Krakow Old Town

Krakow's old town is the medieval and royal heart of Poland, one of the few great Polish cities to survive the Second World War largely intact, and a UNESCO site. At its centre lies the Main Market Square, among the largest medieval squares in Europe, dominated by the long Renaissance Cloth Hall and the twin-towered St Mary's Basilica, from which a trumpet call sounds every hour.

History

Around 700 local tribes began uniting into the Vistulan state, and a chest of 4,200 iron axes, a currency of neighbouring Great Moravia, found in a cellar on Kanoniczna Street, shows the wealth of early Kraków; the town is first mentioned in the second half of the 9th century and was part of the Piast state by the end of the 10th. It became a bishopric in 1000 and for centuries the residence of the Polish kings, and from 1038 until Sigismund III Vasa moved his court to Warsaw in 1596 the Old Town was the centre of Poland's political life, ringed by 3 kilometres of walls with 46 towers and seven gates. The Historic Centre of Kraków was among the first sites on UNESCO's original World Heritage List, and in 1994 the Old Town was among the first national Historic Monuments of Poland (Wikipedia, Kraków Old Town).

What's there

• The Main Market Square - the vast medieval square with the Cloth Hall at its centre.
• St Mary's Basilica - the Gothic church with its carved altar and hourly trumpet call.
• The Cloth Hall - the long Renaissance trading hall of market stalls.
• The Planty and old walls - the green ring park and the Barbican and gate.

When to go

Spring to autumn for terraces and mild weather; December for a beloved Christmas market on the square. Early morning gives you the great square before the crowds.

Before you go

It is very popular, so the square and main sights are busy, and prices there are high. It is compact and walkable. Because the buildings are original rather than rebuilt, it is one of the finest old towns in the region.

Nearby

Wawel Castle rises above the river; the Kazimierz Jewish quarter is a short walk south.

Key facts