200 works, mostly art, but also projects and products of artistic craftsmanship, personal mementos, manuscripts and photographs – Wyspiański’s legacy can finally be seen in the museum dedicated to the artist. The new branch of the National Museum in Krakow was established in the building of the former granary at Plac Sikorskiego 6. – This is a unique moment to see Wyspiański in an intimate, personal, and intimate way, says Andrzej Szczerski – “We can see up close how the most famous projects were created, how the artist created graphic and design works. We will also see Wyspiański here – the artist of the interior”.
A museum dedicated to Wyspiański
For years, the museum announced in Krakow, which is to be created with Wyspiański in mind, is still a foggy future, the priority of the NMK in the coming years is the renovation of the Main Building. For now, the works of the author of “Wesele” will be presented at 6 Sikorskiego Square. On 3 levels of the Wyspiański Museum, which was established there, there are 200 works by the artist.
We put Wyspiański in a building whose rooms are smaller than large museum rooms, thanks to which we bring out other values of his work, which can be seen especially in the spaces devoted to his graphic works or portraits, images of Krakow, where we can see that Wyspiański looks great in intimate interiors. It is a model of a museum-artist’s house, where we are closer to the artist than in large gallery spaces.
Prof. Andrzej Szczerski, director of the National Museum in Krakow
Wyspiański‘s collection open to the wide public to enjoy!
Wyspiański’s library and his graphic works are displayed in the basement. There is also a multimedia stand where you will be able to see the cataloged entire Wyspiański collection owned by the National Museum in Krakow. In the next room, you will find the theatrical costumes of Wyspiański’s project from the NMK collection, you can also see fragments of famous theater and film productions of his plays – this part of the underground focuses on Wyspiański’s theatrical work.
Self-portraits, images of the closest family and friends, views of the studio, landscapes spreading from the studio’s windows are presented on the ground floor of the building.
Religion and nature-focused works take the main stage!
The main part of the exhibition is the first floor, where the 3 most important themes in Wyspiański’s work are presented: religion and nature-focused on works from the Franciscan church, antiquities related to the works for the Medical Society, and Wawel and history organized around Wawel projects and national symbolism.
An important element of the whole is the courtyard, where theatrical performances or recitations of Wyspiański’s works will be presented in the future, as well as works of contemporary art inspired by Wyspiański.
You will have to come back to this place, because the exhibition will change every year – for conservation reasons, we cannot show all of Wyspiański’s works all the time. Each year we will present around two hundred works. The first change will take place in 2023.
Prof. Andrzej Szczerski, director of the National Museum in Krakow
The largest paintings made in the oil technique, which are more resistant to light, or those that will be partially covered during the exhibition, in accordance with the conservation requirements, will be permanently exhibited.
I don’t know about you, but I love Wyspiański’s work and definitely, this museum is on my list 😉
From 23 July, Cracovians will see a sculpture of the patron of the tenement house on the facade of the Krzysztofory Palace. St. Krzysztof returned here after 230 years. “After many years, St. Krzysztof will again take care of this part of the city” – says Dr. Michał Niezabitowski, director of the Krakow Museum.
Ceremonial unveiling – 23rd of July 2021
Although some Cracovians had the opportunity to see the moment when the figure of the patron saint of the palace appeared on the building, its ceremonial unveiling took place on July 23 at 13.20. St. Krzysztofory on the facade of the Krzysztofory Palace – after 230 years of absence – coincided with the opening of the building after many years of renovation.
“One of the elements of the palace’s return to the public is the return of St. Krzysztof, who was thrown from the facade at the end of the 18th century by the then owner of the palace, Jacek Kluszewski. A few years ago, we unveiled the niche, and after many years, St. Krzysztof will take care of this part of the city again”, explained Dr. Michał Niezabitowski, director of the Krakow Museum, which has its headquarters in the Krzysztofory Palace.
Krzysztofory Palace dates back to the 13th century!
The origins of the tenement house at 35 Rynek Główny, now the seat of the Krakow Museum, date back to the 13th century. Its name was supposed to come from the statue of St. Christopher (St. Krzysztof). According to popular iconography, the sculpture was to depict a saint carrying the Baby Jesus across the river. 230 years ago, in 1791, the last figure of the saint was removed from the facade of the Krzysztofory Palace by the then owner of the palace, Jacek Kluszewski, and the niche was bricked up.
It is not known what happened to the figure after it disappeared from Krzysztofory. One of the theories was that the fragments of the damaged statue of St. Krzysztof, in the collection of the National Museum in Krakow, which would be confirmed by the story that the sculpture was not removed, but thrown, which caused protests from residents and church hierarchs. However, according to the latest research related to the unveiling of a niche on the facade of a tenement house at 35 Main Square eight years ago, it appears that it was probably not it.
A new statue for the patron Saint
The author of the new presentation of the patron of Krzysztofory is prof. Aleksander Śliwa, winner of the competition announced by the Krakow Museum this spring.
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.
The Nights of Museums are events in which the inhabitants of Kraków have been willing to participate for years. Last year’s night sightseeing was foiled by a pandemic, this year the Night of Museums will take place, but in a different formula than before. Queues standing late at night to see the museum collections, that is something that we will definitely not see.
When will it happen?
The 17th Night of Museums is scheduled for Friday, May 21, and 37 institutions will take part in it, while the tour will be hybrid, some institutions will invite visitors to their premises, others will only make museum spaces available online. This year’s sightseeing night will take place during the day, during the museum’s regular opening hours, some institutions, such as the Museum of Municipal Engineering, the Polish Aviation Museum, or the Museum of the Academy of Fine Arts, have announced that they will extend their working hours.
This year: no free tours – symbolic fee
This year, most museums do not provide free tours on Museum Night, admission to most of them is paid, although in many institutions it will be a symbolic fee. In addition, all museums require prior registration and reservations, they are available on the websites of institutions participating in the Night of Museums.
The program includes permanent and temporary exhibitions, making available unique places that are normally inaccessible to visitors, as well as special attractions: workshops, multimedia presentations, shows and guided tours.
What will you be able to see?
“All the king’s tapestries. Returns 2021–1961–1921 “, Crown Treasury,” Eastern Art. Turkish tents “,” Cranach at Wawel “, Smocza, Ogrody – (paid PLN 1 for each exhibition) are waiting for visitors at Wawel
The Princes Czartoryski Museum, open after renovation, has prepared a temporary exhibition” Royal Portraits – Vases “
Contemporary Art Gallery” Bunkier Sztuki ” ”Proposes a new exhibition dedicated to the memory of Krzysztof Penderecki,“ Score and Garden. Music in the face of the image, the garden in the face of music “(admission fee 2 PLN) available in its temporary seat on the Main Market Square 20.
In turn, the International Cultural Center invites you to the newly opened exhibition” Not only Bauhaus. Interwar German photography and Polish traces ”.
Until the evening hours, you will be able to visit the greenhouses and the Museum of the Botanical Garden in which they are located. incl. 19th and 20th century teaching aids for learning botany (admission PLN 1).
In the Garden of Experiences Stanisław Lem, which on that day will be open until At 10 pm, in the evening, there are planned element burning shows (“Colorful Flames”) and visualization of the sound wave with gas flames.
Online you can go to the Stary Theater Museum and the Jagiellonian University Museum Collegium Maius.
Newly added to the collection…
For the first time, the Museum Night will be attended by the newly established Museum – KL Plaszow Memorial Site in Krakow. German Nazi labor and concentration camps (1942–1945) (in organization), which invites you to thematic tours around KL Plaszow.
The detailed program of the 17th Night of Museums is available on the website krakowskienoce.pl
The first weekend of museums and galleries after lockdown is ahead of us. Krakow institutions invite you to their branches, extend temporary exhibitions and tempt you with cheaper tickets.
We invite you to permanent galleries and to ongoing temporary exhibitions. In May, we will open to the public the new Permanent Gallery of Ancient Art at the Arsenal, which has just been completed.
director of the National Museum in Krakow, prof. Andrzej Szczerski
The MNK (National Museum of Krakow) extends 2 temporary exhibitions
Until May 16, the experimental exhibition “The Power of the Museum” will be available in the Main Building. There, in only one of the exhibition rooms, 104 objects from several eras have been collected. Most importantly, you can smell, touch, watch in a different light or to the sounds of music and see how the perception of works of art changes under the influence of stimuli and information.
Without going far, you can once again visit the exhibition “Architecture as Music of Space”. This is the 2nd temporary exhibition extended by the MNK, open in winter at the former Cracovia Hotel. The exhibition presents large-format photos showing five unique concert halls in Europe. The nature of their interiors can be seen in the photos printed in 3D technology.
Cheaper tickets between 7th and 9th of May!!!
It is also worth visiting the Szołayski House at Szczepański Square, where the exhibition ‘Aleksander Kotsis. Shades of realism‘ reside. This is a story about one of the most important Polish painters of the mid-nineteenth century. The exhibition covers 2 floors, where we can admire landscapes and portraits by Kotsis as well as photographs of the artist’s lost works and works of socialist realists inspired by the painter’s work. The exhibition will be open until June 13.
The museum also encourages visitors with promotions. On the first weekend after opening, between May 7 and 9, tickets to all branches will be cheaper by half.
MOCAK: exhibitions and tours
The MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow has also prepared a gift for visitors. Together with the Przekrój quarterly, it prepared a brochure, a reprint of a fragment of Szpilki from 1976, a crossword puzzle, drawings by Marian Eile, and a poster with a reproduction of the artist’s work. The gift can be collected with each purchased ticket.
Tickets can be purchased for permanent and temporary exhibitions, among which the “Final Song” by Paweł Althamer and Artur Żmijewski will be available for the shortest time – until May 23. Until 30 May, you will also be able to see the exhibitions “Artists from Krakow. Generation 1950-1969” and “Marian Eile Artist and Editor”, “Dialogue with space” and “Contemporary models of realism” will remain for longer.
Additionally, MOCAK invites you to mini-guided tours every Wednesday at 12 noon. You can join these short meetings around selected works of art at the exhibition or watch a live broadcast on MOCAK’s Facebook. On the other hand, every Friday, between 15:00 and 16:00, the representatives of the Museum will talk about the activities of the institution and will visit people asking questions.
Krzysztof Penderecki’s score and garden
Meanwhile, the second Krakow facility presenting contemporary art offers an exhibition devoted to the memory of Krzysztof Penderecki. In Bunkier Sztuki, temporarily located at 20 Rynek Główny, the exhibition “Score and garden. Music against the image, garden against music” was opened on 4 May. Visitors to the Gallery will see, among other things, private sketches – called by Maria Anna Potocka as prepartures – and drawing concepts for the garden, portraits of Krzysztof Penderecki by Beata Stankiewicz, Marcin Maciejowski, and Bartek Materka, and photographs of Marian Eili.
New exhibitions at the Krakow Museum
Also new after the reopening of museums and galleries in the open-air exhibition “Museum in the neighborhood – Prądnik Biały”. From 5 to 30 May, in the green surroundings of Dworek Białoprądnicki, you can see an exhibition about Prądnik Biały and the identity of its inhabitants. “The exhibition is to be an opportunity to reflect on the identity of the inhabitants of Prądnik and whether the rich history of this space is a sufficient bond for the creation of a contemporary local community” – the organizers explain.
Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory has a new temporary exhibition!
The Krakow Museum has opened yet another completely new temporary exhibition – “Separation – Search. The wartime fate of Krakow citizens”. It is available from May 5, 2021, in the Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory. The exhibition consists of six parts and tells from the individual perspective of the inhabitants of Krakow about the tragic events of World War II. Both those who left the city when the war broke out and those who moved there later tell about the war experiences. Their journey to Krakow sometimes took years and led across several continents.
In turn, in the House under the Cross at ul. Szpitalna, the exhibition “In Chocholim Taniec” is available again, presenting a synthesis of the history of subsequent directors’ interpretations of the drama and social reactions to the performances, at the same time proposing a reflection on how Poles saw and showed themselves in the mirror of this drama.
Exhibitions on both sides of the Vistula
On the occasion of weekend walks, it is worth visiting Wawel, where you can see the Wawel tapestries again. “All tapestries of the king. Returns 2021–1961–1921″ is the only display in the history of the Jagiellonian residence of the entire preserved collection in the interiors for which the tapestries were created. Permanent exhibitions, including Representative Royal Chambers, are also open to visitors. As the director of the Wawel museum announces, the official and ceremonial opening of the Wawel has also been planned and it is to take place between 20 and 23 May.
Wawel misses its visitors and waits for them every day. We are ready to accept them with the WAWEL program. RENEWAL – it is a ceremonial re-opening of the Castle after lockdown in a truly Renaissance style
prof. Andrzej Betlej, director of the Wawel Royal Castle
As part of this event, in addition to exhibitions, meetings with visitors in a unique setting, a publishing fair, as well as meetings for families with children are planned. On the occasion of 20 and 21, the exhibition “All tapestries of the king” can be visited with a ticket for only 1zloty!
Manggha Museum has also something up their sleeve 😉
On the other side of the Vistula, the exhibition “Botanical Searches” at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, which runs until September, features works by contemporary artists presenting the phenomenon of contemporary European and Japanese botanical art. An exhibition devoted to the work of Maria Sibylla Merian, the entomologist who first formulated, illustrated, and documented the appearance of living insects and their four-stage development cycle, is open until June. The Museum now also houses the exhibitions “Paradise 101” and “The End of the World 2011”, movingly referring to the tragedy in Japan 10 years ago.
“Women about Women” under this slogan, selected exhibitions with curators can be visited at the branches of the National Museum in Krakow. The Women’s Day event will take place on Sunday, March 7. Advance terms apply.
National Museum in Krakow is celebrating Women’s Day
The National Museum in Krakow will celebrate Women’s Day with a series of special tours of selected exhibitions. The curators of the exhibitions will tell about female themes and important female figures in the works of Wyspiański and Szymanowski, and about the female painter Olga Boznańska.
Due to sanitary restrictions, the guided tour takes place in small groups – prior reservation is required. Participation in the guided tour costs PLN 1.
Available tours for the 7th of March 2021
“Portraits of Wyspiański’s Women” hours. 11.00, Main Building of the NMK, Wyspiański. Studio space Magdalena Laskowska (1 group of 5 people, collection before entering the exhibition)
“The power of the Museum” h. 13.00, Main Building Anna Grzelak (1 group of 5 people, collection before entering the exhibition)
“Olga Boznańska. Woman-painter “ hours. 11.00, Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art in Sukiennice Urszula Kozakowska-Zaucha (1 group of 5 people, collection at the “Girl with chrysanthemums”)
“Women’s Collection” hours. 11.00, The Princes Czartoryski Museum Agnieszka Widacka (1 group of 5 people, collection in the courtyard)
Jadwiga Mehofferowa, the artist’s wife. Sketch of a portrait “ hours. 11.00, Józef Mehoffer’s House Beata Studziżba-Kubalska (1 group of 5 people, collection in the hall)
“The more beautiful side of the coin. Images of women on coins and medals” hours. 11.00, Museum of Emeryka Hutten-Czapskiego Agnieszka Smołucha-Sładkowska (1 group of 5 people, collection in the hall)
“Maria Czapska, Josephine daughter, granddaughter Elizabeth – about women with family Czapskich” h. 14.30 and 15.15, Józef Czapski Pavilion Agnieszka Kosińska (2 groups of 5 people, collection on the 2nd floor)
“Angelic Hansel – the story of Jan Matejko, modelkach models and” h. 12.00, House of Jan Matejko Marta Kłak-Ambrożkiewicz (1 group of 5 people, meeting in the hall)
“Stanisława, Leonia, Natalia. Women in the life of Karol Szymanowski “ hours. 11.00, Karol Szymanowski Museum in ATMA villa in Zakopane Agnieszka Gąsienica-Giewont (1 group of 5 people, collection at the ticket office)
Details for the sessions
The event is organized in branches of the National Museum in Krakow and implemented in the sanitary regime:
groups of 5 people + guides (the leader and all participants of the meeting are required to disinfect their hands, cover their mouth and nose and keep a distance)
participation in the guided tour for PLN 1
A limited number of seats, reservations required. If the ticket is not purchased up to 15 minutes before the event, the booking will be canceled and the ticket can be re-purchased at the ticket office. It is possible to buy a ticket on the spot at the ticket office, subject to the availability of free places.
How can I get a spot?
Reservation through the Information and Reservation Center of the National Museum in Krakow, e-mail: rezerw@mnk.pl or tel. 12 433 57 44 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on weekdays)
Reservations at the “Atma” branch by phone at 18 20 20040 or by e-mail at agiewont@mnk.pl
A year under COVID 19 – Coronavirus, what have you done?
Over the month of October, residents can bring souvenirs from the pandemic period to the Krakow Museum, which will be included in an exhibition presenting the year of life of the city and its inhabitants during the pandemic. The people of Krakow can also share their stories about the lockdown and pandemic. The exhibition consisting of souvenirs will be presented next spring.
Unprecedented times under Coronavirus
When this spring pandemic locked us in our homes, an unprecedented image of Krakow and its inhabitants were created – empty streets that had so far been teeming with life even at night, ordinary everyday objects that took on new meaning, words of encouragement presented in the city space, with time on the faces “Homemade” masks and helmets appeared on passers-by – today an ordinary item that should be remembered when entering a shop or a tram, which only a few months ago was in the possession of a few.
Documenting the Outbreak of COVID19
The Museum of Krakow wants to document this special period by creating an exhibition of such souvenirs of residents telling about the “pandemic” Krakow.
“Since April, we have been asking you, Cracovians, for all souvenirs and stories documenting the pandemic, which will later be used in the creation of the exhibition! During the lockdown, our branches were closed for 2 months, but now – with your health and safety in mind, we are able to start our campaign to collect items related to the pandemic!” – informs the Museum of Krakow.
Where will the Expo be held?
The exhibition of the collected exhibits – souvenirs will be held in March 2021 in the Hipolit House as a kind of chronicle of the plague. What will we see on it?
“We have a promised diary that a resident of Krakow keeps from the first day of the pandemic. This particular journal is still being written, so it will only come to us. The exhibition will also include notes by Łukasz Orbitowski, which the writer was keeping at that time, and one of the sculptors from Krakow will donate the sculpture” – lists Krzysztof Haczewski from the Krakow Museum. “The director of the Krakow Museum handed over a helmet made of a PET bottle with his own hands, there will be one of the masks that employees prepared during the lockdown for Nursing Home, we have Vistula masks and a record of home training of Wisła and Cracovia players, and even a jacket made for the needs of the pandemic. We are waiting for all items related to this period, bringing the story of a pandemic”.
Collecting time is on!!!
The mementos of the pandemic period will be collected by the Museum of Krakow until October 23, 2020. Bearing in mind the safety of Krakow residents who want to support the museum with “pandemic” items, in order to deliver them, please contact the museum by e-mail in advance (artefakty@muzeumkrakowa.pl) to arrange a convenient the date for their submission.
In addition to material traces of the pandemic period, the Museum of Krakow also collects stories from Krakow residents about this special period. They should be sent by e-mail to m.zdeb@muzeumkrakowa.pl
Click here to read the Polish version from Gazeta Krakowska.
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).
Today I thought I might do something special with you: take you on a ride of 30 Typical Things One Could Do In Krakow 🙂 if ever you are in the area. These things are something that I do quite often, things that a local (a Cracovian) would do, things that you should also try (at least once) in order to feel the vibe of the city. So without further ado… here is the list:
1. Enjoy the view of the Barbakan (The Barbican) – the fortified outpost is a great spot to take many lovely pictures or just rest on a bench in the Planty area (the green park/circle around the Old Town). #DidYouKnow it is one of only 3 such fortified outposts still surviving in Europe? And it is also the best-preserved one!
2. Start the Royal Tour on the Royal Road that links the Barbakan – Brama Florianska (St. Florian’s Gate) – Florianska Street – Main Square to Grodzka – Wawel Castle. If you live in Krakow you probably lost count of how many times you want by foot on these cobble-stoned roads.
3. Enjoy the little entrances and pieces if unique architecture on the Florianska street – don’t just look at the shops (they will stay there for the next time you will pass through), but raise your eyes to the first floor or even above and see all the beautiful bits and pieces from the facade. These buildings have survived centuries and have so much to tell!
Vie of Mariacki Kosciol from the Underground Museum in Krakow, Poland
4. Make sure you get in front of the Mariacki Kosciol (St.Mary’s Church) a few minutes before the hour strikes and you listen to the Hejnal – it does have it is own legend 😉 so make sure to read it! When the trumpet stops paying, wave to the man in the tower – if he waves back it brings good luck!
5. Go inside the Mariacki Kosciol and listen to the ceremony. You might not understand it, but if you sit quietly and you pray, you might want to look up to the sky (that is… the ceiling). The ceiling is all blue, like the sky at dawn, and there are hundreds of sparkling stars on it. It was painted by the great Polish Painter: Jan Matejko.
Krakow’s Main Market Square and its pigeons
6. Do not feed the pigeons! Only the foreigners, the visitors do that, and it is something that is very much frowned upon nowadays. They are called “Flying rats” as they love to spread the diseases…
The view from Cafe Szal (Sukiennice) – Krakow, Poland
7. Get on the 1st floor of the Sukiennice (The Cloth Hall) – the entrance on the Mariacki Church side, close to the middle. Take the stairs/lift up to the 1st floor and enjoy a szarlotka (that is Polish for apple pie) at Cafe Szal. The view is AMAZING!
8. If you are at the Main Square at lunch, you need to drop by the Pod Sukiennice and have a traditional meal. Sundays the specialty of the house is rosol (that’s is Polish for chicken soup/broth with noodles).
They also have a mean Creme Brulee in Charlotte 😉 – Plac Szczepanski, Krakow, Poland
9. If you are around the Main square at breakfast time you can queue for something really nice at Charlotte, on Plac Szczepanski. The place does not take reservations and it is always full so you will have to stand in line… but they do have homemade goodies!
10. You should take a small detour to the Jagiellonian University quarters and listen to Gaudeamus Igitur and typical Polish song played by the clock inside the Collegium Maius courtyard. It plays at 11, 13, 15 o’clock each day. Not many know about it, it is a hidden gem. It is not like the Prague astronomy clock but still, it is worth your time 🙂
Hot chocolate at Nowa Prowincja – Krakow, Poland
11. If the weather outside is gloomy, raining, or freezing cold… I always like to head over to Nowa Prowincja. It has the best hot chocolate in town! They come with whipped cream and sour cherry alcohol inside!
12. Many locals also prefer the Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel when they wish for chocolate or they have a sweet tooth. You can order chocolate to go, or you can have it on the spot at the Main Market Square or in Galeria Krakowska.
13. As we are still on the topic of food, I believe it is worth mentioning one of the best homemade food places in Krakow: Babcia Malina (that is Polish for Grandmother Raspberry). There are 2 places: one on Slawkowska and one just in front of the Juliusz Slowacki Theater. You can always order take-away (we do that often…). They have the best deep-fried meat pierogi & the best zurek in town!
St. Peter and Paul’s Church, Grodzka – Krakow, Poland
14. Have a look at the only baroque church in Krakow: St. Peter and Paul’s Church (Sw. Piotr i Pawla) on Grodzka. The front always remained me of the Vatican DO let me know if you get the same vibe from it 🙂
15. Go visit the “Kings of Old” – The Wawel Cathedral holds the tombs of all the Kings and Queens of Poland. It is worth your while, just for the history lesson alone.
16. Go see the biggest bell in Krakow (probably of all Poland!): Sigismund Bell. It rings only on special occasions. The Bell used to ring when a King would die or when a new one would be coronated; it also did for the death of Pope John Paul the 2nd. It is said that if a young maiden touches it, then luck will come upon them and they shall be married within the year! The bell takes at least 4 grown men to start moving it…
A view of the Wawel Cathedral – Krakow, Poland
17. If it is summertime, take a stride in the inner garden and courtyard of the Wawel Castle. In springtime, when the magnolia blossoms, it is indeed a sight for sore eyes!
18. If you are a yoga/pilates enthusiast, you might like to know that one of the 7 chakra points in the world is located inside Wawel’s Castle inner courtyard. There are many people who come visit, lean against the wall, touch it, stroke it, and “get inspired”!
19. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love museums. Every Sunday the Krakow National Museum branches are open for free. Mondays they are usually all closed down, resuming the activity fresh Tuesday morning. Visiting museums for free, on Sunday’s, is a very local thing 😉
The mummies at the Czartoryski Museum – Krakow, Poland
20. If you are in love with paintings, you should know that “The Lady With The Ermine” by Leonardo Da Vinci (his second most famous painting after the “Mona Lisa”) can be found at the National Museum in Krakow. And you can see it way more up-close-and-personal than the Smiling Mona. It is not crowded and miles away!
21. In love with history and especially ancient history? Then you should definitely drop by and check out the mummies (including one of a cat!) & read parts of The Book of Dead at the Czartoryski Museum.
22. A stroll along the Vistula River is always a very pleasurable thing to do. You can admire the sunset over the water and feed the swans or the seagulls.
23. Visit the KładkaOjca Bernatka – the “pedestrian bridge only” in Krakow. It also is named Love Locks Bridge as people tend to put locks and throw away the key (in the name of love). At nighttime it is very colourful and the artistic sculptures/installations make it even more attractive.
Vistula River & Kładka Ojca Bernatka- Krakow, Poland
24. Do go and pay your respects at the Plac Bohaterow Ghetta (The Square of The Heroes of the Ghetto). #DidYouKnow that each chair there signifies 1000 of people that were killed in the labor camps of Auschwitz and Plaszow? Do not sit on them – it is disrespectful!
25. If you enjoy StreetArt, Krakow has some amazing pieces to offer for the eye – most of them are in Old Town, Kazimierz, and Podgorze. Take the stroll along the Vistula River, as I have mentioned, and you will for sure see the floating pink pig on the waters… funny thing 😉
Kazimierz Mural – Krakow, Poland
26. A very local thing to do, when going out to part in Kazimierz, is to drop by and eat sausage from the communist blue van. Located in front of Hala Targowa, the van can be found during the weekends – it is hard to miss out on it, just follow the people queueing in! They may not be the best ones, but they are a 40+-year-old tradition. The place has been there since the 80s!
27. Partying in Kazimierz is a must, and the fast-food of choice is always the same: zapiekanka at Plac Nowy. That is kinda like a pizza… a baguette sliced in half – the long way – and with a lot of toppings. People say that Endzior makes the best, but I have found that others in Plac Nowy make great ones too. Also… when you are hammered… they all taste the same!
28. There are 4 mounds in Krakow – Polish people name them Kopiec.My favourites are Kopiec Koszciuski and Krakusa – pick one that you would like and make sure you get there before sunset. Sunset on Kopiec gets you a large view of the city and peaceful surroundings where you can enjoy the sun setting down – great photo opportunities also!
29. Enjoy one of the smaller movie theatres and forget those Multiplex, Multikino, Cinema City huge spaces. Go local and enjoy a more intimate space, smaller and different from the rest you can choose from Kino Ars, Kino Pod Baranami, Kino Agrafka, Kino Kijow… They show European selection of movies as well 😉 in Kino Pod Baranami I was even able to see Romanian movies with Polish subs!
Mushrooms hand-picked locally – Nowy Kleparz Market – Krakow, Poland
30. Shop locally – at least while in Poland, make sure you try out the local markets. Don’t go buying things from big chains (Carrefour, Auchan) but support the local economy by purchasing products from the local farmers. Make sure you have change though, as you cannot pay by card there. In Krakow, I recommend 2 markets very close to the Old Town: Stary Kleparz and Nowy Kleparz. In Kazmierz you can try Plac Nowy or Hala Targowa.
Letter of intent regarding the creation of the “Museum – Memorial Site of KL Plaszow in Krakow. German Nazi labor and concentration camp (1942-1945) ”was signed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the City of Krakow. The new museum will cover an area of about 40 hectares and will be a self-government cultural institution of the Krakow City Commune co-run by the Ministry of Culture.
Screenshot from the Letter of Intent, that can be downloaded HERE
Who signed the Letter of Intent?
The signatories of the letter are the deputy prime minister, minister of culture and national heritage prof. Piotr Gliński – represented by Jarosław Sellin, secretary of state in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and prof. Jacek Majchrowski, president of Krakow.
Due to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the document was signed electronically.
What is this Letter of Intent?
Letter of intent regarding the creation of a new cultural institution called “Museum – Memorial Site of KL Plaszow in Krakow. German Nazi labor camp and concentration camp (1942-1945)” is a declaration of the joint will of the signatories for the proper commemoration of the victims of the German Nazi labor and concentration camp Plaszow by covering the area where the camp was located, institutional protection and establishing a Museum – Memorial Site.
The letter of intent is another important stage in actions taken to commemorate the former German labor and concentration camp in Plaszow. It was preceded by an agreement signed on January 26, 2017 between the City of Krakow, the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow and the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, constituting a declaration of cooperation between the parties for a dignified commemoration of KL Plaszow. The ordinance of the city president also set up a task force for the KL Plaszow camp coordinating work on the creation of this Memorial Site.
Photo of the Plaszow concentration and labour camp taken 1943-1944 – Unknown Author – Taken from the Institute of National Remembrance
When will the new Museum start operating?
It is planned that “Museum – KL Plaszow Memorial Site in Krakow. German Nazi labor and concentration camp (1942-1945)” will start operating on January 1, 2021, and will be a self-government cultural institution of the city of Krakow, co-run by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The content of the letter assumes the cooperation of the parties to create the Memorial in both financial and substantive terms. It is anticipated that the Krakow City Council will establish a new institution by the end of 2020.
What are the next steps?
In the next stage, an agreement will be signed between the city and the ministry, which will determine the principles of co-running a new museum institution. The estimated time necessary to complete the work on establishing the Museum – Memorial Site and permanent exhibition is estimated at about five years.
KL Plaszow Fot.PAP/J.Bednarczyk
Where will the Museum be built?
The Museum – Memorial Site of KL Plaszow will be built on land belonging to the Municipality of Krakow, the Jewish Community in Kraków, and the Treasury. It will cover an area of approx. 40 hectares, which has been entered in the register of monuments kept by the Małopolska Provincial Conservator of Monuments since 2002, and an adjacent area of approximately 3 hectares.
How will the Museum look like?
The Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, as a substantive supervisor, developed the script for the new Museum – Memorial Site and conducted archeological research in the post-camp area.
According to the scenario, “historical stops” will be created in the post-camp area, ie boards with an archival photo and a short commentary in English. Polish, English, and Hebrew and in the Memorial building a permanent exhibition, thanks to which visitors will learn, among others what historical events led to the creation of concentration camps; learn the history of the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto and the founding and organization of KL Plaszow. The everyday life of prisoners will also be shown. Educators attach great importance to preserving the authenticity of the commemorated place.
Yours sincerly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug, Always Bringing You The Most Up-To-Date Informations About My Beloved Krakow
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