Krakow: Jewel of Central Europe

Krakow is stunning in beauty and charming in personality. The city center dates back to the 12th Century, and we will see many original buildings.

Among Krakow's points of significance:

• Wawel Castle, which we will visit, was built in the 11th Century
• Krakow's Old Town area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978
• The Main Square (Rynek Glowny) that you will see has existed in this form since the 13th Century
• Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, is the 2nd oldest university in Central Europe
• From 1320 to 1611 Krakow was the capital city of Poland

Krakow has a picturesque Old Town and delightful Main Square.

Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, existed since the 12th Century as a grouping of tables or stalls for trade. The roof was placed over them circa 1300. Today you can buy wonderful hand-made souvenirs in Sukiennice located in Rynek Glowny.

St Mary's Basilica, constructed in the 14th Century, stands adjacent to the Rynek Glowny. We'll hear the Hejnal, the warning trumpet call, still played hourly from one of the church towers.

Wawel Hill is a seven minute walk from Rynek Glowny. Wawel Hill contains Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral. Since the 14th Century this is Poland's coronation site and burial site for its kings. 

Rising on the banks of the Wisla River, Wawel is a gem of medieval architecture and history.

Krakow is the largest city in proximity to the Auschwitz concentration camp and Birkenau Nazi death camp. We will visit several sites as witness to the Nazi atrocities.

Plac Bohaterow Getta (Heroes of the Ghetto Plaza) stands where the former Jewish ghetto was assembled. From here, the former Schindler Enamel Factory (now Museum) is a short walk.

The Kazimierz district, on the northeast side of Krakow's Old Town, was a thriving international community of Jewish people since the 1400s. When the Nazis created the Jewish Ghetto on the other side of Krakow, Kazimierz was not destroyed. It is considered one of two most well-preserved Jewish areas in Europe.

This view is from inside Remuh Synagogue in Kazimierz. It is one of the three oldest synagogues in Europe.  It dates back to the 16th Century, although many of its elements were destroyed or removed by Nazis. A great effort commencing in the 1950s has restored Remuh.