"Very buzzy, very friendly, very in ..." a Krakow Travel Page by leics

I liked Krakow far more than I expected to, because I found far more to interest me and to enjoy there than I thought I would.
In some ways it reminded me of Florence (some of the buildings are rusticated, there are shrines on the corners of houses..........) but the streets are slightly wider, and the tall buildings (many buttressed so they tilt away from the street) far less overbearing. I was rather pleased to find my guidebook referring to its 'Italian Renaissance character'!

And in some ways it reminded me of York; its large student population brings a similar vibrancy and colour to the streets, many of the buskers in both cities seemingly students supplementing their income. And Krakow even has a 'windy man', like York (though presumably not the same chap..........see Street entertainment ).

Krakow's grid layout within the old city, its pedestrianisation, its friendly people, its 'safe' feel and its general 'walkability' made it a pleasure to explore. I was especially lucky to be there during the annual folk festival, which ensured free musical entertainment (including rap, rock and jazz) throughout every day and evening; an excellent accompaniment to coffee/vodka/cake/whatever at a table outside one of the many cafes (it's still a cafe society).

Krakow (supposedly a Duke Krak formed the first settlement on the hill next to the River Vistula) was the capital of Poland from 1038 until about 400 years ago. The cathedral on Wawel Hill was built in the 11th century, royal residences followed and gradually the city grew. The Main Market Square (Rynek Glowny) has the same layout as it did in 1257, so it's not really surprising that it's a UNESCO World Heritage site (since 1978). Over the centuries town walls were added (now gone, although their footings can still be traced in some parts of the Planty gardens which surround the old town), with gates and a Barbican. The Jagiellonian University began in 1384 (Copernicus was an ex-student) and the city prospered as a centre for trade. Merchant's houses and palaces line the streets, themselves illustrations of changes in architectural fashion over the centuries and there are a myriad of churches and hidden corners to examine.

There isn't space here to detail the long and complicated history of Poland, its wars, its partition, its suffering under the Nazis and the communist regime. But it is essential to write a little about Kazimierz, the Jewish district of Krakow, and equally essential to visit if you are in the city.

Kazimierz was founded just outside the city walls in 1335, and became a thriving Jewish district. It was walled in the 17th century and only became part of Krakow in 1800.

In 1939 about 70 000 Jews lived in Kazimierz. Perhaps a few hundred live there today. But its synagogues and buildings are slowly being restored and renovated, its history and people commemorated in museums and moving exhibitions. There are restaurants serving Jewish food as well as Polish, and feeling that here something was lost that must not be forgotten.

I found walking Kazimierz fascinating, and enlightening, and I think it helped me understand far more than a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau would have done. The horror that was the Holocaust is beyond comprehension, but the lives of individuals can be felt here and with that one can connect, a little.

Becoming ever more intrepid the more I travel, I took myself off on a local bus to the Benedictine monastery at Tyniec. Although most of the younger people in Krakow speak English fairly well, my generation and the older people don't....and my Polish is non-existent. However, the bus driver and I managed to work out where I should get off, although I did have to stay on the bus to the end of the line so he could turn round and drop me at the right place! It's a lovely side-trip to make; a morning or afternoon will do it, a little jaunt into the countryside (perhaps with a picnic?) to see what life is like outside the city.

Tyniec is set on a 40m high cliff above the Vistula, about 6 miles from Krakow. Originally founded in 1044, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It seems to be undergoing extensive restorations at the moment, but was worth visiting. I suspect there are several lovely walks around it, but it was pouring with rain when I went so I didn't feel much like exploring (had my sandals on, hate wet feet).

So, all in all, a very successful trip; shorter on cakes than I anticipated, perhaps, but a lot of photos taken and a lot of new things seen, done and explored. Even the full body-search (clothed, I hasten to add) from a female soldier at the airport was a new experience; and watching everyone else go through the same thing helped to gently while away the 2 hours plus we were kept cooped up at the gate.........with no toilet..............