The city of Krakow is very beautiful and it is visited by a lot of tourists yearly, the major attractions are located at Old Town like some historical monuments, churches, and a lot of nice statues and palaces and a whole lot other sites.
There are so many places to see and explore in Krakow and here’s our list of ten places to visit in Krakow.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Krakow by Allie_Caulfield
1. Sukiennice – This place was built in the early 14th century and is located in the middle of the Main Market and was used as a trading hall in Gothic style. In the 19th century, Sukiennice was turned into a museum and the first floor was used for great banquets but now it is used as a place for souvenir shops.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Sukiennice by Alina Nagórna
2. Wawel Castle – The name Wawel is the name of a lime hillock that is situated on the left bank of the Vistula. There are some great buildings that are also situated on the Hill like the Royal Castle and the Cathedral. Polish Royalty and many other distinguished Poles are interred in the Cathedral and this is also where the royal coronations took place. The place is considered by some to be the most beautiful castle that can be found in Central Europe.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Wawel Castle by atkinson000
3. Town Hall Tower – The tower was once a part of the big Gothic-Renaissance Town Hall that is on the Main Market. Sadly the town hall was destroyed by the Austrians in the 19th century after they took control of Krakow. Nevertheless, this is still a great place to visit to learn some about history and at the same time it offers a nice view of the city from upstairs.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Town Hall Tower by exfordy
4. Florian Gate – This gate is the only part of the medieval walls which has survived today and it consists of four towers and the arsenal and gives you a good idea of what the walls around the Old City looked like in the middle ages.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Florian Gate by Fearless Fred
5. Barbakán – The place was built in during the 15th century and it is the biggest European defense building of its kind. The Barbakán was meant to be used to defend the Florian Gate from attacks of the Osman.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Barbakán by laslandes
6. Rynek Główny – This is a beautiful medieval square that is situated in the heart of the Old City and the place is full of gorgeous churches, restaurants and bars. This square is the biggest medieval marketplace that can be found in the world with more than four hectares of area and eleven streets beginning in this place.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Rynek Główny by Alina Nagórna
7. Plac Mariacki (Mary´s Square) – This square is a small medieval place that connects the Main and Little Marketplaces. It was used as a cemetery during the middle ages, but is now a charming and quiet place with the Sculpture of a medieval Cracovian Student.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Plac Mariacki by Jacob Wodzyński
8. Plac św. Marii Magdaleny (St. Mary Magdalene Square) – The place is a beautiful square that is located in the center of Okół. It is the oldest part of the Old Town and just under the Wawel. This is located in the square are the early baroque St. Peter and PaulChurch and the Roman St. Andrew Church and in the middle stands the column of Piotr Skarga.
Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Plac św. Marii Magdaleny by Jorge Lascar
9. Pijary Church – This church was built in 1718 by Kasper Bazanka and the late baroque shape of the facade was made by Franciszek Placidi in 1759. The church was based on the Il Gesu church in Rome.
10. St. John's the Baptist and St. John's the Evangelist Church – The church was built by Piotr Wlast in the 12th century in Romanique style and in the 17th century, the church was altered in Baroque style. A nice place to visit.
These are just some of the places that you can visit in Krakow. There are more places to see and explore if you spend a day or two more.
Have you been to Krakow? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.