Poland - Eastern Europe - page 428

last surviving piece of Kraków's original town hall, which was demolished in the early
19th century in an apparent bid to clean up the square. Today the tower houses a
branch of the tourist information office, and you can climb to the top for a view over
the Old Town.
Streets and alleys lead off the square in all directions. Of these the most important
are ul. Floria ^ ska and ul. Grodzka, both part of the famed Royal Route of Polish
kings. Floria ^ ska leads to the Floria ^ ska Gate, dating back to the start of the 14th cen-
tury. The gate was once the main entryway to the Old Town and part of the original
medieval fortification system. Grodzka flows out of the square at the square's south-
ern end and leads to the ancient Wawel Castle.
Archdiocesan Museum This is essential viewing for fans of the late Pope John
Paul II. John Paul lived here as the archbishop of the Kraków diocese until his eleva-
tion to pope in 1978. Today, the museum has largely been given over to his legacy,
with a fine collection of gifts presented to the pope by heads of state from around the
world. You'll also see a nice collection of sacral painting and sculpture dating from the
13th century.
Kanonicza 19. & 012/421-89-63. Tues-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat-Sun 10am-3pm.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul One of the most evocative of Kraków's many
churches, chiefly because of the statues of the 12 disciples lining the front entrance.
It's said that the Jesuits spent so much money building the front and facade that they
ran out of money to finish the rest of the building (which if you look behind the
facade you'll see is constructed from ordinary brick). The interior is less impressive,
though still worth a peek in.
Grodzka 54. & 012/422-65-73.
Czartoryski Museum The Czartoryski family members were gifted art collectors,
and this collection is one of the finest in central Europe. Two international master-
pieces are on display: Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine and Rembrandt's
Landscape with the Good Samaritan. A third masterpiece, Raphael's Portrait of a Young
Man, was sadly taken away by the Nazis and never recovered. The museum also houses
a sizable collection of ancient art from the Middle East, Greece, and Egypt.
Sw. Jana 19. & 012/422-55-66. www.muzeum-czartoryskich.krakow.pl. Admission 9 zl ($3/£1.60); free Thurs. Tues
10am-4pm; Wed 10am-7pm; Thurs 10am-4pm; Fri-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-3pm.
St. Andrew's Church It's hard to imagine a more perfect foil to the attention-grab-
bing Church of Saints Peter and Paul across the street. This humble, handsome church
dates from the 11th century and has been part of the city's history for some 900 years.
Its simple Romanesque exterior is a tonic to the eyes. The interior, on the other hand,
borders on the jarring, remodeled in baroque style in the 18th century.
Grodzka 56. & 012/422-16-12.
St. Mary's Cathedral The original church was destroyed in the Tartar raids of the
13th century, and rebuilding began relatively soon after. The hushed interior makes
for essential viewing. The elaborately carved 15th-century wooden altarpiece, by the
master carver Veit Stoss, is the immediate crowd-pleaser. But the highlight of this
church, at least for me, is not inside at all. It's the forlorn trumpeter in the high tower,