Attractions
Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny)
Krakow’s Central Square dates back to 1257 and is Krakow’s social hub. Historic buildings, museums, churches, flower-sellers, musicians and ice-cream sellers mill about and surround the enormous square, once one of the largest in medieval Europe. The medieval Cloth Hall sits at the centre of the square. Once a medieval shopping mall, the covered arcade and vaulted interior now houses a lively market. Go upstairs to wander through an art gallery displaying 19th-century Polish paintings and sculptures. Terraced cafés line the building’s outside walls, including the famous Noworolski, once a favourite of Lenin. Now the café is known for its cake and coffee. While you sit with your coffee, you can’t help but notice St. Mary’s, a magnificent, twin-spire Gothic church. If you listen, you can hear the hourly bugle call ring from the tallest spire, commemorating a lone watchman who trumpeted to warn the citizens of a Turkish invasion before an arrow ripped through his throat. Inside the church you’ll find a beautiful wooden altar.
