Krakow - A Must see!. Review on Krakow

Krakow was the main seat of the first Polish kings of the Piast dynasty. It was the first capital of Poland, a country which was at the core of the tensions of various decades much until most recent, the Second World War. Poland got wiped off from the world map three times as the Germans, the Russians and the Austrians begged to conquer this prime piece of land. Although the bloody history, Poland is a wonderful place to visit. A true rejuvenation from the war shed times where one of the most brutal history took place ?Auschwitz.

I visited Krakow in winter of 2005. This is one of the classic examples of a beautiful historic city in Eastern Europe with a perfect blend of liveliness through a university town.

In the seventh century a wise prince named Krak or Krakus built a castle, and like many Polish monarchs, named the city after himself.

My experience of Krakow, its people, the buildings, culture and history was simply enigmatic. Rynek Glowny or Main Market Square, with its medieval Sukiennice or Cloth Hall is a must see.

The Rynek Glowny and its tower dates back to 1257, when the city was redesigned around a grid pattern, after the Tatars had burned down the wooden town.

The Tatar invasion gave rise to the legend of the hejnal, which is played on the trumpet or bugle every hour from the watch tower of Kosciol Mariacki (St Mary's Church), and breaks off, in memory of the bugler who was shot in the throat by a Tatar arrow while in the middle of sounding the warning.

This music and the serenity of this market square is mindblowing. The castle and cathedral are perched on a hill known as Wawel above the Vistula River.

Vistula flows northwest through the entire country of Poland. Although no public waterways have been developed on Vistula, which could tour you whole of Poland if it was ever thought about, one can never loose the sight of this river when in Poland.

Long story cut short, Krakow is high on my list of recommendations for anyone who wishes to visit Poland or the surroundings.

The food is great. Unlike rest of Poland, in Krakow, one can find a great variety of western, oriental and Indian food. The Polish food is pretty bland and one might need to develop a taste for it. But as much of a food lover I am and love to try different spices in life, I loved this food. I even brought home some recipes with me. One of the maximum number of decadent bars seen in one place, I must admit. Very artsy nightlife, afterall Poland is a land of some great artists!

Just like rest of Europe, public transportation is no hassle. One can hop into any trams, buses or rail to get here or within the city.

Day passes are available and you can buy tickets at any newspaper/ snack bars on any darn street in Krakow. I spent my new years eve there and Krakow unlike Warsaw is very safe to hang out even alone.

The people are very friendly and helpful and do approach by themselves to help a lost tourist. Not many people in Poland speak English but Krakow being a university town, a lot of younger people can communicate well in English. However there are no sign boards posted in English so getting around can get a little tedious.

Finally when in Rome, do as the Romans do?a little polite Polishcould help:

Thank you ? Jinkuya (Jin-Ku-ya)

If you wish to do some homework with some key words in Polish, you could translate them through http://www.poltran.com. I found it very useful. Goodluck and enjoy your trip! There is nothing better than learning through traveling.