POLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 450

famous for one of the best preserved works of Gothic sculpture, a massive (almost
30 feet high) altarpiece constructed between 1477 and 1489 by Veit Stoss. A trum-
pet signal is also played from St. Mary's every hour, which cuts off before comple-
tion. The legend says that this is to commemorate a trumpeter who warned of ap-
proaching invaders but was killed before he could complete the tune. The church
is open 1130-1800 Monday-Saturday, 1400-1600 Sunday, admission 10 zł. The
main branch of the Historical Museum of Kraków is also located on the square
and houses an array of artwork and memorabilia associated with the history of the
city. Open 1000-1400 Tuesday-Sunday, admission 10 zł; www.mhk.pl .
The Royal Road of Kraków also begins in Old Town. This traditional route
through the city has been used for hundreds of years as the procession route for
coronations, funerals, and other affairs of state. Pick up the brochure at the tour-
ist office, and follow the route past the remaining gates and fortifications of the old
city, in front of churches and colleges before ending at the historic home of the Pol-
ish Monarchy, Wawel Hill and Castle. The dominating castle's prime was between
the early 10th century and the early 17th century, when the center of Polish power
moved to Warsaw. The castle is open 0930-1700, Tuesday-Sunday, admission 18
zł; www.wawel.krakow.pl . Advance reservations are suggested, as the number of
visitors is limited.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp is located about 70 km (44
miles) from Kraków. Many Americans do not realize that most of the implementa-
tion of Hitler's “final solution” took place outside the borders of Germany proper, in
occupied countries. Auschwitz was one of the largest and most notorious concen-
tration camps, and most prisoners never left the site. A visit here is deeply mov-
ing and disturbing, and not for the faint of heart. There are two separate camps,
and visitors should allow at least 3-4 hours to see the camps and watch the short
film showing the initial liberation of the camps. Visitors should take the train from
Kraków to Oswiecim (about 110 minutes), and a local bus to the camp, or a bus
direct from Kraków to the camp. While admission is free, visitors are required to
have a guide at a cost of between 25 and 40 zł. Tours are available in multiple lan-
guages.
A brief 25-minute train ride outside of Kraków, in Wieliczka is the Wieliczka Salt
Mine. For over 700 years, the mine was a major producer of salt for the region. A
tour to the mines takes you almost 1,000 feet underground, and includes displays
about the history of mining. Most striking are the many sculptures carved into the
walls of rock salt. The older ones were completed by miners, but more recent ones
were done by contemporary artists, and the carvings appear to have been carved
out of granite, rather than salt.