Krakow, Poland

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Krakow, the centre of Malopolskie region, situated in the very south of the country, is definatelly a place worth visiting!It is a medieval city and a former capital of Poland, as Polish people say, the cradle of their culture and one of the most beutiful cities in Europe.I visited Krakow during July, and the temperatures are surprisingly high, probably due to global warming😊 But still, it is much more pleasent in comparison to hot Mediteranian cost. Bearable, even for nothern people. Krakow has a vast marquet square, which will definatelly surprise you by its size, since it is one of the largest city squares in the world. In the center of the square there is a beautiful medieval bulding that used to be a market place for Polish and foreign merchants. Nowadays, the most expencive and beautiful city souvenirs are sold there, so I recommend not to buy them there, because you can find cheaper ones in the streets around the market square. Also, a grand st. Mary's catedrale is located on the square. The inside of the cathedrale is magnificent, and what is specific about it, a trumpet player comes every hour and plays his instrument in the cathedral's tower. Very interesting for the tourists. The whole square is surrounded by narrow, labyrinth-like streets with old, beautiful, historic buildings. Near to the square, about 6 minutes by foot,there is a main Krakow attraction - Wawel castle, that looks upon the Vistula river. It is a stunning castle with a very specific catholic church that looks like it is being composed out of several different buildings. The garden surrounding the castle is very beautiful, and the view is stunning. If you ask somebody on the streets (people usualy know English) ,they will tell you where is Kazimierz, the famous Jewish district, with authentic Jewish stores and cafes, synagogs and a famous hotel where Steven Spielberg used to crash while filming Shindler's list. If you wanna take a glimpse of the Polish socialistic era, I recommend visiting Nowa Huta district, about half an hour tram ride from the city center. The city transportation is very good and the price is reasonable. When it comes to food, there are some Polish specialities like pierogi, kebeb, barscht, which are not my fave, have to admit.They use a lot of potatos and pork in their meals, and which is strange to me, put boliled eggs into every soup. But hey, you always have Mcdonalds😊! The whole are of the city centar looks very historical and it is filled with catholic churches which are very beutiful ad old. The influence of the church is especially strong in Poland, and one of their biggest prides is Pope Jan Pawel (john Paul), to whom is dedicated a whole area near to the main square. Before he become the Pope,he was a bishop and had an 'office' accros the street from his church. Also, in the nearby park,there was a gallery of his pictures displayed for everyone to see. If yo travel to magnificent Krakow, it would be a pity not to visit Auschwitz, which is, I think and hour and a half ride by train away. Believe me, books cannot ever disribe the horrors which happened there, and you will probably get a good tour guide who will tell you the whole story.The tour is very long,lasts about 3 hours but it is very worth it. So,those are my experiences, hope I'll help someone and be sure to visit this wonderful city sometimes! Ps. and ofcourse, do not miss to try Zubrowka -their national vodka which is veeeery tasty!

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