Krakow

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http://www.heygo.com 15th February Krakow



Christopher was the virtual tour guide today.

We started in Kraków’s main market square. Originally designed in 1257 - the year Kraków was awarded its charter – the grid-like layout of the Old Town and its central square has changed little in the years that have followed. Measuring 200 metres square it ranks as one of the largest medieval squares in Europe.



St. Mary’s church

After raids in the 13th century left the original church in a heap of ruins, St. Mary’s was rebuilt in Gothic style on the existing foundations and consecrated in 1320. In the early 15th century the towers took the iconic form they have today, when the northern tower was raised and made into a watchtower for the city. It is from here that on the hour every hour on the hour the city's famous bugle call is played.

The tune ironically breaks off mid-melody in honour of the mythical trumpeter who was shot in the neck while belatedly warning the city of Mongol invaders.



Among Kraków’s most well-known landmarks, affectionately referred to as ‘The Head’, the bronze body part’s official title is ‘Eros Bendato’ (Eros Bound) and is the work of Polish artist Igor Mitoraj (1944 - 2014).



The arcades we saw is called Cloth Hall, built in the 14th century was effectively the first shopping mall in the world.



No time to stop and shop but a few stalls were open selling amber, lace, woodwork and assorted tourist souvenirs.



One of the most important statues in Poland, the large likeness of the romantic poet and national hero Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was originally unveiled in 1898 to celebrate the centenary of the great man’s birth, and, like so many other symbols of national pride was destroyed by the occupying Germans during WWII. The statue that stands in the square today is a 1955 copy.



There are 10 university institutions in Krakow with about 120,000 to over 170,000 students. One of these universities is Jagiellonian where Pope John Paul II studied.



Polish pride, spirituality and reverence ran high on April 27th, 2014, when the country’s beloved Pope John Paul II was canonised by Pope Francis I. Aside from the Vatican, no city is more associated with the late pope than Kraków, which remained his spiritual home throughout his life.



Our tour ended below the walls of The Wawel Royal Castle, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world.

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