An open-air exhibition “The Museum does not have to be in a museum” (“Muzeum nie musi być w muzeum”)has been put up at Wolnica Square. “Again we wanted the items from the museum’s collection to go out onto the streets and change a small piece of the world” invites you to visit the exhibition of the Ethnographic Museum in Krakow. Exhibits in the public space can be viewed from dawn to dusk until the end of the summer holidays.
If you don’t go to the museum, the museum comes to you!
“Open-air, interactive and open to the public, the exhibition is both an exercise of imagination and an attempt to transform a” piece of the world “, in this case, Wolnica Square in Krakow. Thanks to this intervention, the empty space of the former liberum forum become filled with installations, among which everyone can find a place for themselves The arrangement draws on the rich collections of the Museum, including the heritage of the Krakow Workshops, as well as traditional culture patterns (cut-outs, coloring books, costumes, decorations). It tells about the unwavering will to create, about the need to leave a trace, about relations with matter and form “. – we read in the description of the exhibition.
The exhibition is accompanied by a series of Saturday workshops for children 6-10 years old organized in the space of the open-air exhibition “Museum does not have to be in a museum” (“Muzeum nie musi być w muzeum”) at Wolnica Square. Each of the three meetings is a story about the three stages of creating a simple toy: shaping it using simple materials, making it move, and defining its features with color.
Saint Mary’s Basilica (Kosciol Mariacki) has always been a symbol of Krakow. A Symbol containing multiple other Krakow Symbols, like The wooden carved altar by Veit Stoss or the Bugle Call Tower with its Hejnal or The Legend of the 2 Brothers. After Tartar raids in the 13th century left the original church in ruins, St. Mary’s Church was rebuilt in Gothic style on the existing foundations and consecrated in 1320. In the early 15th century the towers took the iconic form they have today when the northern tower was raised to 80m high and made into a watchtower for the city. From that watchtower, the Bugle Call plays every day, every hour, no matter rain or shine!
How can one visit the Bugle Call Tower – Mariacki Church?
The Tower cannot be visited during all the months of the year, so make sure you don’t plan to visit it during wintertime as it is closed then. There is always a chance of frost on the stairs so only the Bugle Call player gets to go on top. But! During the summer months, it is always open for visitors and you can check the schedule below.
From July to October (except religious holidays) Monday — closed from Tuesdays to Saturdays 10.00 a.m.- 6.00 a.m. Sundays – 1.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.
January, February, March, November, December — closed
The ticket price, as of July 2021 is 15 Zloty per person or 10 for 7 to 18 years olds.
Things you should know about the tour
Children up to 7 years old are not allowed to go – due to the steep steps (danger ahead!)
There is a limited amount of tickets everyday. You cannot book/buy tickets in adavnce. Just for the same day. Tickets can be bought at the ticket office only (Plac Mariacki 7).
Children between 7 and 18 years old get a discount.
People with walking dissabilities cannot get to the top as there is no elevator or method to pull up any wheelchairs 🙁 sorry for that 🙁
In case of bad weather the tour (just like the Eiffel Tower, in Paris) gets closed down.
The Tower entrance is located on the side of Mariacki Church, from Florianska Street.
A group of no more than 10 people can enter every 30 minutes.
Did you know?
That the Bugle Call (Hejnal) players are actually firemen? They stay there (up in the tower) on shifts that are 12 hours long! They need to “get to work” by climbing the 271 steps, every day, and they play the Hejnal every hour, for their 12-hour shift. Before the stairs were built, there was no way to get on top except with the help of a very tall ladder (wooden). Thank God they don’t use that anymore!
Yours always truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug that loves views from the top (of the world)
The connection to Vienna returns to the airport in Krakow-Balice after 14 months, from where you can fly further – to over two hundred locations around the world. After the pandemic, Austrian Airlines is rebuilding its network of connections, which will accelerate the return of Kraków Airport to normalcy. By the end of June, we will fly from Krakow to the Austrian capital (and back) four times a week, from July – seven times a week, and from August – twice a day.
Brand news from Krakow Airport!
Today we are happy to welcome the Austrian Airlines plane that flew to Krakow from Vienna. Vienna – Krakow – Vienna is one of the favorite connections of our passengers. Before the 2019 pandemic, they traveled through the Austrian capital to more than 200 different airports around the world.
Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport
He adds that Vienna is not only one of the top cities where Krakow and Małopolska residents like to spend their free time, even at the weekend, but is also the 5th popular transfer port from which you can go further into the world. The long common history and tradition of social, cultural, and economic contacts additionally increase the importance of this connection.
“We also hope that tourists from Austria will gladly return to visit Kraków and Małopolska, he added” – says Radosław Włoszek.
Austrian Airlines – a key player
Austrian Airlines offers not only the routes it operates (110 connections from Vienna in 2021), but also the option of using connections from other airlines as part of the STAR ALLIANCE cooperation. This gives Kraków Airport passengers great opportunities to plan a quick and comfortable journey.
The authorities of Małopolska see the return of further connections to Kraków Airport as an opportunity for tourists to return to the region and its capital; In recent years, the development of the airport near Krakow has driven numerous sectors of the economy of our region, and vice versa: the increasing interest of tourists in Krakow and Lesser Poland attractions has led to a record-breaking boom in Krakow-Balice airport. The pandemic has dramatically disrupted this, but thanks to the close and harmonious cooperation of all interested parties, there is a chance for a swift reconstruction of battered businesses.
The vaccination encouraged people to look for vacations abroad again
The vaccination campaign, which is developing at its best in Kraków and Małopolska, in conjunction with the decline in the number of cases and deaths, allows accelerating the thawing of critical sectors of the economy. Krakow hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, museums, tourist, entertainment, and cultural facilities are ready for full opening, and tourists in Poland and around the world are hungry for expeditions and rest, thanks to which Krakow and Lesser Poland appear more and more in travel plans.
The inhabitants of Krakow were very keen on the idea of running special city buses that will take Krakow residents to popular recreational places outside the city, such as the Niepołomice Forest or the Ojców Forest. The response was so great that the city is planning to launch 4 bus lines for the May weekend!
Officials of the Public Transport Authority prepared special questionnaires in which they asked residents whether it was worth creating the so-called recreational bus lines. These would transport residents to popular recreational areas on the outskirts of Krakow. Specifically, it is about the Niepołomicka, Ojców, Dolinki Podkrakowskie and Przylasek Rusiecki forests.
Over 3.5 thousand polls. Residents want recreational buses
The proposal hit the spot. The residents filled out over 3,500 questionnaires and strongly supported the idea of ZTP.
“The residents mainly want to travel to Ojców. They prefer the departure time between 9 and 12 and return in the afternoon. For example, 62 percent. of the respondents were in favor of the hours of departure to Ojców between 9 and 12” – tells us Sebastian Kowal, spokesman of the ZTP.
Officials emphasize that the surveys also wanted to check the transport behavior of residents. It turned out that the inhabitants of Kraków travel mainly by car to popular recreational places, but a large part would use public transport if there was such an option.
The interest was so great that officials plan to launch recreational bus lines at the turn of April and May, i.e. for a picnic.
“We now have to adjust the appropriate frequency of the buses. Having planned courses on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and on additional days off. We thought about the frequency every hour, but after the surveys we can see that there is more demand. So we will consider courses every 45, 40 or 30 minutes. We see that the offer of courses every hour is insufficient” – adds Sebastian Kowal.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a drastic impact on Krakow’s tourism industry. Will Krakow ever return to the pre-pandemic level of tourism? The city authorities prepared the document “Krakow’s sustainable tourism policy for 2021-2028”, which is to answer this question and what will the tourism policy look like in the coming years.
Pandemic = collapse of tourism
Due to the pandemic, there was a collapse in tourist traffic in Krakow. Foreign tourism has practically died down, and the Krakow airport is recording drastic drops in the number of passengers. Pre-pandemic tourism and the idea for the future are described in over a hundred-page document on tourism policy for 2021-2028. It was prepared by the Tourism Department of the Krakow City Hall. The document is ready and the councilors will take care of it soon. If adopted, it will become the basis of the city’s official tourism policy.
What is the document all about?
“The program was ready before the pandemic, but it had to be verified and adapted to the current situation. We hope that after the pandemic is over, we will start rebuilding tourism in our city, so as to regain its important role in the socio-economic life, not to overgrow the tourist function in the future, while increasing the quality of services and the quality of life of the inhabitants” – emphasized Elżbieta Kantor in the autumn, director of the Faculty of Tourism.
Like many documents of this type, it is full of clerical phrases and specific language. What is striking is the fact that it was only the shock in the form of a pandemic that forced Krakow’s authorities to look at the problems that residents have been reporting for years, such as depopulation of the center, which has been appropriated by tourists, or loud, drunken night-time “tourism“.
Krakow tourist statistics were on the rise (pre-pandemic times)
Krakow has always boasted about growing tourist statistics. In 2019, the city was visited by approximately 14 million people, including over 3 million foreign guests. At that time, tourists left PLN 7.5 billion in the city (compared to PLN 6.48 billion in 2018). Tourism in Krakow was primarily about quantity, not quality. What officials pay attention to in their study.
“The structure and development trends in the tourism market until 2019 and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic indicate the need to change the approach to the development of tourism from quantitative to qualitative, without throwing inhabitants and space (especially cultural heritage) from a state of relative balance” – reads Krakow’s sustainable tourism for the years 2021-2028 ”.
The situation was analyzed before the pandemic. The authors point out that tourism is an important part of the city’s GDP, but not the dominant one. In 2016, tourism was responsible for 8% of the city’s entire GDP. It is estimated that tourism creates 29,000 jobs in Kraków permanent jobs, and at the peak it generates over 40 thousand. The share of the tourism economy in employment in the entire economy of Kraków exceeds 10%.
Mainly foreign tourists spend the night in Krakow
Mainly foreign tourists use the accommodation base in Krakow. In 2019, as much as 95.5% of them stayed in Krakow for at least one night. In the case of domestic tourists, it was 66.9%.
Rooms and apartments for rent offered as part of the global Booking or Airbnb portals, are very present in Krakow. The problem is that many of these short-term rental places are not officially reported anywhere. Which doesn’t mean they’re not reported. Nevertheless, it is difficult to determine their total number. However, in 2020, in the database of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in the records of facilities providing accommodation services, other than hotels and camping sites, in Krakow there were 1,646 facilities offering 32,181 beds, which is over 50% all accommodations in the city.
Short term rentals were also on the rise (pre-pandemic times)
A survey among residents from 2019 was also cited regarding their attitude to the increase in the number of short-term rental premises. Almost 80% agree with the opinion that short-term tourist rental allows residents to earn, and approx. 65% believes that it broadens the city’s accommodation offer. On the other hand, 50% agree that the development of such a lease is conflicting, and almost 60% state that it causes depopulation of districts and should be subject to interference by city authorities.
The growing role of business/congress tourism
The officials’ study also drew attention to the growing role of business and congress tourism. In 2019, the Krakow meetings industry took 48th place in the world and 29th in Europe. In 2019, 8,400 business meetings were held in Kraków, 78% of which were domestic. The largest share (over 2/3) was constituted by congresses and conferences, which were over 5.6 thousand. Corporate and incentive events were ranked second (over 2.6 thousand).
Krakow’s tourist offer, which enjoyed the greatest popularity until the pandemic, is the so-called city break (short weekend stay), congresses and conferences, religious tourism. The most competitive area of Krakow tourism is gastronomy, and the most attractive is medical tourism.
Types of tourists visiting Krakow
The program includes an interesting analysis of the “type” of tourists coming to Krakow, indicating which tourist is the most desirable. So far, three groups have been the most numerous: the purist of culture and art, the weekend conformist, and the banal hooligan. The last tourist is most often noticed by the resident – loud, often drunk, focused on cheap entertainment, not exploring the city.
Looking for Homo Consumens
From the city’s point of view, the most desirable tourist is the creative homo consumens. As we read in the study: He is not only a passive addressee of the offer created by the city but also acts as an active participant in the market and acts as its reviewer. Until now, however, this type of tourist was poorly present in Krakow.
The study focuses on the so-called night economy, where it was emphasized that the most desirable attractions should be sophisticated and advanced entertainment, which, based on the traditions of the city and its cultural potential, may generate significant income for municipal institutions. However, the dominant element of Krakow’s city nightlife is the so-called simple entertainment.
On this occasion, there is also a statement that “looking at the administrative decisions of the authorities as the only means of fighting the pathologies of nightlife is a naive approach”.
The study highlights the process of gentrification that affects the Old Town most acutely. It was emphasized that this process began there after 1989, but that it was not directly caused by tourism.
Recommendations for Krakow’s tourism policy
The plan for Krakow’s tourism for 2021-2028 contains a total of 9 recommendations for its implementation. Reconstruction of inbound tourism to the city is to take place, among others through:
increase in management efficiency,
integrated marketing communication,
support for the commercialization of the offer of local entrepreneurs,
mitigating conflicts of interest and values.
As we read in the study, “the challenge for Krakow in the process of rebuilding tourism is the management of the place, taking into account the commercialization of the offer, integrated marketing communication, mitigating conflicts between residents and visitors (or between various groups of competing service providers), regulation of access to selected zones considered to be tourism, and tools for acquiring financial resources, organizational structures, as well as skillful involvement of residents in the provision of services for visitors ”.
Restoring the tourism will take several years!
The tourism plan for 2021-2028 explicitly states that the collapse of tourist traffic due to Covid-19 is a huge risk for entrepreneurs in the form of a lack of revenues, costs, and debts. The study states that the process of restoring tourism will take several years.
Among the many recommended activities are:
Initiating and creating innovative package services based on the cultural and sports offer and events, taking into account all attractions and values of Krakow and Małopolska as well as premium products, including in cooperation with the Małopolska Tourist Organization.
Support for the development of public and private investments with a potential for the reception of tourist traffic and the ability to diversify.
Partnership of the local government with the tourism sector in the implementation of promotional activities on emission markets.
Cooperation with global booking portals in the field of knowledge exchange, promotion and respect for the city’s identity as a historical center.
Management of special areas and cultural parks in the spirit of sustainable spaces and services.
Supporting solutions that improve the quality of guide services, including in special areas.
Development of legislative solutions for the protection of the urban landscape with the participation of the tourism sector.
Jointly building a competitive congress offer of the city, its promotion and lobbying with the use of the most effective marketing tools, e.g. a congress package, the Polish Congress Ambassadors program.
Concentration and commercialization of unique events (including exhibitions, festivals, etc.) with a prestigious national and international rank.
Creation of a platform for information and commercialization of the offer of cultural institutions and events.
Engaging creative industries and non-tourism services.
Increasing the integration of tasks of other municipal institutions (Krakow Film Commission, Krakow Festival Office) with the tourism economy.
The preparation of the document was preceded by diagnostic analyzes. Research was also carried out on the attitudes and expectations of residents, and during the pandemic, an interview with entrepreneurs regarding their economic condition and proposals for measures to rebuild tourism in Krakow.
Closed borders, including Norway and Great Britain, restrictions on flights to most countries – all this had an impact on the January result of the Balice airport near Krakow. Throughout the month, only 54,353 passengers used Kraków Airport services, i.e. 91% less than in January 2020. At that time, despite the disturbing news about Covid-19 coming from China and the first steps to increase security taken by the authorities of the largest Polish regional airport, it was still on a rising wave. Everything collapsed in mid-March 2020, and to this day a significant part of the old movement has not been rebuilt. The main reason is the restrictions imposed by the governments of most countries in response to the second wave of the pandemic, much more severe than the first.
Adjusting to a new normality
In previous years, in January, Kraków Airport passengers were very eager to use air services when going for a winter break. This year everything has changed. Passengers are required to follow sanitary rules in the countries they travel to, and airports are adjusting the infrastructure to the new guidelines
Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport
He assures that the priority for the Krakow airport has always been and will always be the passenger, his comfort and safety.
“It is also very important to react quickly to changing travel rules to individual countries, which is why we introduced the possibility of performing antigen tests at such a rapid pace in front of the Kraków Airport terminal, when such tests began to be required on flights to the Netherlands, due to the decision of the authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands” – adds Radosław Włoszek.
Black trend: airports are in the grip of restrictions and bans
The January collapse is a continuation of the black trend that started after last year’s relatively successful (for a pandemic) summer vacation. Successive governments introduced numerous restrictions in October in response to a repeated attack of the coronavirus, a significant increase in morbidity and mortality, and then also due to new mutations (including in the UK). As a result, the airport in Krakow-Balice in December 2020 handled only 76,469 passengers, i.e. by as much as 89 percent. less than in pre-pandemic December 2019.
How did 2020 look for Krakow Airport?
Throughout 2020, Kraków Airport handled 2,592,972 passengers, i.e. over 5.8 million less than in the record-breaking 2019. By far the highest was traffic in January, February and until mid-March (i.e. before the first wave of the pandemic and the introduction of restrictions), and also in summer. The end of the year was clearly spoiled by the ban on flights from Great Britain introduced by the Polish government – about 3rd of all passengers fly to the Islands at the Krakow airport. However, the key airlines did not completely suspend connections in this direction: from Great Britain, planes arrive empty, return full of Lesser Poland, returning to their British homes, and/or work.
Moderate optimism: vaccinations will unlock airports in the second half of the year?
According to analyzes of the aviation market, in 2021 we can expect 4,250,645 passengers at Kraków Airport, i.e. almost two times less than in the record-breaking year 2019, but 2 million more than in the pandemic 2020.“Independent research by aviation organizations such as IATA whether the ACI confirm that passengers will want to travel by air after the pandemic has calmed down. Common international policy and regulations in the field of opening borders for air travel are to guarantee this forecast” – says Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport, hopefully.
Coronavirus does not stop Polish investments
The activities of the entire industry ensuring travel safety, including sanitation, are aimed at developing uniform standards that will allow the reconstruction of the air transport market and tourism after the pandemic period. A prerequisite, however, is the full or partial opening of the tourism industry, as well as the effective dissemination of the vaccine
Andrzej Adamczyk, Minister of Infrastructure, during the January meeting summarizing 2020
“Coronavirus does not stop Polish investments – this applies to roads, railways, and airports. Kraków Airport presents ambitious plans for the future. This is an opportunity for a further dynamic development of this airport, and with it of the entire region“, added the minister.
2021 will be a time of even greater challenges: rebuilding confidence in air travel and rebuilding the airport’s potential. The consistent implementation of the Investment Plan for the coming years will also help in this, said Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport.
Even higher safety standards at the Krakow airport
Kraków Airport has introduced another modern solution to increase travel safety during a pandemic. The containers used by passengers during security checks and also placed at check-in desks have been coated with TitanSolid, which destroys the human coronavirus and other viruses and bacteria. The Krakow airport is another entity in the transport industry that uses this sanitary method.
TitanSolid is a disinfecting coating that activates when exposed to natural or artificial light. It was developed by the Polish company Lumichem in cooperation with university scientists. The coating in a continuous system removes all microorganisms, thanks to which the surface covered with it becomes microbiologically clean. Its effectiveness is confirmed by certificates and research, including the latest – towards the removal of the human coronavirus.
Original article, in Polish language, can be found in Gazeta Krakowska.
First Airport In Poland to receive the distinction
Kraków Airport is the first airport in Poland to receive the ACI Airport Health accreditation, awarded by the International Airports Council – ACI (Airports Council International). This program introduces high standards of airport protection against the COVID-19 pandemic so that staying at airports and flying is fully safe and comfortable for both passengers and all staff members.
The rules of conduct in relation to the COVID-19 threat have been developed by the best aviation and health experts and approved by key international aviation organizations – ICAO, EASA and ACI.
Accreditation is valid for 1 year!
The ACI Airport Health accreditation has just been granted – valid for a year. It mainly concerns the adopted cleaning technology and the scope of disinfection, the application of the principles of social distancing, the security of airport staff, the method of informing about sanitary rules, and other amenities for passengers (e.g. full and free access passengers to disinfectants).
Granting the accreditation to the Krakow airport was preceded by a special audit. Successful completion of the accreditation process is a clear and legible signal for passengers, carriers, employees, and airport users that a given airport can be a model in the area of health care and effectively protects everyone against COVID-19 infection.
What does the President of Krakow Airport say?
“We are glad that Kraków Airport has joined the group of airports with the highest standard of service, where the most important is the safety and comfort of passengers and all people working at the airport. We put a lot of effort to ensure that the standards in this regard were washed to the highest. We decided that it is worth making this effort not only because of the need to protect the most valuable good, which is human life and health, but also because it is crucial for our industry to rebuild trust in travel and flying. A sense of security is the foundation of trust” – comments Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport.
The first airport in Poland to sign the “Aviation Industry Charter for COVID-19”
Let us recall that Kraków Airport was the first airport in Poland to sign the declaration “Aviation Industry Charter for COVID-19”, initiated and prepared by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The main purpose of the declaration is to apply and promote new security rules against the spread of COVID-19 by air operators and airport managers.
The Ministry of Health has included Krakow in the YELLOW ZONE of the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus epidemic. We appeal to residents and tourists to be cautious and follow all sanitary rules!!!
On Thursday, 233 new cases of coronavirus infection were detected in the Małopolskie Voivodeship. 59 cases were found in Kraków alone.
According to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, if there are between 6 and 12 new cases per 10,000 in a given area, it is included in the yellow zone. If there are more than 12 out of 10,000 new cases, then it is included in the red zone. The ministry introduces restrictions on the basis of an analysis of the dynamics of increases in infections over the last 14 days.
The ministry announces that it will update its infection rate and map twice a week.
The colors of the zones correspond to the additional rigors of the sanitary regime. The restrictions concern, among others fairs, congresses, sports and cultural events, gastronomy, sanatoriums, weddings, transport and the obligation to wear masks.
New YELLOW ZONE restrictions!
In the yellow zone at various types of events, there will be no more than 1 person per 4 m 2 , and not 2.5 m 2 , as it has been so far . Audiences, including cinema audiences, will only be filled to 25%, and cultural events may be attended by up to 100 people.
The principles of the operation of hotels, gastronomy, aquaparks, and swimming pools have not changed. In amusement parks, amusement parks, or recreational parks, 1 person should be used for 10 m 2. At gyms, clubs and fitness centers, there may be no more than one person per 7 m 2 of space available to customers, while maintaining a distance of 1.5 m (excluding service).
The number of participants at weddings and other meetings has been limited to 100 people. Public transport, commerce and, for example, hairdressing salons, may continue to function unchanged.
The obligation to cover the nose and mouth with clothing or parts thereof, a mask, a mask, a visor or a protective helmet is maintained, e.g. in public transport, in commercial or service facilities, in workplaces and in public utility buildings and in generally accessible places, unless a distance of 1.5 m is kept. The obligation to cover the nose and mouth also applies during religious worship, including religious activities or rituals, in public buildings intended for religious worship and in cemeteries.
One may be exempt from covering the nose and mouth due to pervasive developmental disorders, mental disorders, intellectual disability (moderate, severe or profound) and difficulties in covering or uncovering the mouth or nose on its own.
Red zone restrictions:
In the “red” regions, the rate of increase of new cases per 10 thousand. inhabitants exceed 12 in the 14 days preceding the publication date. Mass events are prohibited in the red zone. The number of wedding participants is limited to 50. Only half of the seats are available on public transport.
The operation of cinemas and other activities related to the projection of films or video recordings is allowed indoors, as well as in amphitheaters or concert shells, provided that every fourth seat in the audience is available to viewers or listeners, except that no more than 25 percent. number of seats. In the absence of designated seats in the audience, a distance of 1.5 m between spectators or listeners shall be kept. Spectators, listeners, visitors or participants are required to cover their mouth and nose.
It is forbidden to organize fairs and cultural events. Sanatoriums are closed, and sports events may take place without fans.
Gyms, clubs and fitness centers can not be more than one person per 10 m 2 space available for clients, while maintaining a distance of 1.5 meters (excluding service).
No matter where you come from if you ever visited Kraków and if you ever saw photos from the city, there are 2 landmarks that this magical place is the most connected to Wawel Castle and the Sukiennice (EN: Cloth Hall). Every resident of the city knows it but might you also know its history?
The term Sukiennice refers to the trade of textiles and fabric, which is why it is also called Kraków’s Cloth Hall. Right now, it is daily visited by thousands of locals and tourists, that just pass through Old Town Kraków or that want to just stay still and enjoy the view. Being one of the biggest tourist attractions in Kraków, you can surely spend some more time on it, buying some souvenirs or enjoying a lemonade at Cafe Szal (on the 1st floor – trust me, the view is WORTH IT!).
Sukiennice – its beginnings and the great fire!
The history of Sukiennice (EN: Cloth Hall) begins with the history of Kraków in the mid-13th century. Part of the process of establishing Kraków was to indicate the place where the most important thing for the city would take place: trading goods. Therefore, a rectangular area was marked out in the middle of the Market Square for stalls in two rows, closed on the shorter sides with bars. Prince Bolesław the Chaste promised to build stalls for the people to sell their goods and he stuck to his word!
This place/area was turned into a brick building in the times of Casimir the Great. In the 14th century, he approved to make it into a real, Gothic market building made of red brick. Fast-forwarding to 2 centuries later: Sukiennice was destroyed by fire and only a few parts survived.
Its Renaissance form, known to all, with a characteristic attic and unique architectural details, is the result of a reconstruction in the 16th century and renovation in the 19th century. The Sukiennice is surrounded by arcades on all sides – giving it an unique look and being the top location to take very Instagram friendly photos. Inside the Sukiennice there is a vaulted ceiling and there are crests of Poland’s cities on the walls.
Not all the original Sukiennice pieces remain
To be noted that before the aforementioned renovation, the Sukiennice had outbuildings that do not exist today, which in the middle of the penultimate century were, like many Kraków buildings, in a deplorable condition. Hence, it was decided to demolish them and restore the Cloth Hall. In addition, it was decided that on the first floor, in a place where various kinds of trinkets were sold in the past centuries, the National Museum will be located.
The branch of the National Museum of Kraków holds the largest permanent exhibit of 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture, in 4 grand exhibition halls arranged by historical period and the theme extending into an entire artistic epoch. It is definitely worth your time and money!
The Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) today
So what does the Cloth Hall look like today? What is its function?
It is difficult to answer with one sentence because its function is multiple. Currently, it is the seat of branches of 2 museums – the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art of the National Museum of Kraków and the Underground Market Museum. Sukiennice (EN: Cloth Hall) also has stalls, souvenir shops, restaurants, including one of the icons of Krakow’s café life, the Noworolski Cafe.
It is also a living lesson in history and art because we can see, for example, a symbol of the Magdeburg Law, which was used in Kraków in the past. You can also find out where torches illuminating the darkness in the past centuries were put out (hint: check the side of the Sukiennice, as you enter – a set of small holes in the side).
Romania is a wonderful country to visit, but like any country in the world, it has its ups and down – its pluses and minuses. This is why today, I thought I would break-away a bit from the #DiscoverPoland posts and rather focus on #DiscoverRomania instead 🙂 so without any further ado, my dears, here is a list of things you should not do while in my homeland.
Do not take a cab from the airport!
NEVER GET A CAB FROM THE AIRPORT – ANY AIRPORT!!! – Use public transport or the shuttle buses that take you back to the city. The taxi drivers love to scam the newbies that have no clue where they are heading and they always take the longest route or spin you around the city, to get the bill bigger.
On the other hand… The prices for driving in a taxi are probably the lowest in Europe, so you will not be spending a fortune 😉 and some of the taxi drivers are actually nice and very talkative. Also, it is best, if you think the bill was too large, if you will haggle.
Traveling by train – unreliable
When visiting Romania, it is best if you would rent a car or you would go by bus (buses also usually have WIFI). The trains are rather unreliable in their schedule and … each time I went by train I always bumped into rather weird individuals.
Public transport – buses and trams
No AC for the buses and trams! Most of them are rather old-school or second hand. In summertime you should definitely avoid them as they tend to be very packed and you end up feeling like sardines… they do open up the windows for more air… but it is equal to going to the sauna!
The Metro is reliable, fast and cheap. In Bucharest you should use it, rather than buses as you might get stuck in traffic.
Pickpocketing
Pickpocketing in Romania is real! You have to be careful of your goods while in town as there are loads of gypsies ready for you! They hide in the shadows or in plain sight and they wait for any wrong move! Do not show off with your possessions and always keep an eye on them.
Do not keep your phone and or wallet in your pockets – especially the back pockets! Keep your bags and backpacks in the front while traveling by public transport. Better be safe than sorry, that’s what I always say!
Vlad Dracul was real!
Yes, Dracula was real – vampires, however, are just fairytale material. Do not ask the first question if they are real and if we spotted any! We do not carry garlic with us nor a wooden stake. We do not live in the Middle Ages and just so you know… Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracul > Dracula) was Voivode of Wallachia 3 times between 1448 and his death. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania – yes he did impale people, but only because they were doing mean things.
Do you have an example of things one should not do while going to Romania? Would love to hear your stories and if you agree with me or not!
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