Poland - Eastern Europe - page 433

Nowa Huta In the 1950s, the Communist authorities decided to try to win
over the hearts and minds of skeptical Cracovians by building this model Socialist
community, just a tram ride away the Rynek G l ówny. They built an enormous steel
mill (the name Nowa Huta means “new mill”), as well as rows of carefully constructed
worker housing, shops, and recreational facilities for what was conceived of as the city
of the future. It didn't quite work out as planned; Kraków intellectuals were never
impressed by a steel mill, and the workers never really cottoned on to the Communist
cause. But Nowa Huta is still standing and in its own way looks absolutely fabulous.
Any fan of urban design or anyone with a penchant for Communist history will enjoy
a couple of hours of walking around, admiring the buildings, the broad avenues, and
the parks and squares. The structures have held up remarkably well, and indeed the
area looks better now than it ever has. Part of the reason is that the mills are no longer
running at anywhere near capacity, so the air is cleaner. And, ironically, capitalism has
added a touch of badly needed prosperity, meaning the residents have a little money
to maintain the buildings. On the other hand, there's something undeniably sad too;
this grandiose project in social engineering has been reduced to little more than a
curiosity (though more than 100,000 people still call Nowa Huta home). The shops
that line the magnificent boulevards—once conceived to sell everything a typical fam-
ily would need (even if the shops rarely had anything worth buying)—look forlorn;
and many of them are empty. Aside from walking, there's not much to do, and little
provision has been made for the visitor. You'll search in vain for a decent restaurant,
so plan on eating back in Kraków. The easiest way to reach Nowa Huta is take tram
no. 4 or 15 from the train station about 20 minutes to the stop “Plac Centralny.”
From here it's a short walk to the main square, renamed to honor former U.S. Presi-
dent Ronald Reagan. If you'd like a more in-depth tour, Crazy Guides (Floria ^ ska 38;
& 0888/68-68-71; www.crazyguides.com) offers guided visits to Nowa Huta, includ-
ing travel in a Communist-era Trabant for about 120 z l ($40/£22) per person.
SHOPPING
Warsaw is better when it comes to high-end design and fashion, and Gda ^ sk is a bet-
ter place to buy amber and jewelry. Kraków is filled with interesting shops to peruse,
especially for art, antiques, and trinkets. Most of the better stores are concentrated in
the Old Town along the streets that radiate from the Main Square. Kazimierz has
emerged as a second shopping mecca; here, the emphasis understandably is on
Judaica, but the little streets are filled with shops selling everything from trendy art
and design to out-and-out junk.
For classic Polish souvenirs, including handicrafts, woodcarving, and (naturally)
amber, first try the stalls at the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in the middle of the Rynek
G l ówny. You'll have to pick through lots of dross, but hidden among the “Poland” T-
shirts and mass-produced icons, you'll find some beautifully carved wood and amber
chess sets, as well as locally produced cloth, lace, and leather goods.
S l awkowska Street in the Old Town has a nice grouping of art and antiques stores.
For some unusual modern Polish painting and sculpture, stop by Galeria AG
(S l awkowska 10; & 012/429-51-78; www.galeriaag.art.pl). Atest (S l awkowska 14;
& 012/421-95-19 ), just down the street, is one of the better places for antiques.
For English-language books, Kraków is blessed with at least two treasures. The first
is undeniably Massolit books (Felicjanek 4; & 012/432-41-50; www.massolit.com),
easily one of the best new and used English bookshops in central Europe. Massolit is