Old Town Krakow part 2

Our evening stroll took us down to the castle. No dogs allowed past the gate but we got to look around from outside the wall. The castle was started in the 13th century and has Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Early Baroque architectures all intertwined. Some ruins as far back as 930CE have been found.

For centuries the kings of Poland had their throne here starting with legendary rulers Krakus (who the city is named after) and Princess Wanda, who are said to have lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. When the official capital got moved to Warsaw in 1596, Wawel became the place where demonstrations against occupation from Austrians, Prussian, and Russian Empires were held.

The Wawel cathedral sits alongside the castle with relics of St Stanislaus, one of the earliest Polish Bishops. According to legend, Stanislaus bought some land from a man named Piotr. After Piotr died, his family disputed the sale and sued Stanislaus. The Bishop the prayed for 3 days, brought Piotr back to life where Piotr set the record straight, then Piotr chose to return to his grave. Pretty crazy!

The whole area from Wawel castle to Stare Miastro (the old town) are surrounded by a park making it very walkable and enjoyable. Families are out every evening enjoying the summer weather (high in low 80s). We will join them.

Good night gentle readers. Congratulations if you made it this far!Read more