A cultural morning in Krakow

So after the interlude which allowed me to catch up on a couple of domestic projects,  let’s head back to Poland, and pick up where we left off.

I slept well in my cosy and comfortable third floor hotel room, and whilst on wakening I was disappointed to see rain falling outside my window, I was determined to make the most of the coming day and not let the weather dampen my spirits.

I enjoyed a heart breakfast, which included scrambled eggs, cooked just the way I like them - soft, but not too runny, with some extremely crispy, and rather salty bacon to go with them. I knocked back several cups of coffee as well. There is something about strong continental coffee to really get one going in the morning, and whilst I hadn’t had a heavy night on the beer, I’d been feeling rather tired after my journey.

Having made a pre-emptive visit to Krakow’s old town the previous evening, I decided to head south towards the Wisla River and take a look at Wawel Castle. Together with the neighbouring Wawel Cathedral, the castle occupies a prominent hill overlooking the river, providing a strong point to prevent access to the city. It's worth noting that Krakow was Poland’s capital for several centuries and many of its kings and queens were crowned in Wawel Cathedral.

 

The rain was easing off as I headed up towards the castle entrance. I then climbed the steep row of steps leading up to the castle/cathedral complex. I queued at the kiosk to purchase a ticket. The state rooms were closed on that day, but it was free admission to visit the castle armoury and see the jewellery which constitutes Poland’s "national collection."

I have backed off from using the term “Crown Jewels” purely because much of the nation’s most precious and most treasured items of jewellery were looted, over the centuries, by successive invaders and occupiers. Life’s tough when you’re a relatively small country sandwiched between large and much more powerful nations!

Although entry to the armoury was free, my ticket was still at a set time. I therefore had a good walk around the main courtyard, plus the smaller inner one. I also stood on the ramparts, overlooking the river and the southern sector of the city beyond. The rain had stopped by this time, but the view was still partly obscured by mist and low cloud, which was a pity.

I enjoyed my look at the jewellery collection, even though many of the items on display came from neighbouring countries such as Germany and Austria.

The armoury was housed at a lower level, virtually in the bowels of the castle. The exhibits were interesting and there was some intricate work amongst the suits of armour. Some of the old cannons and massive siege guns were also well worth look, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to pay to view them.

I made my way down from the castle complex shortly before midday. My plan was to head in a roughly easterly direction to the old Jewish quarter in the district of the city, known as Kazimierz.

We will halt the narrative there because in the next part I want to write about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, and relate what happened to Krakow’s Jewish population. I also want to explain why I decided not to make the trip to Auschwitz, despite the fact that the former Nazi death-camp attracts over a million visitors each year.