Old Town Kraków

St. Florian's Gate, or Floriańska Gate, is the most important of the city's eight medieval gates and was built in the 14th century as part of a protective rampart around Kraków after the Tatar attack of 1241. The street performers in my first photo were standing under this gate.

St. Mary's Church can be seen at the end of Floriańska street, one of the most famous streets of the city.

The Hotel Copernicus is located on Kraków's oldest street, Kanonicza, at the foot of Wawel Royal Castle. It is named for the famous Polish astronomer Nicolas Copernicus, who once stayed in the building.

Another view of St. Mary's Church, built in the 14th century. On every hour, a trumpet signal called the Hejneł mariacki, is played from the top of the taller tower. The signal stops suddenly in mid-stream to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul, a Roman Catholic Polish Baroque church built between 1597 and 1619.

The Church of St. Andrew built between 1079 and 1098, a rare surviving example of a European fortress church used for defensive purposes.

A former residence of Father Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II.

The next city we visited in Poland was Kraków. Our hotel was located between the Old Town district and the Galeria Krakowska, a huge multi-level urban shopping mall. While my daughter headed straight for the mall, I think I made the better choice and took a stroll around the Old Town. This area is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today, and was the center of Poland's political life from 1038 until King Sigismund III Vasa relocated his court to Warsaw in 1596. Another one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments, the entire Medieval Old Town was one of the first sites chosen for the UNESCO's original World Heritage List.

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