The city of Krakow
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2008
1
8
10
Trip End
Jul 03, 2008
Krakow,
Poland
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Yesterday, Dad took a day off and rested while David, Paul, and I went our various directions for initial explorations. David went out to art museums, Paul went to the Engineering museum of Krakow here in Kasimierz, and I updated the blog in the morning. In the afternoon, we walked over to Wawel Hill where the complex of walls, plazas, cathedral areas, the royal castle, and various other buildings were. We only had a little time so we decided to visit the cathedral.
The church is significant due to the fact that most of the polish kings from the 13th through the 17th centuries are buried either inside the church or in the crypt rooms under it. Unfortunately for us, no photos were allowed inside the church, although I did take a couple of shots of the Sygmunt Bell, while out of the sanctuary area and in the bell tower. The Sygmunt Bell is named after Sygmunt the Old, one of the more significant kings of the above eras, and the most significant side chapel in the church is in homage to him. The Sygmunt bell is the largest bell in Poland, and measures in excess of 6ft. in diameter at its largest.
Krakow as a city and especially Wawel Hill were spared destruction by the various occupations of the major world wars and also by the Austrian empire during their occupation during the period of the partitions.
Long lost brother #2
This the period of about 130 years when Poland ceased to be a country and was occupied by the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian empires. As a result, Krakow has many significant historical buildings and areas for city of its size, and is being known as the "New Prague" as a most important cultural city in Europe.We also couldn't take interior pictures of the state rooms and private apartments of the Royal Castle at Wawel. However, we did take a city tour and spent time in the Rynek Stary Miasto, or Old City Market square, which was bustling with city life, eateries, and tourists. By the way, southern Poland, including Krakow, is the tourist destination for Polish travelers in the summertime.
We also toured Kasimierz, a formerly separate city which is now part of Krakow, and is home to Jewish citizens of Krakow. Significant synagogues, Jewish Market squares, and other buildings were seen. In one former market square, we walked by the home, now a restaurant, where Helena Rubenstein of cosmetics fame, was born and raised. Also, very nearby, the home where Steve Spielberg stayed while filming Schindler's list. In that same plaza was a monument to the 65,000 Jews from Krakow and Kasimierz who were taken and killed at Auschwitz by the Nazis.
Krakow is a vibrant city, full of life, with universities that are home to in excess of 100,000 students while in term and in excess of 800,000 permanent residents. Enjoy the photos!.
The Sygmunt Bell
