Krakow is a city situated on the South of Poland, on the Vistula river. It lies 300 kilometers to the South from Warsaw, which is Poland's capital city. To the south from Krakow there are Tatra Mountains. These are the highest mountains in Poland, and the border with Slovakia lies in between them. More than one thousand years ago there was a Roman Catholic bishopric founded in Krakow. For hundreds of years Krakow was a residence of Polish kings and queens. There is the royal castle on the Wawel Hill, in which the kings were coroneted, and where many of them were buried. One has to remember that for 7 centuries, Krakow was the capital city of Poland. The city is famous also of its educational achievements. In 1364 there was founded the first Polish university. At that time its name was 'The Krakow Academy', and now it is called 'The Jagiellonian University.
For several centuries the image of Krakow overcame many changes. In the Middle Ages it was a great, rich city. There were the city walls surrounding it and preventing them from unexpected guests. There were 55 towers in the walls, some of which can still be admired. In Renaissance, the city was exposed to the new philosophical and cultural trends. All excellent and famous people from that time lived in Krakow. It was the favorite place of artists, philosophers and scientists. Some centuries later, at the beginning of twentieth century, its character was similar. Although there was an economic crisis at times of Modernism, all influential Polish artists and intellectualists lived in this city. Life of the citizens of Krakow concentrated on the Market Square and nearby. This Market square is the second of the largest in Europe. The only bigger one is in Venice. In Krakow, modernity and tradition meet and influence each other. It is said that every stone in this city has its long history. It is said that there are 6 thousands architectural monuments in Krakow. They are differentiated, constructed in many different ways. Moreover, there are about 2.5 million of pieces of art gathered in churches, museums and archives. As there cultural wealth accumulated in Krakow is enormous, the city was registered on the World Heritage List of UNESCO as one of only 1 cities. If you would want to get to know all places that attract visitors in Krakow, you would have to spend a few months in the city. It is best when everyone tries to find personal magical Krakow. Some tourists are most interested in the places where John Paul II lived and lectured. Others may have much more interest in getting to know the Jewish district- Kazimierz. The kids will certainly like the dragon from Wawel and the salt mine in Wieliczka best. One can also follow the traces of life and work of Copernicus in Krakow. Another groups of visitors may find Polish paintings, exposed in many museums, most fascinating. I could add much more to this list, but I will let you discover Krakow by yourself.
The geographical location of the city made Krakow the meeting point of many nations and cultural trends. It is certainly a metropolis of Central Europe. There are many universities in this city. Scientists, artists and people of culture come to Krakow to get good education. Famous people from the whole world have their houses in Krakow. You can meet here Wislawa Szymborska, Nigel Kennedy, many actors and other authorities.
