For my final adventure in Poland, I traveled south down to Kraków. Although the story of my finding a way to get from Wrocław to Kraków is ridiculous in and of itself (it involves a bus website that refused to work until a hour an hour before the bus left and a dearth of trains traveling between two of the largest cities in Poland after 6 PM on a Friday, WTF?), let's move on and talk about what is supposedly the most beeeeeeautiful city in Poland and a must-see [source: every single person I talked to about visiting Poland]. I actually liked Kraków quite a bit although I think from a purely architectural standpoint I was more enamored with the German-style market square of Wrocław than I was with Kraków's. And now that I have copied and pasted the names of those two stupid cities enough times to drive myself insane, let's look at some pictures. The first day I spent just walking around, occasionally dropping in on free walking tours to pick up some history here or there. I was feeling too noncommittal to actually join one, though. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.
First up: cloth hall. According to Wikipedia its golden age was in the 15th century, so it's pretty damn old. It's also the center of Market Square, where I spent a large part of the first day. Inside used to be a marketplace for textiles, lead, and salt from the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine (which I really wanted to visit but just did not have enough time/energy for, OH WELL HAVE TO GO BACK). Now it's mostly amber jewelry, plates, kitschy souvenirs, and other knick-knacks.
In the center of the market, there are exits on either side with the crests of Krakow and Warszawa over them. There are also crests of other cities all up and down hall.
The line of horse-drawn carriage waiting for simple tourists, outside of cloth hall. Reminded me of Central Park except more depressing because the horses don't even have any shade while they're standing there.
To the right, is the tower and remaining part of the Town Hall, which was originally built in the 13th century. The rest of the building was demolished to open up Market Square in the 1800's.
While you climb the tower there are randomly some rooms you can go into. One has a history of the construction (mostly in Polish), one has some history on the city, and one is just a balcony looking down into this room with period costumes from... some point in the Town Hall's history, presumably.
This is what the staircase looks like for a lot of the way up. Because I am short, at some points I was a little bit just pulling myself up by the chain handrail.
The view from the observation tower at the top. This is looking out over Cloth Hall (you can see it at the bottom of the picture), at St. Mary's.
Statue of Eros, also known as "the Head", next to the tower.
On the other side of the Cloth Hall, Adam Mickiewicz Monument (Polish poet).
St. Mary's Basilica or Church of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven, if you're nasty.
I took this photo of the doors of St. Mary's plus this statue in front, not really sure what it was for.
Later I solved the mystery. One of those creepy painted statue people.
Polish breakdancing troop, out front of the church. Yes, they are doing the life from Dirty Dancing. Yes, they were playing THE song while they did it. Yes, it was amazing.
The side of the church.
Unsettling doors that reminded me of this.
Behold, my beautiful Windows Paint splicing of two sub-par photos to bring this stunning panorama of the front of the church!
Alms.
Florian Gate.
This guy was WAY too excited about the slightly phallic post next to the gate. Like, giggling and pointing and taking selfies with it. Relax, guy.
(YOU'RE WELCOME, WORLD.)
Inside the barbican, a 15th century fortress and the remainder of the walls that used to surround Kraków.
Views from inside the Barbican.
The remaining wall has a separate entrance and when you climb up the stairs into one of the remaining towers along the wall, this sight greets you at the top of them. WHAT IS WITH EASTERN EUROPE AND THE CREEPY MANNEQUINS IN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS?!? PLEASE STAHP!!
Inside a chapel along the wall.
Oh right, tobacco. Because he's smoking a pipe. I can't believe I had to stop and think about that.
Kraków's manhole covers get it right.
Jagiellonian University.
Approaching Wawel.
Vistula River.
Napping under the hills of Wawel Castle.
Climbing up to see the castle.
Wawel Cathedral.
Trinity Church.
TEMPTING.
Creepy movie poster.
I saw these guys everywhere and got curious enough that I finally looked them up. Turns out this is a real thing that Polish hussars wore in the 16th and 17th centuries.
They're kind of famous for it, as it turns out.
Finally, on my last full day in Kraków I went to Auschwitz and Birkenau. For me, it was deeply disturbing and horrific and although I am glad that I went and saw it for myself, and know I will never forget what I saw or felt there, I don't really want to write any more about that. I found it to be pretty traumatizing and this is the only photo I took while I was there. I guess visiting these sites is the kind of thing you do because you feel you need to, not because of how fun it will be.
I took the bus back from Kraków to Budapest which was also a nightmare. It's a frustrating story but suffice to say, if traveling in Europe, I do NOT recommend Orangeways bus company. They are terrible, and they will dick you over. I bought a ticket with them and when their bus never showed up I ended up begging the driver of another bus going to Budapest to let me on. Although I made it back, I did not make it back in time to catch the train back to my town. Ah, the joys of traveling.
Anyway, this nice sunset photo was taken at a rest stop in Slovakia. The end!
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