Krakow was such a unique, beautiful, complex, and historically rich city. There was so much to see and do here Stacia and I were glad that we had three and a half days. Throughout our visit we did walking tours, visited museums, and saw cultural sites which added to our understanding of the events that occurred here and how they impact present day Krakow. The city is known for churches (there are 160 of them), its universities, culture, art, Jewish Quarter, and history.
1. Old Town - The Old Town of Krakow remained intact from the war and the Nazi invasion of the area. The buildings and architecture are some of the oldest in Poland, dating back to the 7th century. The area includes many shops, restaurants and cafes. We did a walking tour of this area and learned that the city used to be walled in and now where the walls stood is called the Planty, a thick stretch of park that encompasses the Old Town. The large square (built as one of the most powerful trading areas in the world at the time), included Cloth Hall, a large indoor/outdoor mercantile area, St Mary's Church, Krakow City Hall, and many other beautifully kept buildings housing outdoor restaurants and cafes. Every hour, a trumpeter would play a tune from the tower of St Mary's Church. The legend goes that in the Medieval times, a trumpeter would stand watch in the tower looking for oncoming armies or invaders and would play the trumpet to alert the town members of imminent danger. One time the trumpeter was playing to warn of an oncoming invasion and he was shot with an arrow part way through the song - so to honor him they play each hour and only part of the song. The square was always full of people, enjoying the beautiful sunny 70 degree weather and taking in the merchants, street performers, and many horse drawn carriages offering rides to tourists. We spent our evenings here, people watching and enjoying the electric atmosphere. We also went into St Mary's Church, which was one of the most incredible/overwhelming/gaudy churches I have ever seen. It has the biggest alter in Europe and is known for its gothic and extremely ornate interior. On our walking tour we also visited the Wawel Castle, where the King of Poland used to live in the 18th and 19th Century. It now houses a museum. It had extremely unique architecture from Baroque to Medieval to Renaissance all mixed together somehow in perfect harmony.
2. Wieliczka Salt Mine - this was recommended to us by a couple different people when we told them we were going to Krakow. Located a bit outside of the city, the Salt Mine is 800 years old and was a working mine until 2007. It is a World Heritage Site and in our two and a half hour tour there we only saw one percent of the mine. It is over 175 miles long and over 1000 feet deep. Whoa. Once in the mines we could not believe how large they were. We visited several different rooms where there were sculptures carved out of salt that miners had done - they looked like marble! The most impressive room was the chapel, which took 70 years to complete and hosts weddings and other ceremonies on a regular basis. We had a wonderful guide for our tour who had worked at the mine for 24 years! She was a wealth of information.
3. Jewish Quarter Walking Tour and Oskar Schindler Museum - our evening after the salt mine we did the Jewish Quarter Walking tour and I was blown away at our experience. Our guide went through the history of the Jewish population in Krakow and how there were over 60,000 living in the city until 1939. In September of 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Krakow. The Jewish then were required to move outside the city, to what was called the Jewish Ghetto - an area set up by Nazi troops. They were taken from their homes, sent to concentration camps and killed during the time of the war. After the war was over, only 400 Jewish citizens remained in Krakow. Our guide for the walking tour was excellent. He had done his thesis on the Jewish Ghetto so was able to eloquently explain what happened throughout history. He also showed us the Jewish Community Center as well as several current Temples and conveyed the hope and optimism the Jewish community has in the area now. It was an extremely moving and educational tour to see the neighborhoods where all these people lived. The next day we visited the Oskar Schindler Museum and learned about the circumstances leading up to the war in Poland, the invasion of the Nazi's into Poland and Krakow, and how Oskar Schindler was able to save approximately 1200 of his Jewish workers from being sent to concentration camps. He was the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's movie Schindler's List (which we watched while on this trip).
4. Auschwitz - going to Auschwitz was an experience I'll never forget, and one that I will reflect on for a long time to come. I had learned about the Holocaust in school and had been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, but to come to Auschwitz had a different impact. Walking through the concentration camp, seeing suitcases and belongings, looking at pictures, and hearing the individual stories was heartbreaking, horrifying, and emotional. It was hard to comprehend everything that happened during that time and to understand how it came to that point. While it made me appreciate everything I have even more, I felt (and continue to feel) a profound sense of grief, sorrow, and sadness for all the people affected. We had an excellent guide through both Auschwitz and Birkenau camps who, very somberly and matter-of-factly, explained the layout, conditions, logistics and impacts of the camps. All Polish high school students are required to visit the camps as part of their schooling and I feel like it is an important place for everyone to visit to understand our world's history.
Highlights:
- Old Town and Old Town Square - we stayed in an airbnb right near the square and had so much fun walking through the streets.
- Walking Tours - mainly Jewish Quarter but also the tour we did of Old Town was great.
- Oskar Schindler Museum - a great World War II museum and had information about Oskar Schindler, his workers, and his factory.
- Auschwitz - while it was very difficult to see, it is something I will never forget.
Lessons Learned:
Throughout this trip I have had nothing but positive experiences. People have opened their homes to me, given me a helping hand, assisted me with directions, and been welcoming no matter what country I've been to. Going to Krakow was a harsh reminder that our differences can pull us apart and in some cases, pit us against each other. As horrifying and shocking as the Holocaust was, at this point it is something we cannot change. We can only move forward and ensure that we treat one another with the respect and kindness everyone on this earth deserves. I've recently finished a book by the Dalai Lama and he has a quote that I have found fitting for my time meeting different people, in other cultures, and varied life circumstances. "Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non-believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears and dreams. Each of us wants to best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference."
Thanks for following along.
Old Town and St Mary's Church.
The Salt Mine Chapel - everything here is made out of salt!
A memorial in the Jewish Ghetto - there are 68 chairs to represent the 68,000 people who would never return to their homes.