Do you love Breakfast? I surely do! It is the best and most important meal of the day! So if you will come visit Krakow, you will need to get your strength for the day. So where should you have breakfast? Well, after 12+ years of living in this fine city, after trying countless places for breakfast… I thought I would share with you some of the places that I really love 🙂 I will list 10 places, however, this is not really a top! I love going to all the below places and sometimes they switch places in my top… so… without any further ado, here is my list.
1. HAMSA hummus & happiness restobar
Location: ul. Szeroka 2 / Miodowa 41, Kraków
Right smack in Kazimierz (Jewish District), you cannot miss it! The closest tram stop is Miodowa. They do make nice vegan breakfast options. You can reserve the places you wish to dine – outside if the weather is fair or inside if it rains or gets too cold. Nice atmosphere and kind waitresses. Very good hummus 😉
2. Charlotte – Bar i Wino
Location: Pl. Szczepański 2, Kraków
This little quaint place is on Plac Szczepanski, a stone throw away from the Main Market Square. Be advised that especially during the weekends there is a large queue forming in order to get breakfast there! Also they do not take reservations. They have a lot of spaces but it is a very popular (hip!) location. The food was waaaaaaaay better a few years back but it does have a good breakfast now too. Tres’ French – croissants and jams are the thing! Also… if you do go to Warsaw, they have a place there too.
3. MilkBar Tomasza
Location: ul. Sw. Tomasza 24, Kraków
The best place in town to get Irish Breakfast! The MilkBar Tomasza’s Irish breakfast includes eggs, bacon, sausages, wedges, toast, hash brown, baked beans. This is typically a Milk Bar – Bar Mleczny. A old school memory of communist times. Good food, made in large portions, self service. The place is small so sometimes, for the breakfast option – during the weekend, you will have a queue. The place is also great for lunch – the 2 course option costs 32 zlotys (prices as of July 2023). Staff is super friendly and as a huge bonus they all speak English very well!
4. MO-JA Cafe & Bistro
Location: Starowislna 14,Kraków
The best place to have breakfast at any time of day! If other places stop having breakfast options around 12 or even 1 PM, MO-JA Cafe has breakfast options all day! And I think that is absolutely fabulous! The staff is super friendly, the service is fast, the options are clear and the food is delicious. I love the egg options but also the pancakes – especially the ones with seasonal fruits! The only minus, that is quite huge, is the fact that it is not elder/disabled people friendly – there are stairs to get up and no ramp or other access way for wheelchairs. The outside tables are tall, bar-like stools, so that is also not an option… So keep that in mind! Otherwise, this place is awesome!
5. Cafe Bar Magia
Location: pl. Mariacki 3,Kraków
This is one of the very first places I discovered in Krakow, and it is a place I come back to… time and time again. It is hidden and quaint and worth your time. There are 2 Cafe Magia but the eldest one, the more established one, is on Plac Mariacki. Don’t be afraid of the great wooden door! Open it and pass the corridor! The atmosphere is lovely, there may be a bit of waiting time… but this place is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
6. Lajkonik Piekarnia i Kawiarnia
Location: everywhere inKraków 🙂
Lajkonik Piekarnia is a chain of bread and pastry shops in Krakow. You can find them almost everywhere, at any corner, and they all bear the sign of the Lajkonik. They usually have places inside where you can sit – comfy chairs and even sofas. Great options for quick breakfast or breakfast on the go. Delicious lemonade, hot cocoa, tea options + yummy sandwiches. I love the halves with egg paste – they are the best! Also, they do have plenty of yummy sweets.
7. AWIW Restauracja
Location: ul. Szeroka 13 Kazimierz, Kraków
Do you wish to experience live Klezmer music (flute and accordion)? Have a dinner at AWIW! But don’t forget to try the breakfast options too. The szakszuka is simply delicious here! This is a traditional Jewish restaurant located close to 2 of the remaining synagogues in Krakow. Also walking distance from the Miodowa tram stop.
8. Metrum Resto Bistro
Location: Swietego Tomasza 43, Kraków
This one is actually a stone throw away from MilkBar Tomasza 🙂 and it is a great place also to have an amazing view over Old Town Krakow. It is indeed a Krakow Hidden Gem. Located inside the Academy of Music, open to its students and professors, it is kind enough to open its gates to foreigners. The staff does speak English and the menu is written on a blackboard by the bar. It is self service. You order and pay and then you get a small ringer that announces you when the food is ready. You can pick indoor or outdoor seating. I like the places on the right side of the bar, as you go out and see the amazing view of Mariacki and Wawel. Don’t expect fancy! But it will be cheap and good and you will have the best views!
9. HEVRE
Location: Meiselsa 18 Corner Bozego Ciala, Kraków
The former Chewra Tehilim prayer house was built in 1896 under the direction of the architect Nachman Kopald based on an unknown project. We know that there was a prayer room on the ground floor as well as a women’s gallery. After 1951, the building became the headquarters of the “Krakowiacy” Song and Dance Group.
In 2008, wall paintings depicting biblical motifs and numerous friezes with floral motifs were discovered inside the synagogue. High up on the prayer room’s western wall there are images of four biblical animals ( lion, tiger, eagle and deer) in the decorative frames. On the level of the women’s gallery there is an inscription in Hebrew and a fragment of a view of Jerusalem.
In 2017, the contemporary minded yet traditional in spirit HEVRE community centre has opened a new chapter in the building’s history. HEVRE combines several different spaces – cafeteria, restaurant, bar, music club and a creative work space. HEVRE is located on 3 floors. It also hosts in the upper floors Vintage Fairs.
This one is a lovely find and the breakfast options here are also delicious. Breakfast is served until 1 PM but try and be there in time as the waiting time for service is quite long. Eggs Benedict is a must 😉
10. Cafe Camelot
Location: Zaulek Sw. Tomasza, Kraków
This place is quite nicely hidden in Krakow Old Town, but somehow it is always crowded – the locals know it 😉 I will start with the huge minus: one bathroom stall for all, and that bathroom is not always the cleanest… I tend to bring in my napkins and sanitizer just in case! But! The outdoor and indoor seating is great, the place is quirky and cozy and it is definitely worth your time. Love the pink walls! Nice menu. Good breakfast: omelets and scrambled eggs – you get a coffee in the price of breakfast option. I am a eggs fan but there are also croissants with jam OR porridge options. Great cakes!
Let me know what you think of my list, once you visit these places 🙂
Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug that loves a good Breakfast
Masks are not required in clinics and hospitals. How many coronavirus infections are there?
No more masks in Hospitals and medical institutions
The Chief Sanitary Inspector applied to the Minister of Health to cancel the state of epidemic emergency. This was due to a significant decrease in the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths caused by SARS-CoV-2. On Sunday, July 2, the Ministry of Health announced that only 4 COVID infections (including one recurrence) had been detected the previous day. 292 tests were performed.
The records
During the worst period of the Covid-19 pandemic in Poland, even tens of thousands of new infections were recorded daily (the record is just over 40,000). In total, since March 4, 2020, more than 6.5 million people have been infected with the dangerous coronavirus in our country, the Ministry of Health informs.
The academic year is about to begin. But what does this mean for Krakow? Busy buses, crowds in the streets of the Old Town and a lot of joy that young people bring. What does October 1st mean for a student? Moving to a new city is sure to arouse excitement and positive emotions while arousing stress and anxiety. How to find yourself in a new place? Here you will find everything you should know about Krakow when you come here to study!
1. Moving around Krakow
In accordance with the regulations of MPK, students can get a public transport ticket discount.
To move freely about the city, without having a care in the world, it is best to buy seasonal tickets (monthly). The students that are not residents of Krakow can buy these tickets for a period of 1 to 3 months.
The ticket can be purchased in the Krakow City Card (mKKM) mobile application, available for iOS and Android. For those travelling by rail in Małopolska, an even better option will be to buy a ticket in the Małopolska Agglomeration Card (iMKA) application, which will additionally allow you to buy a train ticket.
Students of eight universities in Krakow (AGH, UJ, PK, UR, UP, WSZB, WSE, KA) have the opportunity to register their season tickets on the Electronic Student ID, which they will receive after the beginning of the academic year, after purchasing them online or in KKM machines. In case of doubt, students can go to the Ticket Sales Point (the one with the least amount of traffic is the one located in Krowodza Gorka).
As you have read in point 1, students get discounts on public transport – but not only that!
With a valid ID card, students will be able to eat cheaper in some Krakow restaurants, pay less in museums, and gyms or watch a movie in Multikino for only PLN 12.90 or in Cinema City for PLN 16-18. What’s more, students can also use Spotify for less than PLN 10 a month.
Pierogi at Babcia Malina (next to Słowacki Theater) – A treat!
3. Where to eat cheap in Krakow?
If you are in Krakow and you never tried the Bar Mlecnzy (Milk Bars) yet, you are in for a treat!
They are a remnant of the communist era and all the locals enjoy it. Good homemade food at a low price.
Here are the most popular Milk Bars where you can dine cheaply and properly: – “Targowy” Milk Bar (Al. Ignacego Daszyńskiego 19) – “Pod Temidą” Milk Bar (43 Grodzka Street) – “Krakus” Milk Bar (Limanowskiego Street) 16) – Milk Bar “Flisak” (ul. Kościuszki 1) – Żaczek (ul. Czarnowiejska 75) – Milk Bar “University” (ul. Czysta 5) – and the flagship Milk Bar “Centralny” (housing estate Centrum C 1)
Some may be surprised by this, but we assure you that during your studies you will often come to the photocopying point. Unfortunately, a printer and a photocopier are items that not everyone has in their student apartment, and almost everyone needs them (especially before the session).
Here is a list of some photocopying points where you will be able to print or photocopy the necessary materials: – ul. Gronostajowa 7, Campus of the Jagiellonian University – ul. Józefa Piłsudskiego 9, next to the main building of the Jagiellonian University – ul. Gołębia 10, next to the buildings of the Jagiellonian University and the Pontifical University – ul. Witolda Budryka, AGH Student Campus – ul. Czarnowiejska 84, AGH Student Campus – ul. Reymonta A4, the AGH Student Campus – ul. Warszawska 24, Campus of the Cracow University of Technology – ul. Królewska 65A, next to the Pedagogical University – underground passage ul. Rakowicka / ul. Lubomirskiego, next to the UEK Campus – ul. Stanisława Wysocka 2C, AWF
Kazimierz Mural – Krakow
5. Where to live?
Well… if you are not from Krakow you have mainly 2 choices: Dormitory VS Flat.
Krakow’s universities offer rooms in dormitory buildings, most of which are located in clusters, known as student campuses: – AGH Student Campus, ul. Józef Rostafiński – in the town there are dormitories of AGH, UJ, UR, UP – Osiedle Studenckie PK, os. Stanisław Skarżyński There are also dormitories at UEK, AWF and private universities. The cost of course depends on the standard of living, the size of the dormitory and so on… Each university has its own price list.
Of course, the flats are available to rent and Facebook groups always have people searching for flatmates. Check the amenities always! 😉
The most beloved festival (an annual event for the students) happens in May, each year. So you will have time to prepare 😉 “Juwenalia” is a wonderful time when students throw all their worries away and devote themselves to having loads of fun with their friends.
The best concerts are seen there, there are multiple stages, competitions and generally… a wonderful time to be young and feel alive 🙂
Sw. Piotr & Pawla – Saint Peter and Paul Church – Krakow, Poland
7. Krakow’s nightlife
There are plenty of student clubs on the map of Krakow. To find out about events organized in individual clubs, we recommend that you follow their social media and websites on a regular basis. In the academic year, there will certainly be concerts and interesting events.
Student clubs in Krakow: – Żaczek, ul. 3 Maja 5 – Kwadrat, PK Campus, ul. Skarżyńskiego 1 – Studio, AGH Student Campus – Filutek, AGH Student Campus, ul. Rostafińskiego 10 – Zaścianek, ul. Rostafińskiego 4 – Gwarek, ul. Reymonta 17 – Pod Jaszczurami Club, Rynek 8 – Polibuda Pub, ul. Warszawska 17
If you prefer to sit quietly with your friends over a cold beer and chat, we present a list of examples of places that you can visit: – Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa, ul. Floriańska 34 / ul. Szewska 25 / pl. New 7 – BaniaLuka, pl. Szczepański 6 – Failure, ul. Mikołajska 9 – Pod Ziemią Pub, ul. Miodowa 43 – Craftownia, ul. Wawrzyńca 22 – Huki Muki, ul. Floriańska 26
Jewish Book of Prayers
8. Where to study?
Sometimes the conditions in the apartment or dorm do not allow for learning, and sometimes it is just difficult to gather thoughts at home and concentrate properly. If you’re the type of person who likes to study in public, you’ve come to the right place. Krakow is a city with plenty of libraries! Below is a list of university libraries, where each student will be able to obtain the necessary reading and teach:
– Jagiellonian Library, al. Adama Mickiewicza 22 – AGH Main Library, AGH Student Campus, al. Adama Mickiewicza 30 – The CUT Library, ul. Warszawska 24 – Main Library of UEK, ul. Rakowicka 27 – Main Library of the University of Life Sciences, ul. Podchorążych 2 – Main Library of the University of Agriculture, al. Adama Mickiewicza 24/28
In addition to the above-mentioned places, the Provincial Public Library, located at ul. Rajska 1. The library offers a wide range of books and textbooks and provides convenient conditions for learning. Moreover, next to it, at ul. Rajska is very active in Arteteka, ie “a modern space where Users can develop their interests, create their own projects, and supplement their knowledge based on various collections and specialized programs“.
Wawel Cathedral – Picture taken by The Twisted Red LadyBug
9. Cultural Krakow
It would be a pity to stay and study in Krakow and not visit this wonderful city – it has so much to offer!
You can select from cinemas to theatres to (my favourite!) amazing museums!
I know everyone will jump in to see the Wawel Castle or the Sukiennice as they are landmarks of this fine city, but there is so much more one could see!
Here are my picks:
The painting “Lady with an Ermine” at the Princes Czartoryski Museum, ul. Pijarska 15 – much better than its counterpart “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre 😉
Schindlers Factory on Ulica Lipowa 4
The Mehoffer Museum on Ulica Krupnicza 26
The 19th Century Polish Art Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Sukiennice – has 4 rooms and some of the most beautiful paintings I have seen in Poland! Romanticism, realism, Polish Impressionism, Młoda Polska (Young Poland)… and paintings that are as big as a wall!
I also recommend you check the Słowacki Theater, the Krakow Opera (on Lubicz) and the Philarmonic.
ree medical services under the National Health Fund for the academic community are offered by the Scanmed network:
– Scanmed Medical Center, ul. Armii Krajowej 5 (AGH) – ul. Akademicka 5 (AGH) – ul. Gronostajowa 7 (UJ) – ul. Warszawska 24 (PK) – ul. Rakowicka 16 (UEK) – ul. Podchorążych 2 (UP) – al. Jana Pawła II 84 (AWF) – ul. Kanonicza 23 (UPJPII)
After moving to a new city, away from your hometown, it is also worth submitting a special declaration of choosing a primary care physician, which can be downloaded online or obtained at any clinic. Then contact with the primary care physician will be faster and trouble-free.
NOTE! It is possible to change the primary care physician up to 3 times a year, and each subsequent change costs PLN 80.
That being said, I wish everyone a lovely stay in this amazing city 🙂
And in case of any questions, just drop me a line 😉
55 years ago, the inhabitants of Wola Justowska built a concert shell in Park Decjusza. The Krakow amphitheatre had approximately 1,300 seats. In addition to a large stage and a base for artists in the basement, a summer cinema was also organized there on a regular basis.
Let the film screenings take place again in “Muszla”!
The fame of “Muszla” did not last long, the space was deteriorating over the years. It was only in 1995 that the @Autorska Galeria Bronisław Chromego, one of the most recognizable Krakow sculptors, was established in this place.
Today, the Foundation Bronisław Chromego, who looks after the Gallery, decided to supplement the cultural offer of the place by restoring the activities of the Summer Cinema “MUSZLA”.
How is “MUSZLA” supposed to work?
Free outdoor movie screenings
Weekly screenings in July and August 2021.
Possibility of communing with art
A space for relaxation and entertainment
Do you wanna vote? 🙂
Would you like a screening in “MUSZLA” – vote in the Civic Budget and restore the cinema in Wola Justowska! Vote for MUSZLA project no. 22, District VII Zwierzyniec
#DidYouKnow that the Australian Booksellers Association founded the “Love your Bookshop Day”? It is celebrated each year on the 14th of August. I am a huuuuuuge lover of books, so I could not miss out on the occasion to tell you more about this as well. Bookshops are a very important means of knowledge that people, nowadays, look less at – due to the increase in technology usage. Let’s be frank: Who uses a dictionary nowadays or a book to find the right info? You just Google it!
Old Bible on display in the Muzeum Podgorze, Krakow – Poland
A bit of history
#DidYouKnow that in 1600 AD the very first book in America is printed – “The Bay Psalm”
#DidYouKnow that in 1900 the Hardbacks became popular and the publishers started considering paperbacks as “low quality“
Today we celebrate the Bookshops, and I have to let you that they are one of my favorite places in the world. I could get lost in any bookshop (or library) for hours! And there are plenty of bookshops in Krakow where you can get to pick and choose a good novel. So, without any further ado, here are my 5 picks of the day:
Massolit – which holds also a cafe and the bookstore is built in such a way that you can grab a book, find a nook, and dream away 🙂 They have a large English book selection. They are located on ul. Felicjanek 4. Perfect for a rainy day!
Centrum Taniej Ksiazki – you can find them on Florianska street (Old Town) and they have mainly books in Polish but also a small selection of foreign ones. Plenty of books for kids, though 😉 unfortunaley no place to sit and savour a book before buying it. They do have “old client” cards and you have bonuses.
American Bookstore – If you are searching for a library with books only in English (from kids to Young Adult to grown ups…) this is your place! They even have an Instagram account. The people there are very friendly and helpful and eager to get you with the best option for you. They are located in teh Old Town on Slawkowska.
Bonito.PL – you can see Bonito shopws everywhere in Krakow. It is easy to order online via their mobile app or even via webpage. They have amazing prices and the delivery is fast! They also have games and books and sometimes toys for kids. I definitely have too many books bought from them :)) also good prices on the books in English language 😉
Last but not least: Glowna Ksiegarnia Naukowa – located very close to Teatr Bagatela (Old Town) – provides a full range of books and paper products. It even offers (for free!) to wrap the books as a present! Split in 2 locations (a few metres away), the 2 spots are a place you shoudl go. To get lost for a few hours 😉 Also, one of them allows even to buy tea/coffee only for a few zloty and savour it in an area with chairs and tables. Very cozy! With their own application (GKN) you get a 20% discount!
What about you? I am off to my local bookstore to share some love!
Don’t buy books online, go visit the local stores and support them!
Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug that LOVES Books & Bookstores
A birthday cake in a reconstructed medieval town, music, dancing and fun, all with the occasion of the birthday for the Wawel Dragon. The one-of-a-kind festival will take place on Sunday, August 14, in Błonia Park in Krakow. The celebration will start at noon and will last until 18.00.
50 years old sculpture!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the sculpture of the Wawel Dragon by Bolesław Chromy. The 6-meter-high, fire-breathing dragon – the symbol of Krakow – can be seen every day at the foot of the Wawel Castle, it is one of the city’s greatest tourist attractions.
Did you know that he was supposed to be underwater?
According to the original concept, the dragon was to be partially submerged in the waters of the Vistula. However, it was found that the rubbish carried by the river current would settle on the sculpture. That is why, in 1972, it was placed in a block on the Vistula River, near Wawel Hill, next to the current exit from the Dragon’s Den. In the spring of 1973, a fire-breathing gas installation was installed inside the sculpture (by Feliks Prochownik).
“Gardens, Courtyards, St. Gereon’s Church” is a new Wawel sightseeing route
New Expo! “Dragon Garden. Bronisław Chromy at Wawel”
On the occasion of the anniversary, the exhibition “Dragon Garden. Bronisław Chromy at Wawel” was opened in Wawel Castle in spring. Sculptures by the artist from Krakow can be seen at Wawel until the end of September this year.
Birthday Picnic 🙂
The highlight of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wawel Dragon will be a birthday picnic in the reconstructed early medieval settlement, which will be erected on Sunday in Krakow’s Błonia Park. The settlement will be built by the Team of Wisła Wojów “Krak”, the oldest in Krakow and one of the first groups of early medieval reconstruction in Poland.
“Composed of nearly 20 tents, sewn and erected according to the indications of iconographic sources, the town will be populated by teams of warriors, white-headed, craftsmen and musicians – in period costumes, equipped with weapons, tools, instruments and other attributes based on historical ones. There will also be a place for the prince. Krak – on that day he will accept applications, complaints and grievances from his subjects”– announces the magistrate.
What can you find in this settlement?
In the settlement, you will be able to stop at a blacksmith, potter, jeweller, mint maker, weaver and leatherman, and learn about the workshop and secrets of medieval craftsmen. There will also be an opportunity to try your hand at medieval plebeian games, such as spinning, twisted marches, sack races, Slavic wrestling or shoemaker and dragon games, and to compete for prizes. There will also be a skirmish between the dragon armies in the entertainment area.
There will also be music, the folk band “Daj Ognia” will be playing, and before the evening the final concert will be played on the main stage by Percival – a band that was created with a fascination with the history and culture of ancient Slavs and which successfully introduces the modern audience to the musical traditions of the former Slavic region.
For the competitive souls…
There will also be competitions, dance workshops, theatrical performances “The True Story of the Wawel Dragon”, and a dragon procession will pass through the main square of the settlement. And, as befits a birthday, there will be cake and dragon baked goods.
Timing
The dragon’s birthday will last from 12.00 to 18.00.
As you may know, Poland is the most accommodating country toward the Ukrainian people. The UN states that over 14 million people are thought to have fled their homes since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Poland has taken the most, as you can see from the numbers below.
(Some people who traveled from Moldova to Romania are included in both countries’ totals).
The Help offered
The EU has granted Ukrainians the right to stay and work throughout its 27 member nations for up to 3 years. Poland, which has taken the highest number of refugees, and Moldova, which has the largest concentration of refugees by population, have both asked for international support to help fund their efforts.
The Struggles
Poland has offered many special benefits in order to support the growing number of Ukrainian refugees. For example payments for the households that keep refugees, free use of public transport, extra spots in kindergartens and schools, and free medical benefits (checkups and tests). Unfortunately, due to the high number of people that need help and the lack of funds, the Polish Government has decided to revoke some of the benefits.
MPK_TramsInKrakow
The Withdrawal
The families or individuals that have taken refugees into their homes, via a law passed in March, were entitled to a daily payment of 40 zlotych (approximately 8-9 euros). The Government, sometime in April, counted that about 600 000 Ukrainian people benefited from such help.
Last week, though, the deputy interior minister Paweł Szefernaker announced that this benefit will no longer be available. He also mentioned that many refugees chose to return back and mentioned that since the 10th of May there have been more people crossing the border into Ukraine than into Poland.
Starting the 1st of June also the free municipal public for the refugees from Ukraine has been revoked. Free train travel is also off since this month.
All children are cordially invited to play together on the occasion of Children’s Day. This year MPK SA is organizing on May 29 (Sunday) from 12.00 to 15.00 at the Nowa Huta tram depot, at ul. Ujastek 12. There will be plenty of attractions for children, including the possibility of driving a real tram on your own.
Children will also be able to:
Visit places where trams are repaired,
Drive a tram through a car wash,
See technical vehicles and historic vehicles that used to run on Krakow streets in the distant past.
MPK SA has planned games, competitions, and games for the youngest. Interesting prizes are waiting for those who will take part in the competitions.
There will also be trips on which historical vehicles will take participants for a ride around the city
Just a lovely Tram Ride in Krakow 🙂
MPK will also talk about security. On the premises of the depot, policemen, city guards and MPK traffic inspectors will appear in their official cars. Children will be able to meet them and ask questions about safe movement in Krakow.
When does the event start?
You will be able to get to the depot in Nowa Huta by unique historic trams, which will leave punctually at 10.30 from the Podgórze tram depot, at ul. J. Brożka 3.
MPK invites all children in Krakow to play together, including those who escaped here from the war in Ukraine. On monitors installed in trams and buses, the invitation to the Children’s Day organized by MPK SA will be displayed in Polish and Ukrainian.
Krakow and seven other European cities have passed the formal qualifications in the competition for the title of the Green Capital of Europe 2024. Currently, applications are evaluated by experts appointed by the European Commission. The city authorities are trying to win this title once again, which is at least surprising for some residents.
Among 8 European cities with over 100,000 residents – who passed the qualification in the competition – apart from Krakow were: Cagliari (Italy), Florence (Italy), Kosice (Slovakia), Murcia (Spain), Prato (Italy), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Valencia (Spain).
The winners will be announced on October 27 in Grenoble – the city that won the title of the Green Capital of Europe 2022. The competition, which was organized for the first time in 2010, was won, among others, by Stockholm, Oslo, and Lahti. It was in the Finnish city that Krakow performed in the final last year, but Tallinn turned out to be better.
On behalf of the city, the City Greenery Authority is trying to get the title. During the last edition of the competition, we talked, among others, about the sense of taking part in this competition with the director of ZZM, Piotr Kempf.
The fire of Krakow in 1850 was one of the most tragic events that happened to the city in the 19th century. This is how the event was reported at that time.
Krakow, July 18 (Thursday)
“10:00 pm. We have experienced a terrible day, and we do not foresee the end of our suffering. A terrible fire bursts around us, a terrible glow shines over the entire city, heavy smoke collapses. A sea of fire flooded the streets and the market square. Roofs fall, beams break, collapse. The dead hour struck for the city The fire is spreading more and more, it occupies the streets along the streets, life, estates, and even the existence of the city itself hangs from the wind. if he returns, the rest of the houses will go to dust.
The great fire of Krakow in 1850. A painting from the epoch of Theodor Baltazar Stachowicz (1800-1873).
Miserable town! The last defeat has finished you, in your streets and squares there will be only rubble, around which whole families will sit, and with a begging stick, you should search for some unburned rag, undamaged equipment. We have neither the time nor the head at this moment to appreciate all the misfortunes; we wait for the next days with fear, we tremble for the present moment, for the rest of the streets. What to do with a thousand victims, where to hug them? what to feed? We have no loft for our sisters, brothers, and mothers; bare pavement strewn with bare wood and the sky black with fire, this is our only refuge.
At 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the blows from the tower and the alarm in the marketplace announced the fire, although it was said that it had been going on for some time. Soon we saw a terrible fire in the lower mills on Krupnicza Street. The wind was blowing strong, the neighboring houses caught fire immediately, ….. four houses were burned down before the water spray ran up! There was no help. Everything that lay in the direction of the wind burned off; the fire did not know where to extend any further …. people started to come back when it was announced at 1 1/4 that the house of Mrs. Bartynowska on Goiłębia Street and the plantations had started to burn. The fire came out of the attic and soon spread over the entire roof. But a new scream: Wiślana Street is on fire! we run and we see a fire on the roof of the tenement house near the Hare. No water jets! nor a ladder! The academic buildings, the library, the dormitory, and offices were in terrible danger. The academic youth sprang up, ran to the roof, formed a chain of 150 people, and in a superhuman attempt to stop the fire, which had already begun to show up in the library building, was finally stopped.
A new scream: the Wielopolski Palace is on fire, I rush there and from Grodzka Street we can see a fire taking place from the roof. Fire in four places at once …. not a single spray! no help! not even the ladders! Nothing, nothing at all, all put at the mercy of the destructive element. Inhabitants start to get out of their homes, everyone saves what they can … meanwhile, the entire area from the tenement house is lit up by the Hare, and the fire is thrown into Gołębia block, into Bracka Street, into the bishop’s palace.
The plantation fire is progressing, the technician, the university printing house and the Unicki Church are in charge. No way to stop the dreadful clouds of fire …. no one is stopping them! Fire terrible on this side. The Wielopolski Palace is on fire, the entire Bracka Street is on fire, and the Starosty House is taken care of. The fire moves to the Franciscans. Streets filled with fires, choked with heavy waves of smoke, it is impossible to enter the apartments, nor cross the street.
A new shrill cry: Rapp’s tenement house on Carpenter’s Street is on fire, it is throwing fire into the Dominican Republic. The sea of fiery spilled over the rooftops and rages with the wind.
A fire enters the market square; the entire south side takes care of; the wind pushes him into the streets of Grodzka!
At that moment, the fire joined the plantations at Gołębia, Wiślana, and Franciszkańska Streets; for plantations at a small market, Szeroka Street, Ś. Józefa …. everything is on fire.
Four churches are burning at once …… and at the moment there are only naked, black walls, among the flames, which are still emerging here and there, there are cornices and gothic vaults. Suddenly, in the Dominican church, the roof falls on the vault, which still persists. The unburned beams still glow on the walls, and from there, and from there, the sheet metal is dripping from there. All the buildings and the library are burning next to the church. monastery, there are butcher’s shops. At the moment, butchers’ houses behind the plantations are on fire, the wind is blowing him more and more from the entire square between the Dominican plantations until a pillar of fire has tied almost under the old Vistula.
The Franciscan Church is on fire; dry altar trees, pews, cloisters are busy, hissing, crackling! The vault collapses, and the fire rushes into the monastery. from the monastery to the surrounding houses; in the courtyard, there are several dozen families, a few poor monks, and around them, a fiery river spread out with a wreath; the gate inaccessible, the only escape through the wall from the garden.
In Grodzka Street, the raging element spills out from the roof onto the roof, all the way to Śgo Józefa Street. But on the other hand, the inhabitants had already ripped off the roofs, and for a moment halted the terrible progress of destruction.
It was five o’clock, everyone lowered their hands because there was no more help. It was only counted that some buildings covered with tiles would be erected abroad! …. in Grodzka Street, the fire leaned against the passage in front of the court building, the part between Grodzka and Poselska on one side burned down. The house on the corner of Wiślana and Gołębia and the building of the Academy covered with tiles defended Śtej Anny Street and the eastern part of the Market Square. Everything is on fire until now! Unless the scaffolding has already collapsed and the red tongues of fire hiss the windows
Around 7 a.m., a few citizens stopped at the Hotel Dresden, thinking about the remedial measures. It was said that the commanding general himself, who had been on horseback from the very first moment, caught a man with sulfur dioxide in his hand, a wax candle, and a cotton-wrapped packet of gunpowder. At his home, attorney Boguński caught a 10-year-old boy dressed in rags, who was running to the attic. On request, where are you going? I’m going to save, he replied. There is no smoking here, replied the owner of the house, and surprised by the boy’s answer, he took him and found the materials needed to set fire to him. At that moment he took him to the barracks in Walter’s tenement house and handed him over to the military authority with the corpus delicti. Four other seriously suspected arson attacks were also apprehended and taken to the main guardhouse.
This story was scary! and we know that under our feet there is some hellish plot that has sworn the doom of the city. We could not comprehend, we did not want to believe, and yet the fact was told clearly, clearly. At that time, Mr. Maciszewski, whose entire apartment had burned down to the top, made a request to go to JESzef Komisya Gub. and HE Commander and ask them to bring a summary judgment, the Chamber of any caught in the act of arson, was immediately shot. This sentence was heeded and soon citizens: Boguński, Lipiński, Skarzyński, Kremer Karol, Kalinka and others went to HE Head of the Commission and Guber. declaring his wish to him. J. Excellencya replied that he could not announce the summary court, but because they were guilty, he would summon the President of the Tribunal.
An inquisition began with the accused who was apprehended by attorney Boguński … and after At 9 a.m. with the sound of drums, the military headquarters announced from the Central Committee, a decree that ordered candles in the windows to be burned, citizens were called to guard their homes, patrols were sent and it was ordered that whoever dares to resist them or is caught in the act of suspicion, will be immediately judged martial. North. We walked around the fire point again, the wind is stronger, choking smoke is spreading all over the square. The fire in the house of Mrs. Wąsowiczowa and Skotnickie falls deeper. Sikawka worked in the same house for some time, then it stopped.
Where are the other water jets?
Part of Wiślana Street is on fire in the background. The bishop’s palace burned down completely. The naked walls of the Franciscan Church are sticking out! the buildings next to the plantations seem to have survived, at least we have not seen any fire on them at the moment. From Bracka Street, or rather from Gołębia Street to Św. Joseph one sea of fire; we haven’t seen a single hive here again. But from this side the fire was stopped; only the interiors of houses are on fire. Stolarska Street is burning down; also the southern part of a small square; weak rescue! no people to help, no water. – Behind the plantations, the butcher’s houses glisten with still unburned coal.
Wentzl’s house in the market square was twice in terrible danger and twice almost miraculously survived. On one, the other and the third side it was boiling, we only saw a few chimneys sweeps on the roofs, diligently flooding water and tearing off shingles.
The Czech bookshop burned down; we saw books being thrown away, but it was too late. The files of two notaries, Ekielski and Korytowski, were burnt to the ground.
Everything depends on the wind right now – we cannot tell with certainty its direction, but it seems to be blowing in the same direction, only slightly stronger. It is only lucky that the roofs are no longer burning anywhere, the terrible fire glows deep inside the houses. All the walls seem to be cracked.Strong patrols walk the streets; the entire army is under arms; on the streets of the guard. In the plantations, the furniture of the unfortunate victims is folded and rested with the remnants of their property. On the market square, from Baranów to Grodzka Street, sofas, chairs, paintings and other movables are allowed together. Warta guards everywhere.
We hear about a few unhappy ones. who were burned. Among others, the venerable old man Filipowski, unable to get up from his bed, burned himself to coal, as they say. Several children found death. Poor victims, you died in terrible torments! but you did not survive your misfortune.
4 o’clock in the morning. Thank God we think the danger is over. The fire goes out. We are just coming back from the technique and house of Bartynowska. We come back filled with adoration for this noble university youth, because we have witnessed her sacrifice (…)
At 1 1/2 we walked out again for a city overview. The northern part of the market square is burning inside, the fire is renewing in technology, Franciszkany or rather the surrounding building is quiet, but in Grodzka Street between Szeroka and Ś. Joseph, the fire bursts violently from the windows. A water-pipe attached to one of the houses works poorly, the danger was in danger, the neighboring houses. who had miraculously survived so far, could for a moment alleviate the general misfortune. Weak rescue.
On Ś. Józef, among the furniture and scattered cloths, we can see a water spray standing in vain, it cannot be pulled into Grodzka Street, and there is no one to introduce it. In the street, wide Dominican buildings throw out a terrible fire, we did not see a living soul. The night and clouds of smoke, from among which the moon sometimes flickered red, made it impossible to see what was going on inside.
Behind the plantations the lights of the butchers’ fires glistened; no one again! We come back Sienna Street beats two o’clock, followed by the alarm, beating drums, announcing a new fire in the city from the Maryacka Tower. We ask where the water jets run to the Sukiennice. There it is easy; they call a fire in S. Anna Street and it’s quiet there; scream, there is fire in Szpitalna Street. the alarm turned out to be false. We return to the house of Mrs. Wąsowicz. The youth created a line and brought water to the water-pipe, which extinguishes the fire. We saw no danger here, but all the greater with technology. There was a fire in this place again, it is threatening the academy. The danger was terrible. University youth are thrown in this direction, pp Majer, Kuczyński and Pol are in charge of the defense. Two water jets were brought in, a double row was created. Then, with extraordinary effort, the ladder was brought down, professor Krupiński climbed on it and threw a huge beam onto the ground, which might burn for a long time. Seeing that with technology the danger decreases, especially since Mr. Majer has manned the roof of the university with people, they run at the end of the Gołembia block from Rudawa, bring water, pull a water-pipe and flood the fire in Mrs. Bartynowska’s house, which he recovered.
The day begins to dawn, the people from the market square, calmness returns to the minds.
6 o’clock in the morning. We walked around the horrible theater of misfortune once more. Heavy smoke is rising from several houses, here and there a beam, a balcony, or a window frame is burning. The walls and chimneys are naked, black, and tanned as crosses over the graves of the former exystentia. Owners of burnt houses come out to the streets, wanting to find out that they still have a lot of bricks from their former estates. (…) In one part of the city, where the shop stood near the shop, the warehouse near the warehouse, only the skeletons of houses and streets remained. It is a terrible sight.
Stolarska Street is burning down; from the Dominican building opposite the church, puffs of fire are piling up against the eye. Sikawka at the end of his mission wants to save a few unburned rain and ceilings. The city is covered with a mourning smoke with heavy smoke.
Only two houses remained from the northern part of the square; from Wiślana street, a stretch from Ś. Anna and Rynek, from Gołębia Street the academic building (all the more Technics) and a corner house, from Bracka Street, part of the house of Fr. Jabłonowskiego, from Grodzka Street up to Śgo Józefa, three or four houses from Poselska Street; nothing from Stolarska Street. This is the most general picture of desolation. And who can count the unsettled losses, who can adequately assess this blow, from which Krakow may never recover?
The house and the Soviet trade of Szukiewicz completely burned down; Fiedlein’s bookstore, as we hear, survived, although it is located in a house (serving as barracks) where a fire broke out very early. The fire was nowhere as fierce as on Stolarska Street. There, among others, the house of Mr. Morsztyn burnt down, along with an expensive library and a rare collection of numismatic items.
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, when the worst fire was occupying the northern part of the Market Square on the west side and in connection with Stolarska Street it was threatening the nearest houses at the Church of the Virgin Mary standing, priest Złowodzki left the church with Sanctissimum in his hand and immediately surrounded by a mass of people. he stood on the corner of Sienna street and, falling on his knees, began to sing: We take refuge in Your protection, Lord! It was an indescribable sight. There the inhabitants breaking out from among the flames. what else could be saved; then the army is fully armed; here the people are beseeching the God of substitutes and begging mercy over the rest of the poor city!
View of Krakow after the fire in 1850, showing the service at the beginning of the reconstruction of the Dominican church – tone lithograph, draftsman: Józef Szymon Kurowski, graphic artist: Isidore Laurent Deroy, publisher Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński, Paris 1851. Collections of the National Museum in Warsaw
The inhabitants of the city are accompanied by a resignation that is difficult to explain, perhaps with the immeasurable enormity of misfortune. It is necessary to confess that rescue is not organized anymore, but also infirm, or rather none. No water jets (as far as we know, there were only four), no carts, barrels, watering cans, no everything that belongs to the fire brigade)
We do not go into the reasons, we describe the fact. In a word, the fate of our city hangs from the direction of the town hall flag. Quietness and indescribable consternation.
In tomorrow’s issue we will try to complete this inaccurate picture written under the impression and at the moment of the drama taking place. For now, only a few remarks that we need to press against the pen.
We have heard that the local authorities are already devising measures to alleviate the fate of the unfortunate victims, if possible. For this purpose, many citizens were summoned to the deliberations. The government in this matter will have to the aid of every honest man, every inhabitant who came out of this terrible flood happily.
Here we want to give you one piece of advice. When, after the Hamburg fire, a large part of the inhabitants found themselves without an attic, wooden huts were built immediately where they could accommodate those who had not found shelter elsewhere (…)
PS. 9 o’clock in the morning. The wind is stronger and the market is blowing strongly. As long as the fire is not completely put out, there is a danger that the smoldering embers may ignite the fire. (…)11 a.m. At the moment, all efforts are aimed at the house of Mączyńska, opposite the guardhouse, in order to prevent the fire from spreading further along the eastern part of the market square. There is more energy and bounce in defense. A water-pipe in constant motion and several lines of people giving water. We saw soldiers on the neighboring roof, and now the entire company has been commanded to rescue.
The gendarmes were sent around the peasants to help us, we have already seen a dozen arriving. There is already free circulation on Stolarska, Szeroka and Franciszkańska Streets. It is still smoldering everywhere but the flame is nowhere.
We saw 5 people burned in the gruel shop next to the Church of St. Mary; the corpses of these unfortunate ones bear traces of the most horrible sufferings.
We now learn that the Sand Rock Castle was burnt down by yesterday’s fire. “
Source: dziennik “CZAS” Nr 163 Kraków 19 Lipca – Piątek. Rok 1850
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