Kraków
Kraków is located on the left (northern) bank of the Wisła1 River, north of the Tatra Mountains in Małopolskie (Lesser Poland) Province, Polska (Poland). It has a metropolitan population of 1.264 million2 with 767 thousand in the city proper.3 The tallest building is the slant-topped Cracovia Business Center at 20 stories.4 The John Paul II International Airport is one of Polska's busiest.5
UNESCO has designated the historic center as a World Heritage Site. Four zones are included: the Stare Miastro (Old Town); Kazimierz; the University Quarter and Wawel Hill. Stare Miastro was laid out in a grid in 1257, and has some remnants of the late 15th century fortifications. Kazimierz was an island until the 19th century and formed the Jewish Quarter until the extermination of the Jews there by the Germans in the mid-20th century.6 Some preserved old synagogues remain. The University Quarter includes Jagellonian University, which was attended by Copernicus and Karol Wojtyle (later Pope John Paul II). Wawel Hill overlooks the other three zones and includes the Royal Palace (now a museum) and the Gothic Wawel Christian Cathedral. On the riverside of the Wawel Castle is a cave associated with the legendary Krak. From Wawel Hill one can follow the Royal Way leading to Rynke Głowny, one of Europe's largest medieval market squares and part of the 13th century merchants' town. One one side of the square is the Gothic Christian church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and in the center is the Skiennice, the ancient cloth market.7
Tourists also enjoy the Baroque churches and the Art Nouveau Theatre.8
External references
overlook of Rynke Głowny, Kraków (Cracow), Polska (Poland)
Historical maps
Footnotes
1. Vistula in English.
2. Large urban zone population as of 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_areas_in_Poland, Eurostat LUZ column, accessed 12/18/2013.
Poland in English.
3. Figure for 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Poland, accessed 12/18/2013.
4. Emporis.com, accessed 2/19/2014.
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Poland, accessed 1/14/2014.
6. About 6000 of 64,000 returned after World War II. UNESCO, World Heritage Sites (Firefly Books, 2010).
7. ibid.
8. http://www.staypoland.com/poland-attractions.htm, accessed 2/19/2014.
