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The
Royal Road across Krakow
The
Royal Road is the ceremonial route that kings and other
celebrities proceeded through Krakow when the city was Poland’s
capital. Now it still links most of Krakow's Old Town's
landmarks. The monarchs entered
through the main of the city's eight gates, the Gothic Floriańska gate of c. 1300
and–since 1499–the mighty Barbican before it (both have survived
complete with the adjacent city walls and towers). From the gate the Floriańska street, as always Krakow’s busiest, leads to the
central square. At 45 Floriańska street the Jama Michalika cafe boasts
period art nouveau decor of 1895; at no. 41 there is The House of Jan Matejko where the great
19th-century painter’s lived, now turned into his museum. The street ends at the foot of the
14th-century Gothic basilica of the
Virgin Mary’s, the city’s best known church. Every full hour the ancient Krakow Signal resounds four times from its taller, crowned tower. The basilica overlooks the Rynek
Glowny central square – Europe’s
largest medieval city plaza – with the Renaissance Cloth Hall of 1555 in the
middle of it and the 13th-century Gothic Town Hall Tower near by.
In the square’s southern corner a tiny church of the 11th
century stands: the church of St.
Adalbert’s (Swiety Wojciech in Polish), its original
Romanesque architecture hardly concealed by a Baroque
renovation. One block down Grodzka
street a square is flanked by two grand
13th-century temples. On the right-hand side there is the Romanesque basilica of St. Francis’, famous for
the late 19th-century’s splendid stained-glass
modernist windows and floral frescos, with the adjacent Franciscan monastery.
To the left, the Gothic basilica of Holy Trinity towers over the
adjoining Dominican monastery. Both monasteries boast medieval
great cloisters, rich in church art, that date back to the
14th century. The
Franciscan monastery abuts on the Renaissance
Wielopolskich Palace of 1560 that has been turned into the city hall
in 1865. Halfway up Grodzka street a turn right
to Senacka street and next instant left bring strollers to the
most spectacular Kanonicza street with
its stately historic houses. In the middle of Kanonicza street
a charming square opens to the white facade of the Jesuit
august Baroque church of SS Peter and Paul’s of 1619 next to the
majestic Romanesque church of St.
Andrew’s of circa 1090. From 1951 to 1963
Father Karol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II, ilved at 19 and
21 Kanonicza Street (his former rooms have been
turned into a part of the Archdiocese Museum, otherwise
exhibiting church art). The street ends just at the
foot of the Wawel Royal
Castle on the top of the Wawel Hill and next the Royal
Road climbs up the elevation to the compound's double gates, of the 20th c and 17th c
respectively. The steps on the left side behind the second
gate lead to the Wawel Cathedral.
Little further, after turning left, one finds the entrance to
the Royal Castle’s splendid Renaissance
courtyard.
Krakow's
walking itineraries
The best way to enjoy old Krakow is
afoot.
Stroll
Round the Grand Square
Stroll
through Krakow's Kazimierz District
Planty
walk round the Old Town
In
the footsteps of Pope John Paul II
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City Walls
700-year-old main city gate with
adjoining mighty walls and towers.
Basilica of the
Virgin Mary's
The immense Gothic church, Krakow's
principal temple since the 13th century, shelters
the world's greatest
Gothic sculpture among its many excellent
works of art.
Grand Square
Krakow’s central Grand Square (Rynek
Glowny), the largest plaza of medieval Europe and
one of the world’s finest with its spectacular
landmarks, has remained the hub of the city since
the 13th century.
Kanonicza
Street
The most beautiful of Europe's ancient
streets,arguably.
Wawel
Royal Castle
Home to three dynasties of Poland's
monarchs. Its stately halls and exquisite
chambers are filled with priceless art, best
period furniture and rare ancient objects. The
collection of the 16th-century monumental Flemish
tapestries is
matchless.
Wawel
Cathedral
Poland's impressive national shrine
shelters plenty of superb church art. Its giant bell of 1520
ranks with the world's largest. Most Polish kings
and their family members are buried in the
cathedral, its chapels and crypts.
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