Cracow the historical and intellectual capital of Poland

23 January 2009
Cracow the historical and intellectual capital of Poland

If you are going to visit Poland, there are some places that are obligatory stops, such as the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the home of Chopin and not the least the city of Cracow.

Cracow was once the national capital of Poland. Its history goes back more than a thousand years. Already in the middle Ages, Cracow was a rich city surrounded by city walls containing fifty-five towers. Later, it became an intellectual centre attracting the most outstanding humanists, writers, architects and musicians. City life focused around the Market Square, the second largest market place in Europe-after St. Mark’s Square in Venice.

In no other place in Poland will you see so many different architectural monuments and such an extraordinary accumulation of cultural wealth. Cracow has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is impossible to list all the different historical monuments-some people might wish to learn more about Nicholas Copernicus, others may like to wander round in the Kazimierz Jewish district, or see sites linked with Pope Jean-Paul II.

Even at night there are many things to do in Cracow-there are numerous jazz clubs, restaurants…

So all I can say is "go there and have a look" … I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!