Until the end of the year, the Road Authority of the City of Krakow will conduct a test increase in the speed of trams in the tunnel under the Main Railway Station. They will check how increasing the speed on straight lines (up to 50 km / h) will affect comfort, track safety and wear. In curves, the speed remained unchanged (30 and 40 km / h).
What will it do for passengers in the future? Will we get faster, for example, from the Mogilskie roundabout to Krowodrza Górki and further to Górka Narodowa?
Officials from ZDMK ensure that they will investigate how it will realistically affect the travel time. – We meet the conclusions of public transport enthusiasts, taking advantage of the fact that in the pandemic we have renovated the tunnel – says Michał Pyclik, spokesman for ZDMK.
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 past 2020 was very difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic. We checked what the Krakow City Hall spent the money on during this period. The list of contracts signed by the municipality includes 6,451 items.
Which of them were the most expensive, but also the most eye-catching?
Delivery of diagnostic gloves and protective helmets – PLN 164,880. Agreement with CMS Polska.
Production and delivery of promotional materials, i.e. 10 thousand. pieces of wooden toys – rattles “Wawel Dragon” – 153 750 zlotys. Agreement with Wojciech Bajor Bajo.
Maintaining cleanliness and order in the city of Krakow – 581 569 236.41 PLN. Agreement with MPO Kraków.
Waste management service – PLN 1,561,843,461. Agreement with MPO in Krakow.
Delivery of coffee capsules – PLN 12,474.05. Agreement with Lyreco Polska SA.
100 free “PET” bottle crushers for downtown residents – 23.5 thousand. PLN. Contract with Chirs Star Krzysztof Dzido.
Provision of the car park of the Franciscan monastery (25 places) on the days of the sessions of the Krakow City Council – 26.4 thousand PLN. Agreement with the Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi, the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Franciscans).
Implementation of the public task entitled “The Lucky Jew: Updating Traditions” – 10,000 PLN. Festivalt Association.
Development of a multi-variant and multi-sector concept for the construction of the Balicka Route – PLN 2,453,850. Agreement with Voessing Polska.
Printing of the Kraków.pl newspaper – PLN 791,413.20. Contract with “Leyko” printing house.
Custom-made Krakow caps – 10,000 PLN PLN. Agreement with the “Perfekt” Production and Service Company.
Making 200 pieces of a case for a commemorative medal to commemorate the XXX anniversary of the Revival of the Local Government – PLN 12,181. Contract with Elżbieta Makowska. The price for the medals was PLN 27,060. The contract was signed with the Karol Badyna Forma Sculpture Studio.
Purchase of promotional materials – Duke fountain pens – PLN 9,940.25. Agreement with “Kartos” Dłużniak Spółka Jawna.
Reconstruction of the Kraków Swoszowice railway station together with the construction of a park & ride car park – PLN 43 095 557.37. Agreement with PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA.
Construction of the Kraków Sanctuary passenger stop on the line no. 94 – 27 859 272.76. Agreement with PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA.
Lease of an envelope – PLN 12,504.50. Agreement with PPSERVICE SC.
A special-purpose subsidy for the implementation of the “Opera Rara 2020” task – PLN 1.7 million. Agreement with Capella Cracoviensis.
Purchase of police cars with hybrid drive for the Municipal Police Headquarters – PLN 1.1 million. Agreement with the State Treasury – the Voivodship Headquarters of Poland in Krakow.
Agreement on the creation and financing of a joint cultural institution entitled Institute for Intercultural Dialogue John Paul II in Krakow – PLN 12,765,900. Agreement with the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and the John Paul II Center “Do not be afraid”.
Preparation and implementation of the project “Dance with us! Polish National Dances” on November 14, 2020 in the TS Wisła hall – 30 thousand. PLN. Agreement with the Art & Sound Association.
Lease of space in the building at ul. Mogilska 41 – PLN 29,445,507.08. Agreement with WX Office Innovation.
You can find here the Polish article in Gazeta Krakowka.
The Road Authority of the City of Krakow presented the immediate plans for the construction of city parking lots. The construction of park & ride car parks in Bronowice and at the Hutnik hall in Nowa Huta is to begin this year. Tenders for the design of another 6 park & ride parking lots, including the extension of the existing facility in Ruczaj, are also to be announced. There are also plans for smaller neighborhood car parks.
This year, the Roads Authority of the City of Krakow plans to start the construction of 2 park & ride parking lots. The first of them, for about 200 places, is to be built as part of the construction of the transfer junction in Bronowice.
Parking park and ride Bronowice
The contract for the construction of the node in Bronowice has been signed, we have concepts, now the contractor will start design works, then construction works – we plan that they will start at the end of the year
ZDMK
As part of the investment, a public transport bus station will be designed, equipped with the infrastructure necessary for passenger service, in particular: bus parking spaces, stops, ticket sales points, waiting rooms, information systems, and toilets.
The station will be located inside the connector of the road junction at ul. Balicka and the Home Army. The roofing bus station is to be the first tier multi-level parking for cars where the driver and leaving your vehicle will be able to change for the tram, bus, or train (park and ride systems). The investment is to be carried out by Budimex, which submitted a tender for PLN 51.6 million.
“Suche Stawy” park and ride parking at the Hutnika Kraków hall
In the case of the park & ride car park “Suche Stawy” Suche Stawy, ZDMK plans to announce a tender so that the first works will start this year. The car park is to be built in the vicinity of the tram stop “Suche Stawy”, the Sports and Entertainment Hall “Suche Stawy”, the City Stadium Hutnik Kraków (Suche Stawy), the Sports and Recreation Center Com-Com Zone Nowa Huta.
This parking lot for approx. 90 vehicles has been planned for several years. The idea for this investment is to renovate the damaged surface of the existing above-ground car park in front of the Hutnik hall made of concrete slabs. The lighting will also be recreated with the electricity supply system.
In order to adapt the car park for the needs of the “park and ride” system, devices with the parking system software will be installed. Among them, there will be terminals, barriers, automatic cash register, monitoring, and a visual information system – boards informing about the car park filling status.
More park & ride car parks in Krakow are planned
In addition, it is planned to announce a tender for the development of design documentation along with obtaining construction permits for the following tasks:
extension (superstructure) of the P&R Czerwone Maki car park in Ruczaj;
P&R “Mydlniki SKA” (SKA – fast agglomeration railway) car park, next to the railway stop (ul. Balicka-Gradowa);
P&R “Bieżanów-Drożdżownia SKA” car park at the Kraków Drożdżownia railway stop (area at the intersection of Rakuś – Zamłynie – Lipowskiego Streets);
P&R “Olszanica” car park at the railway stop, Powstania Styczeńowego street;
P&R “Księcia Józefa” car park (Wodociągowa Street);
parking in the vicinity of the Kraków – Opatkowice SKA railway stop.
Additional parking spaces for cars
As part of other investment tasks, ZDMK also plans the:
construction of a car park on the estate At Arka 5, on an area of approximately 300 sq m (design documentation is to be developed in 2021);
construction of parking bays on the estate 2 Pułku Lotniczego in the area of block 46 on the area of approx. 260 square meters (design documentation is to be developed in 2021)
construction of parking spaces on the estate Green, bl. 15-16 (in 2021, the development of design documentation is to be completed and the construction of parking spaces on an area of approx. 115 sq m is planned to start);
construction of parking spaces on the estate Spółdzielczy, bl. 8 (in 2021, the development of design documentation is to be completed and the construction of parking spaces on an area of approximately 400 sq m is to be started);
reconstruction and extension of the car park in front of the Jordanian garden at ul. Kielecka 9 (in 2021, the development of design documentation is to be completed and the investment will be completed, parking spaces will be built on a total area of approx. 290 sq m).
Housing estate car parks
As part of the parking space construction program, this year the following car parks are to be built:
on os. Metallurgical – a contract was signed for the development of design documentation (deadline June 2021),
at ul. Zuchów – a contract for the development of design documentation was signed (deadline June 2021).
The Rząska-Mydlniki-Wapiennik park and ride car park is being completed
The construction of the Rząska-Mydlniki-Wapiennik transfer junction with a park & ride car park for 87 cars is near the end. “The contractual completion date for the investment is April 2021. There are, among others, terminal equipment, technical building, installation of lighting poles, transformer station, target road marking” – informs the ZDMK.
Currently, works related to the construction of parking spaces at ul. Czerwieński.
Original article, in Polish language, can be found in Gazeta Krakowska.
MPK is modernizing the bus fleet. New electric buses from the pool of 50 purchased by the city carrier are slowly starting to arrive in Krakow.
On Monday, January 25, the first of 50 new electric buses ordered by MPK in Krakow left the Solaris Bus & Coach factory in Bolechowice near Poznań. The bus will be delivered on a special tow truck to the Wola Duchacka Bus Service Station.
After delivery, the technical acceptance of the new bus will begin. It will be carried out entirely at the MPK depot (due to the limitations related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is currently not possible for these technical approvals to take place at the manufacturer’s factory as before).
50 new buses for Krakow
The contract for the delivery of 50 electric buses and 50 charging devices via a plug-in connector, dedicated to each vehicle, was signed on May 25, 2020. All new buses will carry passengers on four lines No. 144, 173, 179, and partially 503, running through Aleja Trzech Wieszczów, i.e. in the area of the city, where the greatest exceedances of the permissible air pollution standards occur.
The electric buses that Solaris will deliver to Kraków will be driven by axles with integrated electric motors. Articulated buses will be structurally prepared for charging in 2 ways: through a 4-pole roof pantograph located above the first axle of the vehicle or through a plug-in connector. The energy storage will be Solaris High Energy + batteries.
European Union Funds ON!
Electric articulators will be able to offer a journey for 141 passengers at a time, 43 of whom will be able to use seats. The newest buses for Krakow will be equipped with monitoring, passenger information system, air conditioning, USB chargers and an electric heating system. People on wheelchairs will be able to use a platform that will facilitate getting on and off the bus. The ramp will be mounted at the second door. For the purchase of these vehicles, MPK SA obtained approx. PLN 110 million in subsidies from the European Union funds.
These are the next electric buses in the capital of Małopolska. The residents of Krakow can currently use 29 emission-free vehicles.
The article is taken from Gazeta Krakowska – you can find it here in Polish language.
Residents are concerned about the plans to redevelop the market square in Stary Kleparz. On the Internet, you can find visualizations that show that the market would turn into a commercial facility with … a car park on the roof!
Another “shopping center”?
The inhabitants of Krakow point out that if a project that can be seen on the Internet was created, Stary Kleparz would become the shopping center closest to the center. –
The project itself is not bad, but if it were to be built in the suburbs of Prandocin or Wieluń, and not in the very heart of the Old Town
commented one of the residents
The tender is planned for 2021
Gazeta Krakowska checked that PLN 1 million was reserved for the reconstruction of Stary Kleparz in this year’s budget of Krakow. The full name of the task is “Stary Kleparz – construction of an open roof for the existing marketplace with land development”. The plan for this year is to conduct a tender for the execution of construction works, sign a contract with the contractor, and start work.
What Stary Kleparz could look like after the reconstruction can be found on the website of SAO Investments. There are visualizations of the concept of the City Market. The expected development area is 7.5 thousand square meters, and the area of the building itself is 6 thousand square meters.
Documentation underway
What about the office?
Gazeta Krakowska asked there for details of the project and asked for clarifications. “The task entitled “Stary Kleparz – construction of an open roof of the existing market place together with land development” is a new investment of the Municipal Investments Board. We have been implementing it since this year” – informs Jan Machowski from ZIM. “We are currently at the stage of obtaining documentation from the trade company Nowy Kleparz sp. Z o. In the budget and the Multiannual Financial Forecast, PLN 8 million has been planned for the implementation of this task for three years – until 2023” – he adds.
More on the purchase of plots of land for parks, additional funds at the disposal of districts, increased expenditure on the construction of pavements and subsidies for residents investing in Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and micro-retention – this is the shortest summary of the amendments by councilors from the Kraków club for residents to next year’s budget.
In our opinion, in this record-high budget, not enough money goes directly to the residents for things that are closest to them
Łukasz Gibała, leader of the KdM club
New Year – New Pavements!
According to KdM councilors, this type of expenditure includes construction of new pavements. According to the proposal of President Jacek Majchrowski, 5 million PLN is to be allocated for this purpose.
“It’s definitely not enough. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of places in our city, especially in the outskirts, where, for example, children on their way to school or to a stop have to go along the road. This is unacceptable in the 2nd largest city in Poland. Pedestrian safety should be a priority” – explains Gibała. Therefore, the KdM club wants to allocate an additional 3 million PLN to the construction of pavements.
A deep need for forests & parks
The KdM councilors also emphasize that the pandemic has clearly shown how much the inhabitants need forests and parks – which are the subject of another amendment. “The coronavirus highlighted the lack of green areas in our city, so we want to increase funds for the purchase of land for future parks and forests” – says councilor Łukasz Maślona from KdM.
A step towards renewable energy!
Councilors propose that this amount increase from PLN 1 million to PLN 11 million. Another change in the budget they propose is money that will go directly to the residents. “We believe that in a budget of more than seven billion, allocating only 3 million PLN to support residents who install renewable energy or capture rainwater is definitely not enough. That is why we have proposed three million for each subsidy system for Krakow citizens who will take actions that have a positive impact on the effects of climate change” – explains Maślona.
District councilors should distribute the money!
Councilor Jan Pietras, former chairman of the IX district council, is the initiator of the amendment increasing the funds in the special-purpose reserve that will be available to districts. “It is the district councilors that are closest to the inhabitants, they know local problems best. Our amendment aims to make it easier for them to deal with these problems. These are often small investments – lighting a pedestrian crossing or providing benches – for which, unfortunately, money is usually not enough” – argues councilor Pietras.
The original article, in the Polish language, from Gazeta Krakowska, can be found here.
In October, a series of anti-discrimination trainings for directors of Krakow schools will begin. Thanks to them, they will acquire competencies that help to notice possible manifestations of discrimination in the schools they manage and learn how to properly respond to them. Recruitment for training already started.
Training organized by the City of Krakow
The trainings organized by the city will be attended by the directors of all self-government kindergartens, schools, and institutions, i.e. over 300 people. The meetings will take place in the form of workshops, and their topics will relate to various forms of discrimination that students may encounter not only in the school space but also outside it. Therefore, among the topics discussed during the meetings, there will be those related to financial status, gender, gender identity, or religion. But these are just some of them.
“Classes will be conducted in the form of interactive workshops, during which directors will analyze individual cases and look for solutions to prevent them in reality. The training will also allow for the exchange of experiences and good practices with directors from other institutions. People managing Krakow schools will also be able to take part in individual consultations conducted by an anti-discrimination trainer and discuss specific cases from their own institutions” – says Ewa Całus, director of the Education Department of the Krakow City Hall.
Supposed to happen in the spring
He adds that the trainings were to take place in the spring, but due to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, they were postponed to the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year.
October training will be conducted by Dominika Cieślikowska, an experienced anti-discrimination trainer for several years, conducting classes for various groups of recipients, including teachers and school principals.
The article, in Polish language, in Gazeta Krakowska.
Sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and stops will be decontaminated
This is the aftermath of the introduction of the yellow zone of the coronavirus epidemic in Krakow. Decontamination of public areas with high pedestrian traffic throughout the city is expected to prevent the spread of Sars-Cov-2.
Back to square one…
Public transport stops, sidewalks, bus loops, larger interchange points, underground passages and footbridges, containers for selective waste collection, pharmacy surroundings with entrances, street litter bins – in these places, MPO Krakow started cleaning the city space from Monday, August 30 with the help of disinfectant. Street baskets, handrails of various types and benches are also disinfected.
Fighting the good fight!
The effectiveness of the decontamination of the city in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus is confirmed by scientists from the Małopolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University. They have conducted, in March, an analysis of urban space contamination with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The test samples were taken from ATMs and ticket machines located at bus stops. Locations tested: All Saints, Mogilskie roundabout, Bagatela Theater, Nowy Kleparz, Mały Płaszów loop, or shopping malls.
It turned out then that over 40 % of the samples contained the genetic material of the virus. “The highest percentage of positive results was observed on the first day of the project. The material was collected and accumulated on the surfaces for several days” – says Paweł Łabaj, co-author of the study.
MPK also disinfects the public transport vehicles!
The disinfection and ozonation of buses and trams of the City Transport in Krakow is also carried out without changes. Virologists also remind you to disinfect your own hands and avoid touching your face.
The city has announced a competition for the design of the Krakow Music Center in Cichy Kącik. We will know the winner in December!
New Musical Center in Krakow
The Krakow Music Center in Cichy Kącik is to be a musical showcase of the city and a contemporary icon of architecture harmoniously integrated into the surroundings, a room with outstanding acoustic values. The city has just announced an international architectural and urban competition for the design of the building. The winner will be announced on December 18 this year(2020).
This is not a new idea!
The city has returned to the idea from years ago and wants to build a modern concert hall in Cichy Kącik. The idea of building the Krakow Music Center assumes the construction of a complex that will use the world’s best urban, architectural, acoustic, and functional solutions.
The Krakow Music Center will not only be the seat of Capella Cracoviensis and Sinfonietta Cracovia but also a place used by other creative entities, non-governmental organizations, artists, and as a space for the presentation of festivals, such as Opera Rara, Music in Old Krakow or Sacrum Profanum Festival.
The topic of building the Music Center started years ago when prof. Stanisław Gałoński from the Foundation wanted to build such a facility for contributions. It failed. There was also a resolution of the Krakow City Council and the concept of building a Music Center together with the Marshal’s Office, but in agreement with the Marshal, we withdrew from it. Now we are starting the investment because the pressure from creative circles to build a real concert hall in Krakow is huge.
Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of the City of Krakow
When did the competition start?
The competition was announced on Monday, August 17. Z oo, in cooperation with the Kraków branch of the Association of Polish Architects, will be responsible for the city. An international, two-stage architectural and urban competition will select the best solution for the building of the Krakow Music Center at ul. Piastowska in Krakow.
The music complex will use the world’s best urban, architectural, acoustic and functional solutions. The hall is to be a place that fits into the network of European concert halls, there will be radio, TV and internet broadcasts of concerts and performances, the place will build the prestige, brand and reputation of the city, which prides itself on the title of the European Capital of Culture 2000 and the Polish capital of culture.
When will we know the winner?
The decision, public announcement of the competition results, and the opening of the post-competition exhibition will take place by December 18, 2020. The pool of competition prizes amounts to 200 thousand zlotys.
Original Article in Polish Language can be read here.
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