Verbia - Guided tours of Cracow
"Cracovia totius Poloniae urbs celeberrima."
"Cracow of all Polish towns is the most glorious."
Cracow has many faces. You may want to see it from different angles. The key of your trip may be history of Poland, art, famous people, cuisine or night live. The below tours are just examples and should be treated as suggestions. They can be joined together, limited or broadened. We are also open to other suggestions.
Specialized guided tours:
- THE ROYAL ROAD
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The Royal Road in Kraków begins at the northern end of the medieval Old Town and continues south through the centre of town towards the Wawel Hill, where the old kings' residence, the Wawel Castle, is located. The Royal Road passes some of the most prominent historic landmarks of Poland's royal capital, providing suitable background to coronation processions and parades, the kings' and princes' receptions, foreign envoys and guests of distinction traveling from a far country to their destination at Wawel.
The Royal Road starts outside the northern flank of the old city walls in the medieval suburb of Kleparz, now a central district of Kraków. It begins at St. Florian's Church containing the relics of St. Florian — the Patron Saint of Poland. The Church of St. Florian was also the starting point for the royal funeral processions concluding at the Wawel Cathedral.
The Royal Road crosses Matejko Square, passes the Academy of Fine Arts and to the medieval Barbican. The Gothic-style Barbican is one of only three such fortified outposts still surviving in Europe and also, the best preserved. The Road passes the old fortifications through Floriańska Gate under a defensive tower. It is the original entrance to the city and the only gate, of the eight city gates built in the Middle Ages, not dismantled during the 19th century modernization of Kraków. Inside the Old Town, the Road continues along Floriańska Street and enters the Main Square (Rynek Główny), the largest market square in Europe. On the right hand side, at the northeast corner of the square stands St. Mary's Basilica, home of the spectacular Gothic altarpiece sculpted by Vit Stwosz in the XV century. At the center of the plaza, surrounded by row houses and noble residences, stands the Renaissance Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) flanked by the Town Hall Tower.
The Road passes the Romanesque Church of St. Wojciech in the south-eastern corner of the square, and leads down Grodzka Street along a number of historic landmarks and two smaller squares featured on both sides. Grodzka ends at the foot of the Wawel Hill; with the Wawel architectural complex spread above, featuring Wawel Castle and the Cathedral.
The price does not include tickets.
- WAWEL HILL
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Wawel is a symbolic place of great significance for all Polish people. The Royal Castle and the Cathedral, in which Royal coronations took place since 1320, are situated on the Hill. However, Wawel is not only the place connected to Polish history and Polish royalty but also the place of worship - as the Cathedral holds the relicts of the main patron saint of Poland - St Stanislaw.
There are many sights on the hill worth visiting - to see all of them may well take you half a day. First and furthermost you should visit the most important objects - the Cathedral (climb its XVI century Sigismund Bell Tower and go to the Royal Tombs) and the Castle - at least the State Rooms exhibition housing a unique collection of XVI century Flemish tapestries.
The Castle holds many exhibitions, including: State Rooms, Royal Private Apartments, Crown Treasury and Armoury, Oriental Art Exhibition (housing artefacts connected with the Battle at Vienna (1683)- famous victory over the Turkish army) and The Lost Wawel (archeological exhibition). The best way out of the Wawel Hill is through the legendary Dragon's Den.
The price does not include tickets.
- THE UNIVERSITY ROUTE
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The history of university in Cracow goes back to the XV century. It was then that the first university in Poland was founded in its capital - Cracow. Now called the Jagiellonian University (Polish: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, often shortened to UJ) was originally created as Cracow Academy in 1364 by the king Casimir the Great. It is the second oldest university in Central Europe after the Charles University in Prague, and one of the oldest universities in Europe. It was renamed as the Jagiellonian University in 1817 to commemorate the Jagiellonian dynasty of Polish kings. The Times Higher Education Supplement ranked Jagiellonian University as the best Polish university in 2006. And last but not least - the pride of the Jagiellonian University is the fact that two world-wide known persons studied within its walls - Nicolaus Copernicus and Karol Wojtyła (later the Pope John Paul II)
THE UNIVERSITY ROUTE includes visiting the UJ Museum in Collegium Maius (the oldest university building), housing an excellent collection of old scientific instruments (the oldest of which is the Arabic astrolabium from the XI century), Collegium Novum, Collegium Witkowskiego and St. Ann's church (beautifully decorated in the XVII century by Baltazar Fontana).
The price does not include tickets.
- IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JOHN PAUL II
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Cracow is the city that remembers almost all stages of the life of Karol Wojtyła. He was a student here, an amatour actor, then a young priest celebrating his first holy Masses, the bishop and Metropolite of Cracow and eventually the Pope John Paul II.
Our tour starts at the place which is very special to all Polish people - the The Palace of Cracow Bishops (3 Franciszkanska Street). It is here that he lived each time he visited Cracow as the Pope. It is here that he prayed togeter with thousands of young people - He used to stand at the window above the main entrance - today commonly called "The Papal Window". Nearby there is St Francis of Assisi Basilica, in which Karol Wojtyła ofter prayed and had his favourite bench. We also visit Major Seminary of Krakow Archdioces, The Dean's House in Kanonicza Street, where he lived as a bishop between 1957-67 and where there is now a museum housing many memorabilia connected with John Paul II. The tour also includes: The Cathedral on Wawel Hill, St Florian's Church, St Mary's Basilica, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Stanislaus - because all the churches, one way or the other, relate to The Pope. Our stroll ends at Cracow's Błonia, at the granite stone brought here from the Polish mountains - the monument comemorating the visits of John Paul II to Cracow. Such trip takes one day but may be prolonged and may include places outside the center of Cracow, in which case it would take 2 days.
The price does not include tickets.
- ST STANISŁAW ROUTE
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St Stanislaw (also known as Stanislaus of Szczepanow) is the main patron saint of Poland. He was a bishop of Cracow in the XI century. The conflict that he had with king Boleslaus Smialy (the Bold) ended in the death of the bishop in 1079. The tradition says that king Bolesław sent his men to execute Bishop Stanisław without trial, but when they dared not touch the Bishop, the King decided to kill the traitor himself. He is said to have slain Stanisław while he was celebrating Mass in the Skałka church outside the walls of Kraków. The Bishop's body was then hacked to pieces and thrown into a pool outside the church. According to the legend, his members miraculously reintegrated while the pool was guarded by four eagles.
The route begins in the Royal Cathedral on Wawel Hill (the Archicathedral of SS Venceslas and Stanislaus), which holds the saint's relics and became a principal national shrine. We then descend Wawel and going further along the Vistula embankment we reach the Baroque Church of SS Michael and Stanislaus and the Pauline Church and Monastery "Na Skalce" (On the Rock), the witness of the murder of St Stanislaw in the XI century. In the crypt under the church many famous Poles are buried (Jan Dlugosz, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Jacek Malczewski, Karol Szymanowski, Czeslaw Milosz).
The route also takes us to St Catherine's Church, built in the 14th century for the Augustinians - one of the best example of Gothic style in Krakow's architecture and Wolnica Square - the former Market Square of the City of Kazimierz founded in the 14th century by King Casimir the Great.
The price does not include tickets.
- THE ROUTE OF POLISH SAINTS
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Due to the number of churches and saints burried in Cracow, this town may well be called "the second Rome" (as indeed it was called by the cardinal Gaetano in the 16th century). Sixteen Cracow churches hold the relicts of saints and blessed persons. The tour starts in the Royal Cathedral, which holds the relicts of St Stanislaw - the main patron saint of Poland, St Jadwiga and blessed Wincenty Kadłubek.
Our tour then takes us to many churches in Cracow, including: the Dominicans' Church, St Anne's Church, St Florian Church, ECCE HOMO Church and Sanctuary of God's Grace in the district of Łagiewniki. THE ROUTE OF POLISH SAINTS may last 1 day or 2 days (a 2-day trip includes all the 16 churches).
The price does not include tickets.
- THE JEWISH HERITAGE ROUTE
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Kazimierz is a historical district of Kraków, best known for being home to a Jewish community from the 15th century until the Second World War. And untill then Jews had played an important role in the Kraków region economy. Although the Jewish community in Cracow is scarse in number now, there are still many sights connected to Jewish culture, tradition and religion, which make Kazimierz an important tourist destination. On our route we visit 7 synagogues:
Old Synagogue (now housing a Jewish History museum), Remuh Synagogue (still active, with the Old Jewish Cemetery), High Synagogue, Popper's Synagogue, Izaak Synagogue, Kupah Synagogue, Tempel Synagogue (the only reformed one, still active).
The price does not include tickets.
- PODGÓRZE HISTORICAL ROUTE
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Podgórze is mainly assosiated with the tragedy of Cracow Jews during World War II as the Nazi Ghetto was located there. The Jewish Ghetto in Cracow was one of the five main ghettos created by Nazi Germany in the General Government during their occupation of Poland. It was a staging point to begin dividing "able workers" from those who would later be deemed worthy of death. The Ghetto was established in March 1941 - 16,000 Jews were crammed into an area previously inhabited by 3,000 people. The Ghetto was surrounded by walls that kept it separated from the rest of the city. On Lwowska Street still part of the walls can be seen.
Our tour begins on Bohaterów Ghetta Square, where Jews were assembled, then escorted to the railway station and deported to Belzec or Auschwitz extermination camps, some were transported to the Plaszow labor camp. At the Squre the famous "Under the Eagle Pharmacy" is situated - it was the only working pharmacy enclosed within the Cracow Ghetto. Its owner, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, was awarded the title of 'Righteous Among the Nations' for his heroic deeds in rescuing Jews from the Ghetto. A visit to the museum established in "Under the Eagle Pharmacy" is included in our tour.
Nearby there is the best known enamelware plan in the world - Oscar Schindler's factory. The history of saving Jews by this unsuccessful German businessman was portrayed in the Steven Spielberg film 'Schindler's List'.
Our tour will also take us to the Nazi concentration camp in Płaszów and the Mound of King Krakus (the oldest burial place in Cracow, connected to the legendary King Krakus).
The price does not include tickets.
- NOWA HUTA ROUTE
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While in Cracow it is also worth visiting Nowa Huta - the youngest district of Cracow. Nowa Huta was started in 1949 as a separate town near Kraków and was planned to be an ideal socialistic town - populated by industrial workers, new sociailstic people, who would work for the new, huge steel mill situated nearby (originally named after W. Lenin, now ArcelorMittal Steel Mill).
The reasons for building such an industrial town near Kraków were mostly ideological and were against laws of economy (coal had to be transported from Silesia and iron ore from the Soviet Union; the products were shipped to other parts of Poland since local demand was relatively small). This became visible in the 1980s, when the economical crisis halted the city's growth.
One type of building lacking from the original urban design of Nowa Huta was a Roman-Catholic church, and a campaign to construct it lasted several years. As early as in 1960, inhabitants of Nowa Huta began fighting for permit to build a church. In that year, violent street fights erupted over a wooden cross, erected by the locals, who were supported by Bishop Karol Wojtyla. Finally, in 1966, a church called Lord's Arc was built.
In the 1980s Nowa Huta became a place of many demonstrations and violent street protests of the Solidarity movement, fought by the Militia. At that time, almost 29,000 of the 38,000 workers of the then Lenin's Steelworks belonged to the Trade Union "Solidarity".
Our tour will take you to the Administrative Center of ArcelorMittal Steelworks, Wanda Mound (connected to the legendary princess Wanda), Cistercian Abbey in Mogiła, the Central Square, the Church of Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Poland, called Lord's Arc. You will also be able to see a film about the history of the Lenin's monument in Nowa Huta.
The price does not include tickets.
