The legend of Barbara Radziwiłłówna

Cracow is an old city with loads of traditions and stories. One of them is the legend of Barbara Radziwiłłówna, the beloved wife of Polish king, Zygmunt August. It was a true love, even if king's mother didn't like the marriage, claiming that young, beautiful Barbara is not good enough to be a queen.

She was a second wife of the king, the rest of people in the castle treated it as a mismatch, so the wedding was full of controversy. Their marriage didn't last long, after a few years Barbara died. According to the legend the king in despair wanted to see his beloved wife one more time after her death. He called all famous wizards who could have been able to call the ghost of the queen. One of them Twardowski, tole the king that if he wants to see his dead wife, he needs to sit on a chair and not move or try to touch the ghost, otherwise, the kingdom will be in danger. The king promised he will stay calm, but when he saw Barbara he couldn't resist and tried to touch her. The ghost disappeared immediately and king was left alone. Now it's said that the ghost of Barbara still comes to the Wawel castle and walks through the king's rooms, looking for peace.

Art galleries in Cracow

It's another part of our cultural path in Cracow. Let's talk about art galleries. Some of them are already known, but it'd be useful to gather them in one place and check what Cracow has to offer for people who like art:

The cinemas in Cracow

For someone who is keen on popculture, for sure important part of it is cinema and movies. Of course, you can find many places in Cracow where you can watch more or less ambitious movies. And not only the big cinemas like Cinema City but also other small ones where you will find movies which are less mainstream. Let's check small cinemas with unique atmosphere inside what can't be found in a huge modern cinemas.

Theatres in Cracow

Let's continue walking on cultural path in Cracow. Not everyone is fond of classical music, many people can enjoy theatre. Cracow is a cultural city with many places where you have a chance to enjoy art. This is the list of the most popular theatres in Cracow, we have Autummn so new plays are coming!

Classical music in Cracow

Music is one of the most important part of every culture. Often it is related to the history of the country and the tradition. Every nation can name at least one famous compositor and they can be proud of him or her. Music can soothe your mind and relax you. For someone with more sophisticated taste classical music is a great choice. The more you listen, the more you can appreciate the beauty and harmony. Where in Cracow you can enjoy this piece of art?

Let's discover Main Square Underground!

Main Square has always been the biggest attraction of Cracow, but how many people know about another its side – the Underground. To be exact, it's a museum located below the market square and its area counts 6000m2. Work on the underground began in 2005 and museum was opened on 24th September 2010.

Cracow and the surroundings 2

The end of summer is a great time to try travelling outside the cit
y to catch the last warm sun rays and admire the beauty of the nature. Especially one place can be really breathtaking and stunning at this time of year - or even a bit later, during the fall, when trees change their colors and the forest looks so colorful.
This place is Dunajec River and Pieniny mountains, located on the South of Poland. The main attraction there is Dunajec River Rafting with its traditional white water rafting.

Stanislaw Lem's Garden of Experiments

Another interesting garden in Cracow is much different from the one mentioned a week ago. It's quite new and you can find varied things which are not really connected with nature, plants or other botanic issues. Stanislaw Lem's Garden of Experiments, known also as Cracow Garden of Experiments, is mainly dedicated to science like physics. People who visit the part can learn about basic physics law while conducting an experiment, they can engage their different senses as well.

Cracow Garden of Experiments is the first initiative of this type in Poland. The general idea was inspired by the similar parks in Nurymberg and Paris. Polish park has been opened since 2007 and it occupies six hectares. The park is located in southeastern part of Cracow.

Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University

Hot weather in Cracow encourages to spend time close to the nature and green areas with shadows where you can rest. One of the places is Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University, which is a perfect place to visit especially during spring and summer. It was founded in 1783 and is located on the east of the Old Town where occupies 9,6 hectares. It's considered a historical location. The exact address is Copernicus Street 27.

Milk bars in Cracow

Visiting a new city means meeting totally new culture with its all more or less exotic parts. Even European city can be exotic in some way. Probably one of the unusual things in Poland for western tourists can be a milk bar. What is a milk bar? It's a Polish form of cafeteria with homemade-style food served. First typical milk bar was opened in 1896 in Warsaw by Stanisław Dłużewski and was called "Mleczarnia Nadświdrzańska". The milk bars were popular especially during 1920s and 1930s and during communism. Usually the menu of a milk bar is based on dairy products, butnowadays you can find there also other types of food like Polish pierogi, bigos, omelets, vegetables soups and some sweet cakes.

Krakow and the surroundings

Krakow is a city where you just can't be bored, you always can find some interesting places, areas or events. Walking groups of tourists are the best proof for that. However, sometimes everyone has a need to leave the city behind and change a surrounding to see something new. Especially, if you have enough time to visit Krakow and have some spare time to check the surroundings. If you want to take a break and spend some time with the nature you should consider one place – Zakopane.

Cat Cafe in Krakow

Cracow loves cats

Another time Krakow witnessed something absolutely new. In June, first in Poland Cat Cafe was opened in Krakow where all cat lovers can grab a coffee, eat something sweet and enjoy a company of the little furry purring friends.
Ewa Jemioło, the founder of Cat Cafe, explains that the place was created especially for the people who love cats but because of some issues (like allergy, small flat, no time etc.) they can't own a cat.
Of course, the cat owners or people who are simply curious can also visit the place. Everyone should feel welcome.

The Hobby Horse - Lajkonik

Krakow Hobby Horse, known in Poland as Lajkonik, is one of the symbols that have always been associated with the city. It is a bearded man with tartar appearance, dressed in colorful robes, pointy hat and compulsory - with the tailstock attached to a belt.

The figure is associated with the legend of the Tatar invasion. Before one of them, the enemy lurked in the bushes on the river Vistula, in the village of Zwierzyniec, situated next to Krakow.

Legend of the Dragon Wawel

Legends is an element accompanying the history of each city. Although they have a lof of fantasy and fiction, it's still interested and curious. We associate them with places, which we pass every day and about history we know nothing. Let us remember that although these stories are often sucked from the finger, it is in these very high degree of probability and the proverbial "grain of truth". Legends expand our knowledge and develop awareness of the history. There are also an opportunity for new travel trail of fairy tales and legends.

Krakow extremely famous for its many legends. The reason for this is the countless emblematic monuments and people who have significantly etched into the history of the city.

Legend of the Dragon Wawel

The most famous legend is a legend about the Wawel Dragon, related to the largest monument - the Wawel Royal Castle. The main character is the eponymous dragon, which fire-breathing

Green areas in Krakow

Every major city needs a space, where you can relax from the hustle and bustle. Often, in such situations, residents travel to nearby towns, where they can relax in nature. Usually, such a trip is associated with an adequate amount of free time. What when we don't have too much time?

In Krakow, next to a large part of the architecture of the city, also has attractive green areas that add to the charm, but also are a place of Sunday rest and afternoon walks. In the city center there are Planty - one of the largest urban parks, ideal for the average stroller. There, that was built monuments dedicated to big figures.

In the city there are also Blonie - huge meadow, which is a place of recreation for residents and tourists, but also recreation for cyclists, joggers and walkers. It is also a very important place for Poles, because there often held meeting with Pope John Paul II, a Pole.

Traditional and regional snack

In Krakow is known saying „eat as Cracovians”. For ones, it means eat at someone else's cost, for others it means eat tasty and enough. One things id true – Krakow's regional cuisine hides a lot of simple and great culinary suprises. Let's see what you should try to taste during your visit of Krakow:

Obwarzanki – the most popular Krakow's delicacy. We can buy them anywhere, at any place, on the street, of the city, near the bus stop, in a shopping center and even on the outskirts. There are a circular bagels with a specified wave, fragile outside and mellow inside. We can buy it in several flavours: with salt, poppy and cheese. They are a great treat for tourists and tasty snack for Cracovians during the busy day.

Armia Krajowa Museum in Kraków

Among the many artifacts testifying to the turbulent history of Krakow, for recognition deserves Armia Krajowa Museum, named General Fieldorf Nil. It located on the Fieldorfa Nila street, near the Central Station.

The museum was established in 2000, but earlier for a period of 10 years, initiators collected historical artifacts. Today in the Museum we can see 7,000 exhibits and more than 1,200 archival materials - mainly donations Soldiers of Armia Krajowa and their families around the world. The museum library has about 11,500 volumes from this period and telling about the hardships of action in the Army.

The museum was created to show how the Polish underground work both in terms of organization, but also from the spiritual

Krakow - students city

Krakow, near Warsaw and Wroclaw, is one of the most popular cities for young people who want to be educated. Why? Because in Krakow is the best-developed student culture, and that is because of the rich tradition of the university, which was created over the centuries. It is connected with the oldest university (next to the University of Prague) - the Jagiellonian University. Here, an extremely high level represent too other universities such as the University of Science and Technology, University of Economics and Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology.

The city has a very rich offer of education, which is associated not only with classes at universities. Studies in Krakow is also a spectrum of scientific meetings with scholars, the possibility of direct contact with science and culture in many research centers. Next to the larger public universities, Krakow also has many other private universities and schools,k which provide education in the fields of each area.

Townhouses Krakow

Warm evening, Sunday walk - Krakow always charms. Residents and visitors love the charm of Krakow's because of warmth, which exudes and makes everyone there feels in some way exceptional. It is due to the history enchanted in the walls. We feel the spirit of past centuries and great people, who lived and worked in Krakow - observe legacy that now serves the new generations.

Undoubtedly, the charm krakow streets reside in Krakow buildings, magnificent buildings, which are a kind of cultural, social and architectural phenomenon. Their development can be divided into 3 stages:

Study in Krakow

Krakow is a city, which offers each of us a lot of opportunities and countless attractions. They enjoy not only among permanent residents, but also visitors and temporary. Here we can indicate tourists whose love in Krakow and its attractions, they come back here more than once. However, speaking about the inhabitants of temporary, I mean students, which is in over 200 thousand. In addition to Warsaw and Wroclaw, Krakow undoubtedly attracts the most of learners and not without reason named is a city of students.

At the beginning it is worth saying that the city offers students a wide range of educational opportunities. It is the seat of the top universities in country that educate in many directions both humanities and technical, economic and artistic. I say, of course, about the most famous Jagiellonian University, University of Science and Technology, University of Economics and Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology. In addition to public institutions in Krakow also operate non-public, which guarantee an equally high level of education.