The most interesting places in Krakow

The city of Krakow, which lies on the banks of the Vistula River, was for five centuries the capital of Poland, and has accumulated a quarter of Poland's total number of museum artefacts. A visit to Krakow is a meeting with the most glorious era in Polish history. Krakow's Old Town, along with Wawel Castle and the city's Kazimierz district were placed on the first World Heritage List, created by the UNESCO in 1978.

At that time, such prestigious recognition had only been awarded to only 12 of the world's most famous heritage sites, including the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Today, the list contains almost 700 sites worldwide.

The main reasons to come to Krakow include:

1. The Old City, that is the Main Market Square and the Cloth Hall, the largest Medieval square in Europe, as well as streets and squares surrounded by Planty.
2. The Wawel Hill.
3. St. Mary's Church with the altar and the bugle-call tower, i.e. the higher tower where the bugler plays the melody which the city's characteristic trait.
4. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci entitled "Lady with an Ermine" in the Czartoryski Museum.
5. Kazimierz - the former Jewish district.
6. Podgórze - the former city, at present one of the districts of Krakow.
7. Nowa Huta - the youngest district of Kraków, where it is possible to see socialist realist architecture.