It was the month of April, and my travel buddies and I were ready to set out and absorb as much of Krakow, Poland as possible on the last day of our three-day stint (I talk about the city's history in my Day 1 and Day 2 posts). It's not a huge town, but it is jam-packed with attractions ranging from a charming Old Town to the subterranean site of a violent legend.
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| A beautiful day in Krakow! |
Our day started out with a stroll through a flea market at Hala Targowa, where we were without a doubt the only tourists in sight. After we finished up there, we headed to a place where we wouldn't stick out quite as much: Wawel Castle, which is arguably the most historically and culturally important site in all of Poland and therefore a huge draw for visitors. Wawel Hill has served as a center of political power since 900s A.D. Starting in 1319, all Polish kings were crowned here. That is, up until 1596, when the capital was moved to Warsaw. I wrote a little about that here on my Warsaw post, and yes, Cracovians are still bitter.
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| The castle itself was built in the 1300s |
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| After climbing up the hill by foot, we got quite a view of the Vistula River |
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| A broad look of the structures on Wawel Hill |
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| This is the 900-year-old Wawel Cathedral. It's the Polish national sanctuary, the single most important building in the entire country, and the site of nearly every Polish monarch's coronation. Since the cathedral is right next to the Wawel Castle, this Wawel Hill complex is basically Poland's version of the Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey combined into one |
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| The impressive renaissance courtyard at the Wawel Castle |
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| Another Vistula River view |
But there's more to Krakow than just Wawel Hill, so it was time to climb back down off our perch above the city. And what better way to get back to ground level than... THROUGH A NETWORK OF HIDDEN UNDERGROUND CAVES? We coughed up a few złoty to have the privilege of trekking through the "Dragon's Den" to get off the hill. It's essentially a network of old limestone caves that run through the hill, but it's the legend associated with the caves that makes them interesting. There are a bunch of different versions, but the gist is: Once upon a time, a big, mean dragon named Smok lived in these caves. Each day, Smok would emerge and wreak havoc on the Polish people by devouring everything from livestock to young maidens. Krakow's founder, King Krakus, promised the hand of his daughter (who had not yet been eaten) to anyone who could slay the wicked dragon. In response, a clever cobbler's apprentice named Skuba stuffed a lamb with sulphur and placed it outside the cave. When Smok the dragon ate the lamb, he became thirsty and drank from the Vistula River for relief. But his stomach still ached, so Smok drank and drank and drank... until he finally EXPLODED and died! Skuba, his new wife, and the people of Krakow lived happily ever after. How's that for a bedtime story?
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| After the dragon's demise, these subterranean rooms housed a banquet hall and a tavern for some time |
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| A life-size statue of Smok the dragon awaited us at the bottom of the hill. Check out its seven heads |
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| This is the entrance to the Wawel Cathedral. Supposedly the bones you see hanging on chains on the left are the very bones of Smok! |
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| Back in the center of town, we stopped in the main market square to take in the lively atmosphere and shining sun |
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| We took a pause to sit down for a drink. Suddenly, improbably, I heard someone calling my name - I turned, and it was an old USC friend who happened to be studying abroad in Europe and was also taking a weekend trip to Krakow! What were the chances?! |
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| Travel partner Sarah |
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| We went shopping in the town square's Cloth Hall, just like traders in the 14th century once did. These days, the merchant stalls are filled with tourist trinkets instead of textiles, salt, wax, spices, leather and silk |
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| That tower is all that remains of the city's old town hall. After it was repeatedly burnt down, built back up, renovated, rebuilt, and torn down again, Cracovians obviously decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to try to keep the rest of it standing |
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| Looking toward St. Mary's Basilica |
After our afternoon stroll and a lunch of potato pancakes and polish sausage, we were ready for the day's big highlight: a descent into the dark, cold, briny depths of the Wieliczka Salt Mines! Although it's a train ride away from the middle of town, this is a must-see destination for all Krakow visitors. The mine was one of the original 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites and features 186 miles of underground tunnels on 9 different levels. Mining operations started at Wieliczka in 1280, but the site has served exclusively as a tourist attraction since mining stopped a few decades ago (there is still plenty of salt left, but its extraction is no longer economical).
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| The building housing the entrance to the mines |
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| This king was a busy guy. Not only did he have a big hand in building up Wawel Hill, but he also made a fortune off these mines since salt was as valuable as silver back then |
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| This room is the tour's big highlight! It's a full-size, active church called the Chapel of St. Kinga. Everything in this room - the statues on the wall, the chandeliers, even the floor - was carved out of salt by three determined miners over the course of 67 years in the 17th century. Are you planning a wedding? Because you can actually get married here! |
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| Supposedly the miners who carved out this church did it as a hobby outside of their normal mining duties and had no formal artistic training. Whatever you say, Mr. Polish Tour Guide, but these statues and patterns are really good |
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| A vial containing some of Saint John Paul II's blood (remember, he was Polish) is embedded in the altar behind the cross |
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| One of three (artificial) underground lakes |
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| An enormously tall chamber. The white wooden supports were built in to keep it from collapsing |
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| Another underground lake |
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| During World War I, some soldiers were taking a tour of the mine by boat when they reached this lake, which is 430 feet below ground. Suddenly, their boat capsized and they were caught under it. But because the water is so incredibly salty, they were too buoyant and couldn't duck under the water surface deep enough to escape from underneath the boat. They all perished, and a statue of the patron saint for drowning victims honors their memory |
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| Looking up inside one final giant chamber |
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| The same chamber, looking down |
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| We saw one last chapel before heading out |
We had experienced just about 1% of the mine during the three hours that we were there, but our time was up. We all agreed visiting the mine was one of the coolest things we had done all year! Visiting such vast spaces and an intricately decorated church made of salt was an unforgettable experience.
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| Sunset in the suburb of Wieliczka, where the salt mines are located |
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| We were tired, but we didn't want to miss out on the local beer scene. The bar we visited had a huge selection for us |
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| I grabbed some last shots of the market square before heading back to the hostel for the final time |
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| The Cloth Hall by night |
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| Wawel Hill |