guy too. I'm not sure where he was going, but I bet he was hot.
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- Wawel Castle - Wisla River
Looking off in the other direction.
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- Wawel Castle
This corner really looks like part of a castle.
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- Wawel Castle
The Tadeusz Kosciuszko Monument wasn't very easy to see from nearby.
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- Wawel Castle
A castle gate.
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- Wawel Castle
I have quite a few pictures at similar angles.
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- Wawel Castle
Heading away from the castle.
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- Old Town - Market Square - Town Hall Tower
The only remaining part of the old town hall demolished in 1820.
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- Old Town - Market Square
I haven't found the story about this guy, but he had at least one brother on another post. I'm not sure if he was temporary for the jazz festival advertised on the post or not.
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- Old Town - Market Square
Eros Bendato, by Igor Mitoraj. I read that this is an iconic sculpture that everyone visits in Krakow. I didn't know it at the time, but I entered the Main Market Square from this direction and there he was just looking at me.
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- Old Town - Market Square - Draper's Hall
Called the Sukiennice in Polish, at the center of the Main Market Square. It is lined with small shops inside.
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- Old Town - Market Square - Draper's Hall
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- Old Town - Market Square - St. Mary's Basilica
Kosciol Mariacki in Polish.
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- Old Town - St. Florian's Gate
A remaining tower of the ancient defense that once circled the Old Town, completed in 1307.
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- Old Town - The Barbican
A fortified outpost that once connected to the city walls, just past St. Florian's Gate.
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- Old Town - The Barbican
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- Old Town - Unknown Soldier - Grunwald Monument
Continuing north, I photographed this and translated later to learn it is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the foreground and a monument to the Battle of Grunwald behind it.
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- Old Town - Market Square - St. Mary's Basilica
Looking back from ulica Florianska.
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- Old Town - Mikolaj Zyblikiewicz
President of Krakow from 1874-1881. One of many statues and unusual things I photographed while walking back towards my hotel.
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- Old Town - Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Consecrated in 1635, it was the first baroque church in Krakow.
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- Old Town - St. Andrew's Church
Adjacent to the previous church, this one was built in the 11th century and refurbished at the turn of the 13th century.
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- Krakow Archive
I went back here a couple days. It was in the Old Town and I just walked each day.
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- Old Town - Market Square - Adam Mickiewicz
I returned to the Market Square a few times. I had much better light to see the Adam Mickiewicz Monument on this particular day. It's in front of Draper's Hall.
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- Pigeons
Krakow pigeons were fearless. I saw one person who looked like the pigeon version of a scarecrow, feeding them.
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- Old Town - Market Square - Living Statue
I saw a few of these but this one was my favorite. Here she is still smiling after scaring a tourist who touched her arm.
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- Old Town - Floryjan Straszewski
An obelisk erected to the co-founder of Planty Park, which encircles the Old Town.
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- Bank Window
Chuck Norris is everywhere, even in Poland.
I learned a lot about the things I photographed while adding these photos to the gallery. Want to know more? Here are some Wikipedia links.
- Wawel
- Wawel Dragon
- Krakow Old Town
- Town Hall Tower
- Main Market Square
- Sukiennica – Draper’s Hall
- St. Mary’s Basilica
- St. Florian’s Gate
- The Barbican
- Battle of Grunwald
- Church of Saints Peter and Paul
- St. Andrew’s Church
- Planty Park
The URL of this post is http://idogenealogy.com/blog/2012/10/23/krakow/.
All photos and content Copyright 2012 by Banai Lynn Feldstein.
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