FALL 2023 CITY BREAK IN A PERFECTLY PRESERVED MEDIEVAL CITY, KRAKOW, POLAND
A short 5-day revisit lead us to at least 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites in this stunning city. Arriving to Krakow on our holiday on Nov 1 for All Saints Day, we decided to listen to a number of locals who suggested for us to visit the national cemetery. It is indeed very nice & not spooky at all.
KRAKOW’s mythical atmosphere permeates its attractive streets and squares. It is the old capital of the Polish Kingdom, one of Europe's biggest empires in the Middle Ages. Its Old Town is filled with soaring churches, impressive museums and the vast RYNEK GLOWNY, Europe’s largest market square which is listed in UNESCO World Heritage List. The square is embellished by many monuments, including the Cloth Hall Sukiennice with tons of souvenir stalls, and Saint Mary Church with its fine wooden altar carved by the medieval master, Wit Stwosz. Strolling along Rynek’s mesmerizing beauty made us feel like we were in the movie Cinderella.
There’s more to the former royal capital than its walled Old City. A number of UNESCO sites are here, as well as a number of major pilgrimage sites are in proximity to the city such as the Divine Mercy, Kalwarya Monastery and the Black Madonna, Czestochowa. Equally popular are the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Wadowice and Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Poland is also famous for its well-loved Karol Wojtyla or better known as Saint Pope John Paul II.
A day trip led us to OSWIECIM (Auschwitzin German). The former German Nazi Concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau was built by the Nazi during the German occupation of Poland. More than a million people from different walks of life and nationalities were killed in this place, majority of whom were of Jewish origin. I must admit this place touched our hearts & gave us a sad, heavy feeling. This is also listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.
The oldest salt mine in Europe, WIELICZKA is a very unique place of interest where many generations of Polish miners have created an underground world of tunnels and salt lakes with a rich interior of decorated chapels including the famous Blessed Kings Chapel, as well as galleries and art works made of salt. It is one of the most impressive places listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and one on Unesco’s first original list of 12 in the world.
KALWARIA ZEBRZYDOWSKA is the 4th UNESCO World Heritage Site on our 5-day visit. This Bernardine Monastery in Kalwaria is the 3rd most famous shrine in Poland. Karol Wojtyla would frequently visit this place since childhood and kept coming back when he was the Pope. This holy place is a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s suffering from Her Son’s crucifixion in Calvary.
CZESTOCHOWA, the sanctuary and fortress complex of the Black Madonna, with its famous painting (said to be the work of St. John), is a symbolic place for all the Poles to ask for the Blessed Virgin’s help. The Mother of God was pronounced the Queen of Poland by the King John Casimirus in the 17th century. It is one of the main European pilgrimage destinations, receiving between 3 and 4 million of pilgrims every year.
DIVINE MERCY SANCTUARY, is a place where Faustina Kowalska spent a part of her life at, next to the convent. It now houses the famous picture “Jesus, I trust in you” and also the relics of St. Faustina Kowalska. The sanctuary was founded by Pope John Paul II and is nowadays amongst the most important sanctuaries in Poland and in Europe.
Moving on to WADOWICE, this is where Karol Wojtyla was baptized, grew up and lived until he was 18. His family home is now a museum, and there is another very interesting museum dedicated to John Paul II. The museum was recently renovated and reopened, it tells the story of the Greatest of the Poles, from his early years in small multicultural town of Wadowice until his last days as a bishop of Rome. Before leaving Wadowice, we of course had to try his favorite cream cake “Kremowka Papieska” which is delicious!
Krakow is not just a pretty place. It is also a great shopping destination in terms of value and quality, especially for skin care products and their famous amber jewelries. It was a very satisfying long weekend destination.
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