Poland Guide
Kraków and Małopolska
The Kraków region attracts more visitors – Polish and foreign – than any other in the country. The main attraction is of course Kraków itself, a city that ranks with Prague and Vienna as one of the architectural gems of Central Europe. A longtime university centre, its streets are a cavalcade of churches and aristocratic palaces, while at its heart is one of the grandest of European squares, the Rynek Główny. The city's significance for Poles goes well beyond the aesthetic though, for this was the country's ancient royal capital, and has been home to many of the nation's greatest writers and artists, a tradition retained in its thriving cultural life. The Catholic Church in Poland has often looked to Kraków for guidance, and its influence in this sphere has never been greater – Pope John Paul II was archbishop of Kraków until his election in 1978. Equally important are the city's Jewish roots. Until the last war, this was one of the great Jewish centres in Europe, a past whose fabric remains clear in the old ghetto area of Kazimierz, and whose culmination is starkly enshrined at the Nazi death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, west of Kraków.
As a major transport hub Kraków serves as an ideal base from which to visit the towns and villages of Małopolska ("Little Poland"), an area of gently rolling lowlands which historically served as one of the heartlands of the Polish state – especially after the decline of the Piast kingdoms of Wielkopolska ("Greater Poland") in the west. The region's most handsome historic town after Kraków itself is Tarnów, a centuries-old market centre that stands in close proximity to two of Małopolska's most renowned folkloric sights – the village of Zalipie with its painted houses, and the wooden church at Lipnica Murowana.
Highlights
1 Kraków's Old Town One of the most wonderfully preserved old-town complexes in Europe.
2 The Wawel Kraków's hilltop castle and cathedral was for centuries the political heart of the nation.
3 Kazimierz The old Jewish quarter of Kraków, now the centre of a burgeoning bar scene, buzzes with visitors day and night.
4 Auschwitz-Birkenau The infamous Nazi death camp, on the outskirts of Oświęcim, is a compelling memorial to man's inhumanity.
5 Lanckorona Well-preserved village that demonstrates how pretty rural Poland must have been a century ago.
6 Ojców National Park This beautiful valley of limestone crags and medieval castles makes for a great day out from Kraków.
7 Zalipie Unique village in which traditional house-painting customs are still practiced.