Where We Be
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| St. Mary’s Basilica on Rynek Glowny is brilliantly lit by the setting sun, even as the Cloth Hall to its right sits in shade |
| Krakow, Poland |
Here's something that may surprise you: the
largest medieval square in Europe is located in
Krakow. Not Prague, not Moscow, but Krakow.
Nearly ten acres in size, Rynek Glowny (Main
Square) is lined with outdoor cafes and shops,
making it the perfect place to hang out and
people-watch. (And horse-watch: horse-drawn
carriages are a big deal here.) The square
doesn't feel that big because of the Cloth Hall
that sits right at its center, just as it has since
the 13th century. By limiting your lines of sight,
the Cloth Hall essentially breaks the square into
two smaller (but still quite large) rectangles.
Without a doubt the best thing we did in Krakow
was enjoy an extended dinner on Rynek Glowny
near sunset. We sat at a cafe called Virtuoso,
but you could pick any outdoor cafe and have a
similar experience. We enjoyed a tasty pizza
with a fine bottle of red wine and soaked up the
atmosphere. Only Prague's Old Town Square
rivaled it for us in terms of special European
moments. Afterwards we took a passeggiata
around the main square, finishing in style with
some pistachio ice cream from a gelato shop.
largest medieval square in Europe is located in
Krakow. Not Prague, not Moscow, but Krakow.
Nearly ten acres in size, Rynek Glowny (Main
Square) is lined with outdoor cafes and shops,
making it the perfect place to hang out and
people-watch. (And horse-watch: horse-drawn
carriages are a big deal here.) The square
doesn't feel that big because of the Cloth Hall
that sits right at its center, just as it has since
the 13th century. By limiting your lines of sight,
the Cloth Hall essentially breaks the square into
two smaller (but still quite large) rectangles.
Without a doubt the best thing we did in Krakow
was enjoy an extended dinner on Rynek Glowny
near sunset. We sat at a cafe called Virtuoso,
but you could pick any outdoor cafe and have a
similar experience. We enjoyed a tasty pizza
with a fine bottle of red wine and soaked up the
atmosphere. Only Prague's Old Town Square
rivaled it for us in terms of special European
moments. Afterwards we took a passeggiata
around the main square, finishing in style with
some pistachio ice cream from a gelato shop.
| The lavish breakfast spread at our hotel each morning includes eggs made to order and some of the best cheesecake we've ever tasted (cheesecake for breakfast, yea!) |
| The Renaissance-era Cloth Hall dominates the center of the square |
| At the far end of the square from our hotel is Town Hall Tower, another focal point of Rynek Glowny |
| Wawel Castle sits atop Wawel Hill, the ancient nucleus of the city |
| Remnants of Krakow’s outer fortifications still stand just to the north of Old Town |
| Just beyond the outer fortifications is Planty Park, a narrow strip of green space that nearly encircles Old Town. The park is dotted with fun statues. |
| It's free to wander around the courtyard and castle grounds, but there are separate entry fees for interior rooms and exhibits |
| Pass beneath this imposing gate as you leave the castle, praying the portcullis doesn't drop down on you! |
| A sign reading "Wawel Dragon" catches our eye, so we follow the path along the Vistula River until we happen upon this fire-breathing dragon (his name in Polish is Smok Wawelski) |
| A statue of Pope John Paul II stands here -- one of many tributes to this local boy made good (he was born only 30 miles southwest of Krakow) |
| Outdoor cafes line EVERY side of the square, so there are plenty of terrific options from which to choose |
| Betmanowska Residence, our home for three nights, is ideally situated on the main square (just to the left in the photo above) |
| Ten minutes' walk south of the castle is Kazimierz, the former Jewish Quarter. Shown above is Schindler’s List Passage, at Jozefa 12, made famous from the movie. |
| Further south is the Jewish Ghetto Memorial, which consists of 33 empty chairs in a plaza, each chair representing 1,000 Jews killed from the Krakow ghetto |
| East of the memorial is Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, now a museum |
| Nearby is the Old Synagogue (oldest in Poland), its cemetery overgrown like some ancient Aztec ruin covered in jungle |
| Strolling south through Old Town, towards Wawel Castle along the "Royal Road," is a real pleasure on a nice day |
| Tucked into an alley behind the main square is the cutest little cafe, called Boccanera, where we enjoy two big glasses of beer (not each!) |
| Betmanowska Residence is the light yellow building above, fronted by a long row of outdoor cafes with umbrellas |
| Once a major center of international trade, the Cloth Hall now mostly sells souvenirs and cosmetic jewelry |
| Our dinner view includes a succession of horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping to a halt just in front of us. Each pair of horses typically has similar markings. |
| Each time we head out, we see St. Mary's Basilica in a different light. At the top of each hour, a trumpeter blows a bugle call from the tallest tower, then he waves to the crowd -- and the crowd waves back! |
| It's at one of these cafes that we enjoy an extended dinner of pizza and wine. Truly delightful! |
| This fortified outpost (once connected to the city walls) is known as the Krakow Barbican |
| Wawel Cathedral is Poland’s "Westminster Cathedral" -- the crowning place of kings and queens |
| The ramp to the right leads up to the castle grounds |
| This overhead view gives a good idea of how the Cloth Hall sits at the center of the square |
| Planty Park encircles Rynek Glowny and most of Old Town, with Wawel Castle just to the south |
| There's even a garden cafe on the castle grounds |
| From here it's a long walk home to Rynek Glowny (some 40 minutes), past this odd one-headed deer |
| This friendly bull greets you at the restaurant entrance |