Krakow’s Old Town Square
Great views, souvenirs and museums in Poland’s medieval capital
Europe's largest Old Town Square in southern Poland's Krakow is full of sights to see: climb the Old Town Hall, marvel at St Mary's church or go shopping for souvenirs.
If you’re a fan of the culture, atmosphere and history of a typical medieval Old Town Square, then Krakow in southern Poland must loom large on your must-see list. Just to stroll around and people-watch is action enough in itself, without knowing that you can also experience the Town Hall, Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Church and several museums, plus great shopping.
Cloth Hall in Krakow
When I heard that Krakow’s Old Town Square (Rynek Glowny) was the largest in Europe (measuring about 200 meters on each side), I was a little sceptical: to me, it looks like two Old Town Rectangles, as the long sixteenth-century Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) splits it down the middle. Inside brightly painted, many-arched Cloth Hall you’ll find the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Painting and on the ground floor, dozens of souvenir shops arranged in a market-style, where you’ll undoubtedly be able to find the Polish keepsake you’re after. Square-side cafes offer you a rest and a drink when you’re finished.
St Mary’s Church and the Bugler
The tallest part of Krakow’s Old Town Square is the St Mary’s Church, impressive both inside and out. If you see a crowd gathering nearby and looking up, it’s probably near the full hour, when a bugler appears in a window in the church’s tall tower to play the traditional melody. This might appear to end abruptly – that’s how it’s been done for many years, to symbolize the historical death of a bugler from the thirteenth century, felled by an arrow mid-tune.
Town Hall Tower and Nearby Museums
Krakow’s a gorgeous city, and to see it from above, your best bet is to climb the Town Hall Tower in the Old Town Square. As usual, it seems like endless steps, but enjoying the view from the top gives you a chance to get your breath back. While near Krakow’s Old Town Square, you might also enjoy the Historical Museum of Krakow (near the Town Hall), or, after walking past the Florian Gate and the Barbican, the Czartoryski Museum of European art.
At least half a day of your time in Krakow can be spent enjoying the Old Town Square, more if you want to shop, see museums or relax at a café. As a very popular part of Eastern Europe, it can often be full of tourists, but as it’s so large, it feels less crowded than cities like Prague, another tourist magnet.
Day trips from Krakow: experience the sombre mood of the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps for a better understanding of very important history.
