Let's go to Cracow !

Last weekend I spent in Cracow. I think that it is the one of the best cities in Poland. It has some magic in it. I remember when I was in Belgium, and people asked me where I come from, when I answered Poland, they were always saying ‘oh, I was in Poland, in Cracow’ or  ‘I want to go to Poland, to visit Cracow’ and I have to admit that it shocked me. I’ve always thought that the most popular place in Poland is our capital, Warsaw, but it turned out that people from abroad appreciate more the city on the south of our beautiful country.  

Although that was my third time in Cracow, every time I’m there I discover new places. For me Cracow  is an old and dignified city, but at the same time vibrant with life. The past mixes with the present, and the history with modernity. What to see when you are for the first time in Cracow ?

The heart of Cracow and the living center of its culture is the Main Market Square, it is also a place for meetings and events, so you have to stay here for longer. There you can find Sukiennice (originally a trade place, now one of the branches of the National Museum) and St. Mary's Church, which is one of the symbols of Cracow, from which the famous Hejnał Mariacki is played every hour. Not far from the Main market square you can find Wawel Royal Castle which is considered as one of the finest Renaissance residences in Europe. What is interesting is that the area covered by the castle is comparable in size to the surface of the Main Square. The last place I would recommend while visiting Cracow for the first time is Kazimierz, it is a district of Cracow which was inhabited by Jews before World War II. Before the war, there were almost 60,000 Jews in Cracow and they constituted almost 1/3 of the city's population. Now it is a place where you can see old shops that were run by Jews, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.

I think that Cracow has much to offer, it is for sure one of the most beautiful cities in my country so I’m sure you will not regret visiting it ;)