Multimedia Presentation

Cracow (Kraków)

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Where is Cracow (Kraków) ?

Kraków

It dates back to the 7th century. The city is situated on the Vistula River (Wisła). It used to be the capital of Poland.

Cracow (Kraków) is one of the oldest cities in Poland.

The Wawel Castle (Zamek na Wawelu)

The castle was built on a limestone hill, called the Wawel Hill, in the 14th century. It was the residence of Polish kings and queens. Now, the Wawel Castle is a national museum. Tourists can visit Royal Chambers and see royal vaults in the basement of the castle.

St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki)

The church was built in the 13th century. It is situated next to the Main Market Square. It is famous for its altar carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz) and a trumpet signal, which is called Hejnał Mariacki and is played each day, at each full hour.

The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)

The Cloth Hall is an impressive building in the middle of the Main Market Square. In the past, it was a very important place for merchants from all over the world.

Now, you can buy souvenirs and visit two museums there.

The Barbican (Barbakan)This is a historic gateway which led to the Old Town of Cracow.It was built at the end of the 15th century to protect the Old Town against enemies.Now, a lot of concerts and exhibitions are organised there.

St. Florian’s Gate (Brama Floriańska)

This is one of the most famous towers in Poland. It was built in the 14th century to defend city dwellers against Turkish attacks. At St. Florian’s Gate the Royal Road leading to the Wawel Castle begins.

Kazimierz- Jewish DistrictThe district of Kazimierz was a place where a lot of Jews lived until the Second World War. It was also an important place for trade.There are a few synagogues and an old Jewish graveyard. There are also a lot of restaurants, museums and shops with souvenirs. Kazimierz is a real tourist attraction.

Nowa Huta (The New Steel Mill)

At first it was a separate town near Cracow and it was inhabited by industrial workers.

It is the biggest and the most populous district of Cracow.

The Central Square is one of the most popular and interesting places in Nowa Huta.

Art and Culture in Cracow

Cracow is an ideal place for people who love art and culture. There are a lot of theatres, museums, concert and exhibiton halls.

Theatres in Cracow

The Juliusz Słowacki’s Theatre

It was built in 1893 in a place of the 14th century church. It is situated on Holy Ghost Square (Plac Św. Ducha). The tourists are fascinated with the beauty of the building.

The Old Theatre It was built in 1781. It is

the second oldest theatre in Poland. It is situated near the Main Market Square. It is famous for its plays and very good actors.

The National Museum in Cracow

It was established in 1879. You can see a lot of paintings,sculptures, works by Polish artists there.There is also an impressive collection of weapon. Temporalexhibitions are organised there, too.

The Czartoryski Museum and Library

(Muzeum Czartoryskich)It was established in Cracow in 1878. Tourists can see not only paintings, but also historical artifacts there. The Museum is famous for the painting by Leonardo Da Vinci „Lady with an Ermine”

Underground Museum in Cracow

It was opened for visitors in 2010. It covers an area of more than 6000 square metres. There are permanent and temporal exhibitions connected with the history of Cracow.

The Museum of the City Engineering

It was established in 1998. It is situated in Kazimierz, the old Jewish District. It contains a huge collection of old cars, buses and trams. Visitors can make a lot of interesting experiments there. It is my favourite museum.

Time for relax ! There are a lot of places in Cracow where you can

relax – go for a walk or have a picnic :

Tomasz Szwejser kl. I „C”