From salt mines toSchindler’s List,Krakówmightnot
soundabundleoflaughs,butAndrew Aronowicz
found plenty to enjoy – even the horseradish vodkaT
heoldlegendgoesthatKrakówwas
foundedbyaheroicSlav,KingKrakus,
whoslewafearsomedragononWawel
Hill,thesiteofthecity’searliestsettlements.
Kraków became the capital of Poland in the
11th century, and eventually developed into
abustlingcultural,academicandeconomic
hub,remainingtheofficialcapitaluntil1596.
Kraków is Poland’s second-largest city
and,unlikeWarsaw,itcamethroughthe
widespread destruction of the Second World
Warmostlyunscathed.Thecity’scultural
richesincludemedievalcastlesandcathedrals
with lavish renaissance and baroque interiors,
andafascinatingmodernhistoryliesinwait
inthecity’shipJewishquarter.
Kraków’sOldTownisUNESCOWorld
Heritage listed and a good first stop. Once
surrounded by elaborate fortifications (Poland
wasinvadedalot),justthreeofthe47towers
are all that remain of the 13th-century
defences. The moat has been replaced by
PlantyPark,abeltofgardensencirclingthe
OldTown.Andatthenorthernmostpointsits
theKrakówBarbicanandSt.Florian’sgate,
markingthebeginningoftheRoyalRoad.
Walkingthisoldcoronationroutetakesyou
throughtheOldTown’smainsquare.There
you’llfindClothHall,amajortradingsiteand
vestige of Kraków’s vibrant economic past,
thoughnowit’sagiantsouvenirmarket.The
BasilicaofSt.Marystandsopposite,featuring
someofthemostornateinteriorsimaginable.
Afamoustrumpetcallcanbeheardevery
hourfromatopthetallerofitstwotowers.
According to a popular legend, the signal,whichstopsmid-phrase,remembersa13th-
century trumpeter shot in the throat while
warning the city of Mongol invaders.
After the main square, Royal Road leads
straighttoWawelCastle,theformerroyal
residence (now functioning as a museum),
and Wawel Cathedral, the traditional church
ofPolishkings.Bothareopentothepublic
andticketpricesvaryfordifferentspaces,but
watchoutforqueuesinsummer.
Wanderoffthemainroadstofindahost
of beautiful old buildings, many of them
churches, and you should check out the
Jagiellonian University, alma mater of two
notablealumni:themathematicianNicolaus
Copernicus, and Poland’s favourite son, Karol
JózefWojtyła–PopeJohnPaulII.
IfyoutireoftheOldTown,justhead
southacrosstheDietlatoKazimierz,once
aseparatecity,namedforKraków’s14th-
century ruler King Casimir III, now famous
asthecity’sJewishQuarter.WhenStephen
Spielberg came to Poland to shootSchindler’s
List,hediscoveredthatnothingremainedof
JewishWarsaw.Instead,hefoundKazimierz’s
grungy streets and grey period buildings
perfectforthesetofhisWarsawGhetto.The
film’spopularitybroughtwavesoftourists
andyouth,andKazimierzwasrevitalisedinto
ahipdistrictwithathrivingnightlife.
Kazimierzisagreatareatoexplore,
particularly the main market, where you can
snack onZapiekanki:half-baguettescovered
in toppings and slathered in ketchup,
affectionately named the ‘communist
sandwich’. Ice cream is also exceptionallyKraków
66 LIMELIGHT MAY 2017 http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au
OMUSICAL JOURNEYtravel