The monuments of Kraków hold a mystical power capable of captivating everyone who lays eyes upon them. Stating that Kraków is magical, atmospheric, infatuating even is nothing new, but some truths just never get old. Out of pure, passionate love for this city we’d like to make sightseeing Kraków, in person as well as on the Internet, easier for you. Of course there’s more to Kraków and its charm than just the landmarks, but these are the most defining features which shape our view of the city.
The monuments lend some of their magic to art galleries, cafés, theaters, pubs and clubs. Thanks to them the endless stream of tourists flows through Kraków leaving behind part of the contents of their wallets. Tourism is a thriving industry regardless of the economic circumstances which is an important incentive for the powers that be to act in the field of culture, antiques restoration and preserving the past through innovative museums appealing to the visitors. These are some other subjects that we’ll tell you about J
Origins of the city date back to the very beginning of the Polish State. That’s why among the monuments of Kraków you can find some that are around a thousand years old. These are mainly religious buildings, as that’s the kind of architecture that used to be constructed with the most care and the most lasting material, which is stone. Understandably the closer to modern times we get the more well-preserved monuments can be seen. There’s several marvelous churches representing gothic architecture characteristic for Kraków, prime examples of Renaissance art (Sigismund’s Chapel, the Cloth Hall, ornamental portals, memorials). In the Kraków Old Town the Baroque dominates the scene. It manifests in the form of original buildings as well as inside of older, medieval churches with remodeled interiors. But not all monuments are religious buildings. A visit to the Wawel Castle chambers is one way to encounter the secular aspect of both Renaissance and Baroque.
There’s not much to see when it comes to Classicism in Kraków, but the 19th century produced a number of interesting Historicism monuments, especially when it comes to Neo-Gothic and Eclecticism. Finally Young Poland and Modernism had profound and lasting impact on our heritage. It’s noteworthy that Socialist realism architecture of Nowa Huta, while relatively young, is also a monument on its own and it becomes increasingly appealing not only to architecture/city planning enthusiasts but also average tourists as well.
With the introduction out of the way it’s time to start sightseeing Kraków – if you can’t do it in person right now we’ll assist you in an online tour. On the right you can see a list of objects – just click on one of them and begin your adventure with this beautiful city J
We encourage everyone who is visiting Kraków to see the monuments presented here with their own eyes to use trivago. To find an accommodation just click here and compare the prices.