Adventure in Krakow

5th post on the Europe trip 'series' - Krakow.
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Krakow was the capital city of Poland prior to Warsaw, a historic town rich in heritage. The city did not suffer as badly as the other Polish cities during World War II, hence many of its buildings escaped from destruction. Despite so, they were in a state of neglect for many years, before being restored to their former splendour.



The Wawel Hill is one of the major attractions in Krakow. It used to be a royal residence, also housing a cathedral within the compound.



The entire Wawel Hill is surrounded by fortifications and towers, constructed from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The three towers are the dominant features of the architectural silhouette of Wawel.



Even with such complex defence system, the Wawel castle fell into dilapidation in the 18th century, only to be restored in the 20th century.



But it still ends up getting vandalised by people's declaration of love.



There's a story to the Wawel Hill. According to an old legend, the people of Krakow were terrorised by a dragon until one day, a brave shoemaker cheated the monster with a sheep stuffed with sulphur. The dragon swallowed the bait, and when the fire heated its gut, the dragon drank so much water from the Vistula River that its body burst.

There is a sculpture of the fire-belching dragon in the Dragon's Den, but unfortunately we didn't have the time to climb down the spiral steps leading down to the cave. But it is regarded as a popular attraction to visitors, especially the young ones.



The arcaded courtyard of the Wawel Royal Castle is of a beautiful Renaissance architecture. I love the fact that it's so spacious and airy, you could even hold a concert to hundreds of people there. :)



The castle is huge, and it displays a mixture of various architectural styles, that I couldn't identify which is which. haha.. But they are still as beautiful anyway. :)



Even if they got covered by the climbing greens. :)



The Krakow Cathedral is very strongly associated with the history of the city and the whole country. It served as the coronation site of nearly all Polish monarchs.



A monument of Pope John Paul II stands right outside of the Cathedral.



The exterior of the Cathedral seems.. towering. :) Although dating from different periods, the distinct parts of the Cathedral make a very unique ensemble.



The bones of an 'ancient creature' hang above the entrance of the Cathedral. According to legend, the end of the world will come when they fall. Hmm.. then how do they got hang up in the first place, if they weren't on the ground?



Our poor tour guide had to double up as the group's photographer when he himself suggested that we took a group photo near the Cathedral, because it was picturesque. Haha..



The Clock Tower is the tallest tower, with four statues of the patron saints of Poland and the Cathedral at each of the four corners. At the side of the tower stands the statue of Tadeusz Kościuszko, the general who lead the Insurrection of 1794 against the Russian army. His ashes rest in the crypt of the Cathedral.



When we were there at the Wawel Hill, there was a crowd, but it was still tolerable. Sometimes I do enjoy having a small crowd around, because there would be interesting observations.



But of course, without the crowd, it would be so much easier to capture the serenity of the place into photos. :)



Out of the Wawel Hill and into the Old Quarter of Krakow, I felt that the streets in the Old Quarter aren't as interesting as those in Warsaw.



Horse carriages are everywhere in the Old Quarter, very similar to the Old Town of Warsaw, and later I realised that horse carriages are a common sight in almost every Old Town of every city.



There are many churches in Krakow, and according to my guide book, there are some 40 churches within the historic centre alone. Wow. The larger churches have impressive interiors in various artistic styles.



The Franciscan Church presents a mix of Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic style, after it has been rebuilt twice. The murals and the stained-glass windows add colours to the interior, something not commonly seen in many churches.



The Church of St Mary is situated in the Market Square. This Gothic basilica was the main parish church of Krakow's burghers. The Bugle-call Tower tips the church at 80 m tall, and on every hour a trumpeter plays the bugle call (hejnał) from this tower.



The hejnał used to serve as a warning against attacks by the Tartars. In the 13th century, a trumpeter was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate him. The hejnał now acts as a greeting for visitors. Interesting.

And I was lucky to be able to hear it twice. :)

The church is renowned for its Gothic high altar, the largest in the world, carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489. The wooden altarpiece is 11 m long and 13 m high, and it's dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.



We were lucky to be able to see the alterpiece with the shutters open. When it's closed, the panels show 12 scenes of the life of Jesus and Mary. Magnificent.

St Mary's Square, which is right beside the church, was once a graveyard but has been converted into a common walkway. A fountain with a figure of a student of medieval Karkow as the centrepiece stands in the middle of the walkway.



The most prominent buildings in the Market Square would be the Town Hall Tower and the Cloth Hall.



The Cloth Hall is an interesting building. Old as it may seem from the outside, which the side arcades echo the medieval architecture of Venice, it is lively inside. Originally a market hall, the Cloth Hall houses many stalls selling souvenirs, mostly wooden-carved figurines and other items. Many interesting finds in there. :)

The Market Square is vibrant and active. There was a crowd enjoying a puppet show, and a parade of old cars and interesting characters.



Even as the Market Square quietens down for a few moments, people get to enjoy their time spent at the square.



Dogs know how to enjoy their lazy afternoons too. :)



By the evening, the Market Square oozes a different kind of energy. As shops tend to close by then, pubs and cafes remain open, and a different kind of liveliness begins at the square.



One way of experiencing the different culture, is to eat in McDonald's. :) We all know that McDonald's is everywhere. It's a symbol of globalisation, but it's never really the same. They don't serve beef in Thailand, they don't serve pork in muslim countries.



In Krakow, they do serve prawn fritters. Never seen before in Singapore, or in Asia.



Salivating? Honestly, it was really yummy. :D

As the night falls, it marks the end of my stay in Poland. The country has left a good impression, and the people I've met there were simply great. Poland has never been any of my travel destination plans, but the rich heritage of the country and the beautiful sights have made it a place worth coming back again.

Adventure in Warsaw

4th post on the Europe's trip 'series' - Warsaw.
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Being the capital and the largest city of Poland, Warsaw has plenty to offer. In fact, Warsaw only became Poland's capital in the 16th century, and it was almost completely destroyed during the World War II. Interesting to see how the city rebuild itself, without losing its historical value and its Polish culture.



The Łazienki Park, one of Warsaw's best gardens.



Near to one of its entrance is a monument of Frederic Chopin. Sculpted in 1908, the monument depicts the Poland's most celebrated composer sitting under a willow tree, seeking inspiration from nature. :)



The Łazienki Park is huge, it would be nice to take an afternoon stroll around the park. Just like how the people (especially the grannies) sit on the benches under the shades, enjoying the afternoon sun. Sadly, we were all rushing through the itinerary. Something I hate.



Nevertheless, we managed to walk past some key sights within the park, such as the Theatre on the Island, and the Palace on the Water.



The Palace on the Water was actually a bathing pavilion that was later converted into a royal summer palace. My guide book says that it is one of the finest examples of Neo-Classical architecture in Poland. Somehow I felt the many statues around and on the rooftops of the palace were more spectacular than the architecture.



But the park is really beautiful. Flowers and Neo-Classical buildings everywhere. Nice place for photoshoots. :)



The Royal Route of Warsaw is a must-go. It starts by the Castle Square, and runs along Krakowskie Przedmieście and Nowy Świat (New World Street).



Krakowskie Przedmieście is one of Warsaw's most historic streets, featuring many buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly churches and palaces. There was one church that stood out, and it was the Holy Cross Church.



The exterior of the church is magnificent, and the entire building is just too huge to be captured nicely into a photo. I suppose the interior would be as grand, but a pity that we didn't get to see it, as there were wedding celebrations going on.



Notice the car plate? :)



Next to the Holy Cross Church is the apartment where Chopin lived during his childhood years.



Perhaps that is why Chopin's heart is being contained in one of the side pillars of the nave in the Holy Cross Church. Close to home.

Interestingly, the adjacent building has been 'modernised' by graffiti. I suppose as long as it's not a state-owned building, it's fine to doodle on the wall. hahah..



Along Krakowskie Przedmieście are some important and significant buildings, such as the President's Palace, with a monument of Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski right in front of it.



St Anna's Church was initially a Gothic church, but destructions to the building during Warsaw's turbulent years made the church undergo various facelifts into Baroque and then Neo-Classical design.



I realised that there are many blooming bright red flowers in Poland. Why are flowers in Europe so much prettier?



I spotted a tombstone along Krakowskie Przedmieście. Not sure whom it belongs to, but there was a flag placed there, so perhaps he/she was a historical icon, or a war soldier.



There were interesting sights along the Royal Route, that somehow portray the different facets of life.



Pity.



Happy.

Further down the Royal Route into the Old Town, the Zygmunt's Column stands in the centre of the Castle Square. This 22 m tall monument is the oldest non-religious memorial monument in Warsaw, dedicated to King Zygmunt III Waza.



You won't be able to miss the Royal Castle, unless you don't get to go to the Old Town. The Baroque architecture and the imposing façade is brick red, and is 90 m long. How to miss that? haha..



When we were there in Warsaw, the weather was hot, I think Poland was experiencing heat wave then. Maybe it's a brisk business selling shades. :)



The Old Town was an interesting sight to behold. All the unique buildings and houses seem to congregate into one small area.



All the portals of the Old Town Burgher's houses are in different architectural styles, from Gothic to Renaissance, from Mannerist style to the Baroque. None of them seem to be identical!



And you will never fail to find an artist in any of the Old Towns in Europe. And they can draw well, very well!



There is a statue of the Warsaw's mermaid as the centrepiece of a fountain in the Old Town Market Square. The mermaid, feminine yet ferocious (armed with a sword and shield), is said to be the perfect symbol for a city in which so many battles have been fought.



And when there's a fountain and water, you will find kids there. :)



While kids are fun to look at (I love their playful expressions), old people would just be in their peaceful world, as if they are telling me that we should take things slow in life.



Somewhere in a corner of the Old Town on Freta Street, there's the Marie Skłodowska Curie Museum, where she was born in that apartment.



I didn't buy any postcards during this trip, because I wasn't into writing postcards. Besides, I didn't spot any nice ones. haha..



As the sun was setting, our day tour around Warsaw was coming to an end. I was looking forward to the free time after dinner, because I knew I would have much more freedom, much more space to explore. :)



Opposite the hotel we stayed in (Hotel Intercontinental!) is a huge monolithic building. The Palace of Culture and Science was a 'gift' from Soviet Russia to the people of Warsaw, whom have extreme reactions over the building. Some admire it, some wish to demolish it.



It measures at 230 m tall, and serves as an office space, a cultural centre with theatres, a museum, a cinema and a congress hall. There are also 28 statues around the building, representing themes such as Science, Art and the Collective Economy.



I also took a walk down to the train station, a short distance away from the hotel. I think I would need a guide if I ever need to buy train tickets in Warsaw. Look at all the schedules!



Warsaw serves more as a business centre than a tourist attraction, hence there aren't as many tourists as compared to cities like Prague and Vienna. There are many beautiful buildings and unique places within Warsaw, and yes, it's a pity we didn't have enough time for that.

Perhaps the view of the sunset from the hotel's window could compensate for that. :)