Krakow is situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region. The city dates back to the seventh century and has since become one of the leading centres for Polish academic, cultural and artistic history. Furthermore, Krakow is one of the economic hotspots for Poland and plays a big part in the country’s development for the future.
The city has previously been the capital of the country, between 1038 and 1596. Today, the capital is Warsaw, but the rapidly growing rate of Krakow could one day see it growing larger than the current.
Those looking for Krakow city breaks may be intrigued to know that the metropolis began life as a Stone Age settlement close to nearby Wawel Hill and quickly became a busy trading centre for Slavonic Europe by 1,000 AD. The city grew massively but it could be argued that advances in the past 100 years have made the most significant impact on the nature of the city today.
The emergence of the Second Polish Republic throughout the last century helped Krakow develop new universities, cultural venues and mass regeneration. As a result, the historic city once again emerged as a worldwide centre for academic and artistic excellence. World War II had major consequences for Krakow. The German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the war had been successful and Krakow became the capital of Germany’s General Government. The Jewish population in the city were moved into the infamous Krakow Ghetto and many of them were eventually sent to concentration camps such as Plaszow and Auschwitz. One notable survivor of this ghetto was Roman Polanski, the world famous film director. Due to the nature of the German invasion of Poland, Krakow actually remained mostly undamaged by World War II. However, following Potsdam Agreement, which divided political control after 1945, Krakow became ruled by a Stalinist regime. The changes placed all artistic, intellectual and academic communities of the city under total political control and Universities were soon denied all printing rights as well as their autonomy.
The fall of the Berlin Wall eventually saw the people of Poland gain their independence in the early 90s, and despite the industrialisation of the city under Soviet rule, it has not lost its cultural past. The old town of Krakow is on the UNESCO list for World Heritage Sites as well as many other landmarks across the city.
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Krakow
Consequently, on Krakow holidays there are loads of things to see and do. The city was named as the official European Capital of Culture in 2000 by the EU and now attracts around seven million visitors per year.
Some of Krakow’s major landmarks include the Wawel Castle, the National Art Museum, the Wawel Cathedral and the highly regarded Main Market Square. Unbelievably, Krakow has 28 museums and public art galleries and within you can find remarkable pieces of art by historic artists such as Rembrandt and Leonardo Da Vinci.
However, should you prefer your art to be a little more lifelike, why not check out some of Krakow’s fabulous performing art venues? The city has several theatres to choose from with a wide range of different shows to watch. Many of the performances are culturally significant, with their background firmly lying within Polish heritage, but you can also watch some of the most famous operas from around the world. Should you book your visit around May, you can also check out the Krakow Film Festival, one of Europe’s oldest short film festivals.
Poland also has a rich heritage in sport, with motorsport and football being of special note. Their football team, Wisla Krakow has won the Polish league 12 times and the city features three other teams. Motor racing driver Robert Kubica also hails from this fabulous city and Cracovia Marathon runs each year bringing in over a thousand participants from all over the world.
The city enjoys an Oceanic climate and for the best of the weather is best to plan your trip for the height of summer. The winters are often very cold; however the nearby Tatra Mountains do lead to rapid increases in temperature even in the colder months and can sometimes even reach up to 20 degrees C. Average temperatures in the summer hit around 24 degrees C and rainfall is about one quarter of what we would expect in the UK. So for a sunny trip into the heart of cultural paradise, why not take a break in Krakow? You won’t regret it.