The Market Square (Rynek Glowny) in the centre of Krakow's Old Town district is Europe's largest medieval square and has been the hub of the city since the 13th century. It contains some of Krakow's most famous sights, including the Cloth Hall, the Basilica of St Mary, the Town Hall Tower and the tiny 11th-century church of St Adalbert.
The Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) was built - in the centre of the square - for traders 700 years ago and renovated after a fire in 1555. It is still filled with traders, selling souvenirs such as amber jewellery, handcrafted wooden objects and guns. On the floor above is part of the National Museum in Krakow, a gallery exhibiting 19th-century Polish art, including paintings by Jan Matejko.
Opposite the Hall, on the western corner of the square, lies the Gothic Basilica of St Mary. The crowning glory of the Basilica's interior is a three-storey high altarpiece made by Veit Stoss in the 15th century, the most impressive in Poland.
A curiosity of the Basilica is the Hejnal - every hour on the hour during the past 700 years a trumpeter has leaned out from one of the church's towers to play the Hejnal, an interrupted melody. Legend has it that a trumpeter in the 13th century was shot mid-tune whilst warning the town of the approaching Cossacks.
It is well worth spending some time here. The square is lined with 47 buildings dating from the Baroque era, all painted in fairytale pinks, blues, greens and yellows. There are numerous cafes and bars, including the famous Piwnica Pod Baranami (Cellar under the Sheep), once a bastion of anti-Communist activity in the form of hilarious cabarets during the cold war, and now the host of many excellent jazz concerts.
In 2007, the square will be the focus of the 750th anniversary celebrations of the city receiving its charter.
Opposite the Hall, on the western corner of the square, lies the Gothic Basilica of St Mary. The crowning glory of the Basilica's interior is a three-storey high altarpiece made by Veit Stoss in the 15th century, the most impressive in Poland.
A curiosity of the Basilica is the Hejnal - every hour on the hour during the past 700 years a trumpeter has leaned out from one of the church's towers to play the Hejnal, an interrupted melody. Legend has it that a trumpeter in the 13th century was shot mid-tune whilst warning the town of the approaching Cossacks.
It is well worth spending some time here. The square is lined with 47 buildings dating from the Baroque era, all painted in fairytale pinks, blues, greens and yellows. There are numerous cafes and bars, including the famous Piwnica Pod Baranami (Cellar under the Sheep), once a bastion of anti-Communist activity in the form of hilarious cabarets during the cold war, and now the host of many excellent jazz concerts.
In 2007, the square will be the focus of the 750th anniversary celebrations of the city receiving its charter.
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