POLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 449

Day Excursion to
Kraków
Poland's Second Largest City
Depart from Warsaw Centralna
Distance by Train: 184 miles (297 km)
Average Train Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
City Dialing Code: 12
Tourist Information Office: Wyspianski Pavilion, Pl. Wszystkich Swietych 2
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
www.cracow.travel
E-mail : [e-mail]
Hours: 0900-1700 daily
Notes: Exit the train station onto Pawia Street, and turn left. Turn right on Planty,
and head into the plaza in front of the Juliusz Slowacki Theatre. The Tourist Inform-
ation Office is in a booth in the plaza.
Kraków is the second largest city in Poland and is traditionally a hub of Polish cultur-
al and academic life. While occupied by the Nazis during World War II, and serving
as a regional capital, Kraków sustained relatively minor damage. While under Soviet
control, the city was turned into an industrial center, with the significant academic
community suppressed. Kraków also was the home of Karol Wojtyła, who in 1978
became the first non-Italian pope in over 500 years, Pope John Paul II.
Kraków's Old Town area can easily devour the entire day of your visit. The tradi-
tional walled center of the town, it has been an important trading spot since at least
the 13th century. The Main Market Square, the largest medieval town square in
Europe, is the gathering point for the entire city of Kraków. While the daily activity
is impressive, the square also hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, includ-
ing the Nativity Scene Festival in early December, the Juwenalia Student Festival
in May, the Lajkonik Parade (recognizing the Tartar horseman that have ravaged
Kraków throughout history), and the Festival of Military Bands. The square is sur-
rounded by excellent cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops of all kinds. St. Mary's
Basilica, which was re-built in the mid-fourteenth century from an even earlier ver-
sion, is a cornerstone of the square. An impressive building in its own right, it is