Krakow
Krakow is not only a popular tourist destination, but is also the oldest and the largest city in Poland. This city is located on the Vistula River and covers and area of one hundred and twenty six miles with a population of seven hundred thousand people. Krakow is a city that can trace its roots all the way to a Stone Age settlement located on Wawel Hill. During the tenth century the city was a thriving trading hub. This was also the time when the city began to build itself up to stone and brick buildings, including such structures as grand cathedrals and basilicas. Krakow would rise to its most prominent position during the fourteenth century when Casimir III of Poland established the second oldest university in Europe, the University of Krakow. All during the Jagiellon Dynasty Krakow would continue its meteoric rise and the city attracted some of the finest minds in the fields of science, art and commerce. Krakow’s true Golden Age would occur during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This was a period of time when the great works of the Polish Renaissance would make its way into the architecture and art of the city.
Under the reign of Casimir IV many prominent artist and craftsmen came to live and work in the city. It was also during this time that the first printing press was erected in the building and the first printed work, the Calendarium Cracoviense, was printed in 1473. By the end of the fifteenth century things started becoming unstable in Krakow. The Polish throne was passed from one foreign ruler to the next in a lightning fast succession and the city started becoming pillaged by Swedish armies. The final nail in the coffin of Krakows Golden Age was the black death that swept through the city and killed over twenty thousand people. By 1596, Sigismund III startled by the decline of the city, moved the capital from Krakow to the city of Warsaw. During the eighteenth century the city had been divided up amongst Russia and Prussia who had taken their share of the city by force. In 1794, an insurrection began in the city but failed miserable. The result of the insurrection was that Austria would partion a third section of the city. Then in 1809, Napoleon captured former Polish cities from Austria and made Krakow a part of the Duchy of Warsaw.
When Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the Russians, Krakow was once again restored to its former state. This wouldn’t last long, as the city would once again get annexed by Austria in 1794, after another failed insurrection. In 1866, Krakow would be given autonomy by Austria after the Austro-Prussian war. But, true Krakow independence wouldn’t be realized until the Polish Liquidation Committee assumed power in 1918. Today, the city of Krakow is one of the most prominent economic centers of Poland. Krakow is home to twenty multinational companies including such giants as General Electric, IBM, Google, Motorola and Hitachi. In fact, foreign investment in the city over the past decade has reached approximately three and a half billion United States dollars. The education system of the city has eleven universites where one hundred and seventy thousand students are enrolled. Universities in Krakow include Jagiellonian University, AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow University of Economics, Academy of Music in Krakow, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Agricultural University of Krakow, Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts.
The city has also assumed its rightfull place on the world stage of culture and the arts. Krakow has many historical buildings, museums and tourist attractions that make this a wonderful city to visit. It also has its fair share of restaurants, hotels and cafes. One of the most popular attractions in the city is the Wawel Royal Castle. This castle was built on order of Casimir III the Great and was later refurbished by King Sigismund I the Old into a grande palace. Visitors can not only take in its great Renaissance architecture, but they can also see stately rooms, period furniture and many fine pieces of art. Another great attraction in the city is the National Museum. The construction on this museum was started in 1934, but the outbreak of World War II interrupted its completion. In 1992 it was finally completed. This museum has several hundred thousand artifacts and they are housed, for the most part, in the main building. But, this museum also has nine satellite divisions around the city.
These include the Czartoryski Museum and Arsenal, Manggha, Stanislaw Wyspianski Museum, Gallery of the 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice, Emeryk Hutten Czapski Museum, Jozef Mehoffer Manor, Jan Matejko Manor and Karol Szymanowski Museum at Villa Atma in Zakopane. The Historical Museum of Krakow was erected in 1899 and is located in the Krzysztofory Palace. Works of this museum include city maps, paintings, antique clocks, Judaica, militaria, photographs and guild objects. This museum also has many seperate divisions which include Town Hall Tower, Barbican, Szolayski Museum, Under the Cross Manor, The Silesian House, Hipolit Manor, Artistic Salon of the District of Zwierzyniec, Museum of National Remembrance and History of Nowa Huta Museum. Lovers of the theater should check out the Juliusz Slowacki Theatre. This theater was built in 1893 in the Baroque style of architecture and named after the Polish poet Juliusz Slowacki. This theater holds many plays all through the year. The city has a number of other historical and cultural landmarks that visitors should take a moment to check out. Some of the more popular ones include Wawel Cathedral, Basilica of the Virgin Mary’s, Cloth Hall, Town Hall Tower, City Walls, Great Barbican, Planty Garden Ring, Skalka Sanctuary, St. Norbert’s Convent, Tyniec Abbey and Bielany Monastery. |
