Krakow

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Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading scientific, cultural and artistic centres of the country, the former seat of the Polish kings and national capital, and is considered by many to still be the heart of Poland, due to its history of more than a thousand years. Kraków is also a major centre of local and international tourism, attracting seven million visitors per year. I found the city to be very rich with art, culture, activity, and interesting stories.


St. Mary's Basilica built in the 14th century. This was a very nice church with careful detail in and out. Two towers are in front and we climbed to the top of one of them.


typical street scene.


My friends from Poland. Beata, Jarek, and me.


The Planty which is the park that surrounds the entire old city; there was a lot of park benches and people enjoying the day in the green area.


Cloth Hall from up in the Basilica tower and fountain; they were doing construction to the street around it at this time and this area was gated off.


Here the pope greated some people in the courtyard of this religious complex. The little picture was taken from a very nice sidewalk display about Pope John Paul II


I was trying to look angry in this picture. The guard next to the Leonardo Da Vince painting of Portrait of Lady with Ermine didn't let me take a picture. This guy was the toughest looking guy in Poland I think. Hes was much more rough and ruthless than the nuns on the Tatra mountains... he might even be toothless. It was a beautiful museum though.


In the town centers McDonalds traded out drive thrus with walk up service windows. Here Justyna got icecreams.


View of the old town hall tower and the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). As you can see my camera lense is still dirty - it'll be so for another couple hundreds pictures :(


This picture is a gem. Once an hour the trumpeter plays the hejnał, which is to commemorate a famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before a Mongol invasion. The noon hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad, broadcast live over the Polish Radio 1. Be sure to download the movie of the song (12MB).


This is what two people look like when in love.


Inside the castle complex of Wawel. There is a cathedral housing the remains of past kings and the entire thing sits on a hill over the Wisła.


The cathedral, notice the different styles - each was built seperately to hold the remains of religious figures and kings.


Part of the inner castle - composite photo.


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