Krakow a city wrapped in legend, where time flows differently, and where every moment becomes a moment of history. For centuries Krakow was the capital of Poland, the seat of kings, drawing great scholars and artists from the whole world. It is their talents and imagination we must thank for the city's rich legacy of unique historical relics, which reflect the most important trends in European culture.

Krakow Highlights

Below we present highlights of Krakow, places that we can strongly recommend. Dental Travel Poland will be happy to quide you through some of them in your free time during your stay in Krakow

Accomodation in Krakow

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A look at a plan of the city shows that the space contained by the walls of the castle is similar to that of the Main Market Square.

In the castle's many chambers, exhibitions that simply cannot be missed await you: royal chambers and stately rooms, collections of Oriental art and military trophies, collections of Flemish tapestries of amazing beauty, as well as archaeological specimens. They are testimony to more than a millennium of Christianity in Polish Lands.

It was here, in the Royal Castle, that the monumental exhibition entitled Wawel 1000-2000 was organised in the year 2000 to illustrate the development of Polish statehood.

Worth visiting in the castle grounds are the Wawel Cathedral, the Royal Tombs - crypts containing royal sarcophagi, where we walk among Poland's entire history, and the massive "Sigismund" Bell, which peals only to commemorate events of the greatest importance to the country and the city. Half a day is hardly sufficient to see all these even if you hurry.

The Main Square (Rynek G?ówny) is the natural centre of Krakow: a stage for various minor and major events, a reference point, a meeting place, and the starting point or destination for countless walkers.

Historically speaking, the Main Square began to operate in a shape and size similar to what we see today (a square with 200-metre-long sides) already in the earliest days of the Chartered City, i.e. after the granting of the Great Royal Charter in 1257. The centrally located Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) has survived to this day; the building was originally a commercial establishment for trading in cloth, and for over a century has been the main seat, and later one of the branches, of the National Museum.

Other buildings standing to this day in the heart of the Main Market Square include the diminutive Church of St Adalbert (also known as Wojciech or Voitek) - a site of important archaeological discoveries, and the solitary tower - a remnant of the Town Hall demolished in the 19th century.

In the north-eastern corner of the square stands St Mary's Church, frequently referred to as a basilica. With its two slender, spired towers reaching high above the whole city, it is one of Krakow's landmarks. The Nuremberg master, Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss) created his magnum opus here - the monumental High Altar of St Mary's - a marvel that attracts thousands of tourists every day.

St Mary's Tower

Also known as the Watch Tower, Wake, Alarm or Bugle Tower, it is the only tower in the world at which a bugle has been played every hour for six hundred years for the entire world to hear. To see and to hear these wonders one must climb 239 steps, to a floor 54 m above ground level. The trumpeter takes just two and a half minutes to ascend the tower but visitors do not need to hurry. At the top they will be heartily greeted by bugle players - members of the fire service, perhaps the last magicians of Krakow...

A bugle from St Mary's Tower,
A bugle which firemen play...

Bugles have always been played from Krakow towers and gates to announce the beginning and the end of the day. Travellers had to stay outside the city walls if they were caught by night near Krakow and wait until the gates were opened at sunrise.
What were the tunes played from the city's towers and the Royal Castle of Wawel? We will never know. It is only known that the tradition of the bugle call began in the late 14th Century, when Krakow saw the influx of Hungarians, and queen Jawiga, the future wife of king Jagiello was about to ascend the throne. It came here and stayed to resound in Krakow's skies forever. It was probably first played by Hungarians, and later, when the guards of the Wawel and St Mary's were changed, was taken over by the Poles.

The higher tower of the Basilica of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin Mary has pierced the sky of Krakow for more than 600 years. It is 81 m tall, topped with a late-Gothic spire and a golden crown. A tiny room 54 m above the level of the Main Square houses literally "the Highest Post" in Poland: the highest meaning the most important one. Indeed it is traditionally believed that all former Polish lands may be seen from here - the white peaks of the Tatras in the south, the smokestacks of Silesia to the west, the towers of Lvov churches in the east and a dark blue line in the north - yes, it is the Baltic sea!