Skip to main content

Main Market Square, Krakow


The Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny), was originally set up at the intersection of ancient trading routes.  This was the site of the main trading market, a place where executions and punishments were carried out and the spiritual center with St. Mary's serving as a parish church.  It was also the center of social and political life.  Kosciuszko pledged here in 1794 formally beginning the Kosciuszko Rising.

This square is also a gathering place, a site of many cultural celebrations and a favorite spot for a Sunday stroll. 

 

 The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the oldest commercial center in Krakow.  The original Cloth Hall was built in the 13th century and it consisted of two rows of stalls forming a street in the center of the market square.  The roofed version was built in the 14th century and it became a significant revenue source for the city of Krakow.  That structure burned down in 1555 and it was finally rebuilt in the 19th century to what it is today. 
 




Every kind of Polish souvenir can be purchased here and the prices are surprisingly decent. 
























 THE original bagel is a necessity.  These small carts can be found at every corner of the Main Square.  They are delicious but not as soft as the bagels sold in the U.S.






 St. Mary's Church
The first church was raised here in 1222, this church was built during the second half of the 14th Century.



 When visiting the Main Square or the Old City, one will hear the bugle call that is played every hour on the hour.  The trumpet is played in the four directions of the globe.  One will notice that the ending is very abrupt.  According to the legend, a guard sounded the bugle as he saw the Tatar hordes approaching the city.  He managed to warn the city of the impending attack but his throat was pierced by a Tatar arrow.  

The noon call is played on the nationwide radio, pretty much every Pole can sing the tune whether they have visited Krakow or not.

    

 The stunning interior of the church with the high altar, a masterpiece by Wit Stwosz, a sculptor from Nuremberg.  I took this photo very discretely during regular hours. There are special tourist hours when all photography is permitted.  The high altar is opened at 11:50am Monday-Saturday.  The tickets for the opening of the altar can be purchased in a building to the right of the church.
 


I didn't get a chance to take photos in the restaurants but some really good places to eat are:
Szara, Pino, Miod & Malina, Charlotte, Wentzl, Trzy Rybki, Pod Baranem, Studio Qulinarne, Camelot, Bianca, La Campana.



 Joanna

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bordier Butter - The Best Butter in France

France is in the midst of a butter shortage!  Due to a decrease in milk production and a substantial demand for French pastries all over the world (mainly China and the Middle East), the price of butter has increased by 60% in one year.  The French are stocking up and thus creating shortages.  French newspapers are publishing articles titled "A guide to cooking without butter".  So, with hopes that the shortages are temporary, here is my ode to the best butter in the world.  I'm not kidding.  The. Best. Butter. In. The. World. Mr. Bordier, a grandson and a son of cheese mongers, became a butter artisan in 1985.  He acquired a creamery originally founded in 1927.  The supreme taste of the Bordier butter was first recognized by a chef from the Plaza Athenee while vacationing in Brittany, a beautiful region in northwestern France. Bordier is the lone butter master to still use the old method of kneading the butter according to the 19th century t...
4 comments
Read more

Indian Accent, NYC

Often when a question arises as to what to eat for dinner, I think of Indian food.  I am a very happy gal with chicken makhani, basmati rice, an onion kulcha or a nan laid out in front of me.  I have heard some very good things about Indian Accent, a relatively new restaurant in midtown Manhattan, adjacent to the Parker Hotel. The décor here is unlike most Indian restaurants I have visited; no boldly colored fabrics, beautiful tapestries, intricately carved wood, or lanterns.  Indian Accent restaurant looks like something that Daniel Boulud would envision.  There are about fifteen wooden tables and a few small booths, fabric covered modern chairs, a lit bar with glass shelves and golden accents throughout, and large glass vases filled with flowering branches. The menu is complicated, however, our terrific waiter took his time and explained each dish and even made some wonderful suggestions.  Actually, everyone at the restaurant was really professiona...
2 comments
Read more

A. Lacroix Patisserie, Paris

My visits to Paris are usually carefully planned out; practically every meal is decided far in advance, and same goes for pastries, ice cream and macaron.  While I have not visited every pastry shop in Paris, that would be almost impossible given their numbers, I am aware of most of them.  Imagine my happiness when I came across a brand new patisserie, one that is barely a year old!   A. Lacroix is a lovely tea room/patisserie opened by an American woman and a Parisian pastry chef.  Jackie, the founder, is originally from Ohio but has been living in Paris for nine years.  She left her job in the telecom industry in order to pursue a dream of opening a tea salon.  I'm so glad she did!   This is a charming patisserie/tea salon with beautiful stone walls, wooden beams, plenty of seating space, and location that just can't be beat.  One side of the place looks at the Notre-Dame Cathedral! A. Lacroix is not just a pastry sho...
Post a Comment
Read more