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					Planty Garden Ring in Krakow
                
					Krakow's medieval city walls were largely demolished after 
					1807 save the part with the main gate, its adjoining towers 
					and the great barbican. Fortunately, a green belt of public 
					parks called Planty took up the emptied area of 52 acres in 
					the 1820s.  
					It takes an hour to two hours to walk around the Old Town 
					historical district down the leafy alleys among old trees. 
					And the stroll is the more delightful as Krakow’s ancient 
					buildings reveal their unusual aspects. On the other hand, 
					it appears also a journey through the art of gardening for 
					the Planty ring actually proves to be a chain of some 30 
					gardens in varied styles.  
					Nowadays the 
					area of the Planty gardens is roughly 41 hectares. There are 
					2,236 trees, including 629 maples, 362 lindens, and 227 
					chestnuts. Plus 3,021 bushes, 1,004 park benches, 36 
					monuments, two fountains, and 658 garden lamps.  
					Take a virtual walk through Planty gardens in Krakow 
  
					
					
					Note:
                Public playgrounds equipped with play apparatus for 
					kindergarten-age kids are situated in the Planty gardens on 
					the eastern and the western sides of the Old Town, next to 
					Hotel Royal and the Archeology Museum respectively. 
					 
					Krakow's central 
					Planty ring of gardens in the glory of "Polish golden 
					autumn". 
 Wawel Royal CastleHome 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 CathedralPoland'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.
 Grand SquareKrakow’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.
 Basilica of the Virgin Mary'sThe 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
 Cloth HallThe world's oldest shopping mall has been in business 
				for 700 years. The present Renaissance edifice dates from 1555.
 Town Hall TowerKrakow's leaning tower was built by the end of the 13th 
				century.
 City Walls700-year-old main city gate with adjoining mighty walls 
				and towers.
 Great BarbicanAwesome 500-year-old unmatched masterpiece of medieval 
				military engineering
 Collegium Maius15th-century impressive Grand College of the Krakow 
				university where Copernicus once studied.
 Krakow mummiesPicturesque 17th-century church and monastery shelter 
				numerous naturally mummified bodies in their crypts.
 Kanonicza StreetThe most beautiful of Europe's ancient streets,arguably.
 
					
					Mathematicians bench in the Planty 
					gardens  |