Kraków, a city where tradition meets modernity in full harmony…

… where the care for centuries-old heritage is accompanied by the development of modern technologies, and where the creative invention of people living and working here, the manifold opportunities for spending free time and Kraków’s genius loci cause that it is a city for good living and work.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kraków next to such monuments as Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz, Calvary Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Wooden Churches of Małopolska and Kraków Old Town Historical District has been listed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as the world heritage sites.

One of those sites is located at the heart of early country`s capital. Poland’s prime tourist attraction, Kraków boasts numerous landmarks. Its historic area’s grid of streets with the huge central Grand Square.

Europe’s largest in the Middle Ages…

… dates from 1257 and seems the last stage in the perfection of medieval city planning. It is also the best example of that art.

Kraków’s main market square (Rynek) serves as the city’s gravitational centre, and is the natural start and finish point for any tour of the city. Originally designed in 1257 – the year Kraków was awarded its charter – the grid-like layout of the Old Town and its central square has changed little in the years that have followed. Measuring 200 metres square, the Rynek ranks as one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, and is surrounded by elegant townhouses, all with their own unique names, histories and curiosities. Through the centuries it was in Kraków’s Rynek that homage to the king was sworn and public executions held. Most famously it was here that …

… Tadeusz Kościuszko roused the locals to revolt against foreign rule.

On March 24th 1794, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War, announced the general uprising and assumed the powers of the Commander in Chief of all of the Polish forces. He also vowed

not to use these powers to oppress any person, but to defend the integrity of the borders of Poland, regain the independence of the nation, and to strengthen universal liberties.

In order to strengthen the Polish forces, Kościuszko issued an act of mobilisation, requiring that every 5 houses in Lesser Poland delegate at least one able male soldier equipped with carbine, pike, or an axe. Kościuszko’s Commission for Order in Kraków recruited all males between 18 and 28 years of age and passed an income tax. The difficulties with providing enough armament for the mobilised troops made Kościuszko form large units composed of peasants armed with scythes, called the “scythemen”.

The Rynek has always been the natural stage for public celebrations…

… with everything from parades of sausage dogs to Christmas crib competitions taking place. Not all the events have had been happy affairs however, and back in the 17th century King John Sobieski III (Jan III Sobieski) was privy to a firework display which ended in bloodshed when some of the explosives were accidentally fired into the crowd.

The center of the square is dominated by the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). Built in the 14th century this huge hall was effectively …

… the first shopping mall in the world.

Rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a beautiful attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. On one side of the cloth hall is the Town Hall Tower (Wieża ratuszowa), on the other the 10th century Church of St. Adalbert and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Rising above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Mariacki). Kraków Main Square does not have a town hall, because it has not survived to the present day.

More recently the market square was subjected to a Nazi rally attended by Der Führer himself when the square’s name was changed to ‘Adolf Hitler Platz’ during German occupation. Fortunately the moniker didn’t last long and today the Rynek occupies itself by hosting annual Christmas and Easter markets, as well as numerous festivals and outdoor concerts.

To this day it is still crammed with merchant stalls selling amber, lace, woodwork and assorted tourist tat.

Kraków is also one of the oldest cities in Poland, archaeological evidence proves that …

… there were settlements in the Kraków area as early as the Palaeolithic period…

with stone tools found on Wawel Hill dating back to 50,000BC. Archaeological excavations prove that Wawel Hill was inhabited as early as the Old Stone Age. It was supposedly formed about 150 million years ago at the time of forming Earth. Legend attributes the city’s founding to Krakus, the mythical ruler who vanquished the Wawel Dragon (Smok Wawelski) and built it above a cave occupied by dreadful lizard. The Mounds of Krakus and Wanda, another legendary ruler, probably come from the 7th century. However, historians date the settlement of Kraków’s Old Town slightly later in the 8th century, crediting it to a tribe of pagan Slavs known as the Vistulans.

In the pre-Piast period two dates related to the history of the City appear. Between 876 and 879 the Great Moravian Prince Svatopluk captured the future Lesser Poland, and after 955 Prince Boleslav the Cruel, brother of St. Wenceslas, introduced the Czech rule.

The first documented reference to Kraków can be found in records from 965 of the Cordova merchant Abraham ben Jacob. He mentioned a rich burg city situated at the crossing of trade routes and surrounded by woods. By 966, the date of the Christianisation of Poland, Kraków had already grown into a busy commercial centre, thanks in part to the amber trade. It was incorporated into the principality of the Piast dynasty in the 990s, thus creating the Kingdom of Poland although it is difficult to verify whether it took place during the reign of Mieszko I in 990 or Boleslav the Brave in 999.

Princess Wanda was the daughter of Krakus, mentioned legendary founder of Kraków. Upon her father’s death, she became queen of the Poles, but committed suicide to avoid an unwanted marriage. And the legend says that …

… once upon a time …

… there was a good, old king Krak who ruled the city of Cracow and the lands around it. He was very popular among his subjects, as a man of honour and kind, loving heart.

His wife had long been dead and he had no son who would take the throne after his death, but he had a beautiful and brave daughter called Wanda. She was in love with a young prince, who ruled the lands close to the Baltic Sea. Even though they were often separated by the long miles of thick forests, the two happy people did not despair and kept making plans for the future together.

Unfortunately, the time finally came when the old king died. The nobles of Cracow started thinking how to ensure the safety and stability of the land. They thought that the best way would be to marry the princess off to some brave knight who could protect the land and its people.

They sent their messengers to all neighbouring kingdoms and soon a mighty knight from a fighters’ tribe, very hostile towards Wanda’s nation, came to the Cracow castle and demanded Wanda’s hand in marriage. Wanda, scared of the knight’s brutality, refused, especially that she was still hopeful to hear from her seaside prince.

The knight, however, was not so easily discouraged. “I will now go back to my land”, he said, “but I will be back soon, with my numerous, well trained and well armed hosts. If you do not agree to have me as your husband, we will destroy your country with swords and fire and slay all your subjects. The choice is yours.” With these words, the knight left. Poor Wanda had never felt so lonely and helpless in her life before. Her prince gave no sign of life and day by day people came to her castle, begging her to marry the cruel knight and save her land. She knew, however, that under such a rule, her people would never again feel safe and free.

Finally, the day came when the knight and his army were approaching Cracow. Wanda knew that her prince would not come in time to protect her and her land. She knew she had to save her people without anybody’s help. She put on her most beautiful dress and picked up some flowers. She went to the top of the Wawel Hill and looked around to admire her lands for the last time. “If I cannot marry the man my heart has chosen then I shall marry no one,” she said with a sad smile. “And I will never give anyone a reason to attack my country and hurt my people. If this is my destiny, let it be so.”

With these words she plunged down the cliff, straight to the Wisla River.

Source: „Once upon a time in Poland” Polka NZ Ltd

Early capital of Poland

The city developed rapidly, acquiring its own bishopric in 1000, and in 1038 Kraków became the capital of Poland, with Wawel Royal Castle becoming the residence of Polish kings. The 13th century was marked by incessant Mongol invasions, the first occurring in 1241 when the city was almost entirely destroyed, but it was dutifully rebuilt. The high duke Bolesław V the Chaste following the example of Wrocław, introduced city rights modelled on the Magdeburg law allowing for tax benefits and new trade privileges for the citizens in 1257. Two years later, the city was ravaged again and one more time in 1287. Following this last embarrassment, Kraków was surrounded by 3 kilometres of defensive walls, towers and gates which would be modernised over the next few centuries. The third attack in 1287 was repelled thanks in part to the new built fortifications.

Kraków particularly flourished under the rule of Kazimierz the Great (Kazimierz Wielki 1333-1370), who expanded Wawel Castle and established two new cities – Kleparz and Kazimierz – which were closely connected with and would later be incorporated into Kraków. The defensive walls were erected around the central section of Kazimierz in 1362, and a plot was set aside for the Augustinian order next to Skałka.

A huge patron of the arts and sciences, in 1364 King Kazimierz founded the Kraków Academy, now known as Jagiellonian University – one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Europe.

Wawel

The accession to the throne in 1385 of Jadwiga from the Hungarian dynasty of Andegavens, and her marriage to a Lithuanian prince Ladislas Jagiello (1386-1434) started another era of prosperity for Wawel. The royal court employed local and western European artists and also Rus painters. During the reign of Casimir Jagiellon (Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk 1447-1492) the silhouette of the hill was enriched by three high brick towers: the Thieves’ Tower, the Sandomierz Tower and the Senatorial Tower. The first humanists in Poland and tutors to the king’s sons: historian Jan Długosz and an Italian by the name Filippo Buonacorsi (also known as Callimachus) worked there at that time.

Until 1611, the Wawel was the formal seat of the Polish monarchy; this was because Kraków was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1569 and of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1596. Later, it became the Free City of Kraków from 1815 to 1846; the Grand Duchy of Cracow from 1846 to 1918; and Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now the capital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Therefore, the fortress-like Wawel complex which visually dominates the city has often been viewed as seat of power. Wawel Cathedral was not only a place of coronation for the Kings of Poland, but also their mausoleum. Later, it became a national pantheon.

During the 20th century, the Wawel was the residence of the President of Poland. After the invasion of Poland at the start of WWII, Kraków became the seat of Germany’s General Government, and the Wawel subsequently became the residence of the Nazi Governor General Hans Frank. Following the cessation of hostilities, the Wawel was restored and once again become a national museum, a place of worship and centre depicting Poland’s complex history.

The legend of The Wawel Dragon

The oldest known telling of the story comes from the 13th century work of Bishop of Kraków and historian of Poland, Wincenty Kadłubek. According to his chronicle, the frightening monster appeared during the reign of King Krakus (lat. Gracchus). The dragon required weekly offerings of cattle, if not, the humans would have been devoured instead. Legend says that …

… in Poland, a long time ago, in a den at the foot of Wawel Hill, there lived a terrible dragon. None of the inhabitants of the city Krakow from the poorest beggar to His majesty King Krak didn’t know where it had come from and how it got there.

Everyone always trembled with fear. Always having the scary thought that the knigths guarding the dragon made their hair stand on end when they heard the monster roar. People said there was no weapon and no way that they were going to defeat the dragon.

As the days past the dragon made himself feel more at home living there which scared the villains even more.

One day King Krak told a poem to the people of Krakow:

He who once and for all puts this dragon

Shall recieve my sceptre and my royal crown,

So come and defeat this most horrid beast

And win my daughters hand and a wedding feats.

After that many brave and valient knights made their way from different countries to reach Poland to defeat the dragon.

Swords and arrows shattered on its scaly body as if on a shield. But nobody was able to kill this dragon or even drive it away. Time passed, the dragon laid waste to the grounds of Krakow. Fewer knights came every day. More people cam to desert the town, until one day a young man, a shoemaker known to no one, knocked on the gates of the town. He bore no arms and wore no amour. Some twine, a needle,and sharp mind were his only weapons. The guards wouldn’t let him in unless he immediately went to see the king.

King Krak had heard what the boy was saying and decided to put some trust in him so he could have a go. The boy said that he would need: lambskin, some sulphur and mustard seed. The king nodded his acceptance to him.

All night long the shoemaker spent hard working on his plan. Local residents would peer through the window staring at his work. He took the lambskin, filled it with sulpher, pitch and mustard seed, and skillfully sewed up the hole of the lambs belly.

Everyone was now wondering what the morning would bring.

At sunrise the shoemaker set off to see the dragon with his bag of his ideal plan.There he laid his bait and quickly hid in the nearby bushes waiting to see what was going to happen.

The dragon awoke. The dragon knew he was hungry so he walked a bit for food. Suddenly the dragon saw a dead lamb (as it looked to him), looked at it and greedily jumped down to eat it and swallowed it whole with his jaws.

The dragon suddenly went “BANG!” and exploded. Exactly what the shoemaker had planned.

The villagers went silent. Then the sudden cheer began. All the knights ran to the bottom of the hill. The dragon was dead. But one thing was not. The river Wistula had been gulped up.

Source: http://myths.e2bn.org/

Legend of the Wawel dragon has similarities with the biblical story about Daniel and the Babylonian dragon. Same stories are known about Alexander the Great (Aleksander Wielki) but it is believed that the story has its own pre-Christian origins. In addition to attempts of explaining the legend of the Wawel Dragon simply as a symbol of evil, there might be some echoes of historical events. According to some historians, the dragon is a symbol of the presence of the Avars on Wawel Hill in the second half of the sixth century, and the victims devoured by the beast symbolise the tribute pulled by them. There are also attempts to interpret the story as a reminiscence of human sacrifices and part of an older, unknown myth.

One of the oldest university in Europe

Kraków rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir III of Poland (Kazimierz III) founded the University of Kraków, the second oldest university in central Europe after the Charles University in Prague. King Casimir also began work on a campus for the Academy in Kazimierz, but he died in 1370 and the campus was never completed. The Kraków University is now the oldest higher education institution in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe.

The Studium Generale – as the University was then called – comprised three faculties: of liberal arts, medicine and law. Only the former two were active during the founder’s life. After the king’s death, the University ceased to exist.

Following the failed attempts to restore it in the 1390s, the University was re-founded by King Vladislaus Jagiełło (Władysław Jagiełło) on July 26th 1400. Queen Jadwiga, who died in 1399, contributed to the restoration by leaving a considerable portion of her private estate to the University in her last will. The University’s structure was already complete in 1397, with the formal establishment of the faculty of theology. The oldest, main college was at first called the Royal Jagiellonian College (Collegium Regium), and then the Greater College (Collegium Maius). The University, located in the then capital of the Kingdom of Poland, never again interrupted its educational and scholarly activity. Not only does it constitute a symbol of continuity of the Polish state, but also places Kraków among the most important educational centres both in the country and the world.

During the 15th century, the University flourished. It attracted learners from all of Europe – every year, some 200 new students enroled. Aside from Poles, the University was also attended by Ruthenians, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Germans, Czechs, the Swiss, the English, the Dutch, the French, the Spanish, Italians, and even Tartars. It was known for providing education in the fields of law, mathematics and astronomy. Among the professors of this age there were two brilliant lawyers – Stanisław of Skarbimierz and Paweł Włodkowic (Paulus Vladimiri) – as well as great mathematicians, astronomers and geographers: Marcin Król of Żurawica, Jan of Głogów, Wojciech of Brudzewo, Maciej of Miechów. The world famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus enroled as a student in 1491.

Poland among the ten most visited countries in the world

[i]According to Lonely Planet my country is one of the top ten visited world countries with over 16 million foreign visitors each year. To show you how much popular is Kraków I would say that over 7 million tourists visit the city every year. It makes nearly half of Polish income from the tourism.

The city’s magic consists of the unique complex of architecture, art and culture (more than 25% of the resources of the Polish works of art is gathered in Kraków). Thanks to this heritage the city was honoured with the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2000. Today Kraków, the former capital of Poland, is one of the most important cultural and tourist centres of the country, and the seat to many cultural institutions, theatres, cinemas, museums and philharmonic that make life pleasant for the inhabitants and tourists. Nowhere in Poland could one find such a rich variety of cultural and artistic events: every year Kraków is host to over 40 festivals like the International Jewish Culture Festival, the Print Triennial, the Sacrum Profanum Festival and the International Short Film Festival. Every year the city hosts over 2,500 performances and concerts. Last July World Youth Days took place there. Kraków is a special place that, like a magnet, attracts the people of culture and art who draw their inspiration from the atmosphere and rich past of the city. It became home, for example, to Wisława Szymborska, poet and Nobel Prize Winner, Sławomir Mrożek, writer, Krzysztof Penderecki, composer, Andrzej Wajda, film director, Jerzy Nowosielski, painter, drawer and stage designer, and many other well-known and valued artists.

***

If you want to feel genius loci, visit world heritage sites, learn the history and just enjoy yourselves, go to Kraków and you will not regret.

See you there!

  

[i] http://www.radiozet.pl/Rozrywka/O-tym-sie-mowi/Wakacje-2016-Polska-w-czolowce-listy-TOP-10-krajow-Lonely-Planet-00013508

Photos: Michał Stanisławski

The text was published at http://www.communications-unlimited.nl/krakow-a-city-where-tradition-meets-modernity-in-full-harmony/

Polecam tekst o Bożym Narodzeniu w Polsce, który powstał z myślą o obcokrajowcach, ale i tak go polecam. Wesołych Świąt!

http://www.communications-unlimited.nl/immerse-yourselves-into-polish-xmas/

Immerse yourselves into Polish Xmas

If you didn't try Polish Xmas, you should do it. Come to Poland, wait until the first star comes, share Christmas wafer with the others, have 12 Christmas Eve dishes and be lucky for next 12 months. Get Christmas gitfs several hours earlier than at your place, go to the Church for late night mass and immerse yourself into Polish Xmas and its special atmosphere. Merry Christmas to everyone! 

http://www.communications-unlimited.nl/immerse-yourselves-into-polish-xmas/

Polish Pearl of the North

The Polish Pearl of the North

The Tri-City is an urban complex extending along the Bay of Gdańsk and is one of Poland’s largest tourist attractions. Each of the cities making up the Tri-city offers a very different atmosphere. It`s also my favourite place. I like Kraków but I dislike anything situated out of The Old Town. Even in Warsaw, my home town I don`t like a few districts. But I love Tri-City unconditionally. It is where my heart belongs to and where you will fall in love with its unique character.

First let me show you a thousand years of history and picturesque seaside location which makes Gdańsk …

… one of the most beautiful cities both in Poland and Europe.

Located in the north of Poland, at The Baltic Sea coast, at The Motlawa and The Vistula river estuary and the Bay of Gdańsk, it is a lively cultural, scientific and economic centre, with a large commercial port – an important point of marine industry. Gdańsk is the capital of Gdańsk Pomerania and the largest city of Kashubia. The city’s history is complex, with periods of Polish rule, periods of Prusso-German rule, and periods of autonomy or self-rule as a “free city”. Between the world wars, the Free City of Danzig was in a customs union with Poland and was located between German East Prussia and the so-called Polish Corridor. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdańsk is also an important industrial center. In the late Middle Ages it was an important seaport and shipbuilding town, and in the 14th and 15th centuries a member of the Hanseatic League. Five centuries later, Gdańsk has become the city of freedom, where the ideas of Polish companionship and solidarity were born. Formed in 1980, the Solidarity movement played a major role in bringing an end to Communist rule in Poland and helped precipitate the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Gdańsk has also been a birthplace of many notable personalities, one of them was Gunter Grass.

Günter Wilhelm Grass – splendid Gdańszczanin (inhabitant of Gdańsk)

Born in 1927, in what was then the German Danzig, Gunter Grass became the voice for the generation of Germans who grew up during the reign of Nazism. He was a novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. His stated goal, the goal of all writers, was to provide „mouth-to-ear” resuscitation for a humanity that would be lost without it.

He was born in the Free City of Danzig (German name for Gdańsk). Grass’ father was German, while his mother was Kashubian (a distinct Slavic ethnic group from the region around Gdańsk). As a young man, he was a member of the Hitler Youth, he served as a drafted soldier from late 1944 in the Waffen-SS and he was wounded in WWII. Next he was taken prisoner of war by U.S. forces at the end of the war in May 1945. After being released from an American POW camp, he worked in a potash mine and as a stonemason, before enrolling in art schools in Berlin and Dusseldorf. Grass began writing in the 1950s, in his fiction, he frequently returned to the Danzig of his childhood.

Grass is best known for his first novel, „The Tin Drum” (1959), a key text in European magic realism. To this day it remains his defining work. It was the first part of the „Danzig Trilogy” which was completed with „Cat and Mouse” (1961) and „Dog Years” (1963). Due to his personal experience and its historic legacy, Gdańsk was the setting for these novels and his works are celebrated by Germans and Poles alike despite the tension and bitterness that may still exist as a result of a debated history.

„The Tin Drum” tells the story of a young boy born in Danzig named Oskar, who, at the age of three, refuses to grow in protest of the adult world. Oskar communicates only through a tin drum, but through his eyes the reader becomes a part of the tumultuous world of Danzig/Gdańsk in the 1940’s.

Grass` works are frequently considered to have a left-wing political dimension, and he was an active supporter of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He became a ghostwriter for the Social Democrats and Willy Brandt. A collection of his political works entitled „The Citizen and His Voice” is available for purchase. Grass made huge waves during the revolutions in 1989 and 1990 by opposing the unification of East and West Germany, maintaining that a unified Germany would become militant and threatening to world peace.

As a justification of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy was praising Gunter Grass as a writer “whose frolicsome black fables portray the forgotten face of history”.

The first historical reference dates back to 997 …

.. and the first written record thought to refer to Gdańsk is the vita of Saint Adalbert. Written in 999, it describes how in 997 Saint Adalbert of Prague baptised the inhabitants of urbs Gyddannyzc, “which separated the great realm of the duke (i.e. Boleslaw the Brave of Poland) from the sea.” No further written sources exist for the 10th and 11th centuries. Based on the date in Adalbert’s vita, the city celebrated its millennial anniversary in 1997.

The thousand-year-old Gdańsk is considered to be …

… the most monument-packed city of “Baltic Europe”…

… and no wonder it is very popular with tourists, both from Poland and abroad, who are curious about the city’s history and explore its monuments, absorbing its marine nature.

Most of the monuments in Gdańsk are located near the most representative passage of Main Town District – the Royal Route and the streets parallel to it, along with the promenade, the Motlawa Long Embankment (Długie Pobrzeże). The best place to start sightseeing of the historic part of Gdańsk would be the Upland Gate (Brama Wyżynna) and the the Royal Route stretching beyond it through Long Street (Ulica Długa) and Long Market (Długi Targ) towards The Green Gate (Zielona Brama). Having crossed The Green Gate, you’ll find the Prison Tower (Wieża Więzienna) and Torture Chamber (Katownia), called the Barbican of Gdańsk.

Just behind it, there is the Golden Gate (Złota Brama) and, next to it, The Court of the Society of St. George (Dwór Bractwa Świętego Jerzego). Within the area bordering on one side with Wybrzeże Theatre and the Barbican on the other, there is a square called Targ Węglowy, a venue of numerous concerts and other cultural events. Just behind The Golden Gate there is a magnificant view on the Royal Route. The Route is lined with charming, restored houses, whose original construction dates back to the 16th and 17th century. We can see Gothic references here as well. The houses used to belong to the most prominent patricians, merchants and senior city officials and spacious apartments were rented to Polish kings. One of the most beautiful houses at Długa Street is undoubtedly The Uphagen’s House (Dom Uphagena) – which houses one of the branches of the Museum of the History of Gdańsk. All these magnificent buildings are overshadowed by the beautiful and monumental Main Town Hall (Ratusz Głównego Miasta), the most impressive and most valuable secular building of old Gdańsk, the seat of the city authorities. The dome of the tower, measuring 80 metres, is decorated at the top with the metal, gilded statue of the King Zygmunt August.

The largest port crane in medieval Europe

The majestic medieval port crane, called Żuraw over Motława river. Built in the first half of the 15th century between the pylons of Brama Szeroka (the Wide Gate), became the city’s symbol. In the Middle Ages it was the largest port crane in Europe, used for moving goods and raising ship masts. It was able to lift 4 tons to an altitude of 36 feet. Inside there is a reconstructed and fully-operating drive mechanism – an enormous wooden wheel, in the past powered by the strength of men’s legs.

The crane also served as the city gate. It is currently part of the National Maritime Museum.

The first seagoing ship built in Gdańsk Shipyard after WWII

The main seat of National Maritime Museum is situated on the opposite side of the Motława river on Lead Island in three granaries of historical heritage: “Panna” “Miedź” and “Oliwski”. Another part of Maritime Museum is ‘Sołdek’ – the ship berthed at the Motława river bank, the first seagoing ship built in Gdańsk Shipyard after WWII and one of the main attractions of the city. On the opposite river bank there is Granary Island (Wyspa Spichrzów), the city marina with sailing boats and, along the port canal, Polish Baltic Philharmonic located in the building of the former 19th century power plant.

Walking along the Long Embankment it is worth to head towards the gothic St. Mary’s Gate (Brama Mariacka) leading to one of the most scenic streets of Europe – St. Mary’s Street. Its old Gdańsk-style architecture is manifested by rows of terraced houses decorated with gargoyles and narrow, richly ornamented facades. The houses once belonged to wealthy merchants and goldsmiths.

St. Mary’s Church (Polish: Bazylika Mariacka, German: St. Marienkirche), or formally the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Bazylika Mariacka Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Gdańsku), is believed to be …

… one of the largest brick church in the world

With its volume of 155,000 m³ is currently the fourth largest brick church in the world, and the third largest north of the Alps. Only San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, comprising 258,000 m³, Munich Frauenkirche with 217,000 m³ and Ulm Minster (190,000 m³) are larger.

Its construction took place in two stages, beginning in 1343 and ending in 1502. The church contains many important works of medieval and baroque art. These includes a stone Pietà (from approximately 1410), a copy of Hans Memling’s „The Last Judgement” and an astronomical clock from the second half of the 15th century constructed by Hans Düringer over a period of 7 years.

Between 1536 and 1572 St. Mary’s Church was used for Roman Catholic and Lutheran services simultaneously. From the 16th century until 1945, when Danzig became Polish Gdańsk, it was the second largest Lutheran church in the world.

The interior vault supports 37 windows, over 300 tombstones and 31 chapels. It can hold up to 25,000 people, which was useful during the period of martial law between 1981 and 1983 when members of the Solidarity movement sought refuge here. The church can be accessed through seven gates with intriguing names like the Purse Maker’s Door. Interestingly, the sculptor who carved the crucifix of Christ nailed his errant son-in-law to a cross so as to add realism to his work. St. Mary’s was seriously damaged during WWII and the original frescoes have since been whitewashed, which far from leaving an impression of stark emptiness bring out the best in the relics throughout and creating a marvellous feeling. Of note is the enormous astronomical clock dating from 1464. Its complex dials show the time and date, phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the Zodiac signs, and the calendar of saints. Adam and Eve ring the bell on the hour. According to legend, the clock’s creator had his eyes gouged out so he’d never make a clock to better than this one. The 78 metre tower, which involves climbing 405 steps, houses a viewing platform with cracking views of old Gdańsk and has benefited from a 3.3 million euro renovation.

The longest church in the world

The Oliwa Cathedral was built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles. It is said to be the longest church in the world. It is best known for its organ, which includes moving angels, stars, and the sun. The interior of the Cathedral includes 23 altars in three architectural styles – Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo.

A peninsula in the Bay of Gdańsk mentioned in every book on the history of WWII

Westerplatte is where was the first clash between Polish and German forces during the Invasion of Poland and thus the first battle of the European theater of WWII. One of the first German attacks took place, on September 1, 1939, at 4.45 AM. To commemorate the heroes of Westerplatte, the Monument to the Coast Defenders was erected here in the 1960s.

Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers

December 1970 in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Elbląg was a time of labour strikes. A sudden increase in prices was the direct reason. The coastal areas were brutally pacified by the government. Ten years later, to commemorate the victims, a monument was erected – three crosses with anchors attached. Every cross weighs 36 tons and is 138 ft tall. Official delegations visiting Gdańsk usually place flowers at the foot of this monument.

The smallest but the most crowded city in Poland

Situated west of Gdańsk Sopot is the smallest urban administrative unit in terms of population in the whole country but in spite of that in the summer it is one of the most crowded and lively places in Poland. Wide, clean, sandy beaches spreading for as long as 4,5 kilometres, the status of a health spa and the longest pier in Europe are a magnet powerful enough to attract tourists here.

Sopot owes its unique atmosphere to the art nouveau tenement houses, villas surrounded by trees and one of the longest promenades in Poland, commonly known as „Monciak”. The ground floors of tenement houses built at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, as well as other more modern buildings, like Crooked House (Krzywy Domek), are now housing cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Apart from modern venues we can find here other places, going way back, with artistic and club house traditions. Spatif and Sfinks, clubs located at Monciak have always been the popular meeting places of Tri-City artists and celebrities, here the numerous concerts take place and the nightlife flourishes.

The longest wooden pier in Europe

At the lowest point of Monte Casino is located mentioned Pier (Molo), which is 512 metres long. The longest wooden pier in Europe. At its end there is a marina, full of yachts and catamarans in holiday season. During the summertime, there is a small entrance fee charged if you want to go to the pier, however, visitors do not seem to mind paying for a one of a kind opportunity to stroll along this picturesque place. From there, you can admire the sight of The Bay of Gdańsk, Tri-City coastline and the Sopot itself, with its landmark – the legendary Grand Hotel. Supposedly the sea water was delivered to hotel in-suite bathrooms and there was extra tap at each for salty water flowing just from the Baltic.

The only medieval fort in Europe located in the middle of a contemporary city

The places with exceptional charm and magical atmosphere are Atelier Theatre named after Agnieszka Osiecka and Artistic Bay (Zatoka Sztuki), where you can watch a fashion show, see a concert or just sit back and relax with a cup of coffee enjoying the seaview. Apart from the walks in the seaside promenades and boulevards you can go up Castle Mountain (Góra Zamkowa), to see the medieval fort, the oldest historic place in Sopot, the one and only such building in Europe located in the middle of a contemporary city. The renovated Forest Opera is also well worth a visit; famous for its interwar Wagner concerts, and since 1961 – for the International Song Festival (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Piosenki).

If you travel west of Sopot you will find interesting location, the cliffs famous all around Poland…

… the longest seaside boulevard …

… Kościuszko Square, historic ships moored by the quayside, wide municipal beach, port cranes, luxury cruise ships, and yacht harbour with hundreds of masts. All these are the elements of a contemporary port city called The Nautical Capital of Poland.

Less than 90 years old, Gdynia is one of the youngest Polish cities. Described as “The city made of sea and of dreams”, it was a dream come true for the people who created it from a tiny fishing village and turned it into a biggest port at The Baltic Sea.

Gdynia is the only city in Poland and one of the very few in Europe to pride itself on such a long and easily accessible seashore (measuring 12,5 kilometres, not including the port area).

The oldest destroyer in the world

and the most famous tall ship, over a 100 year-old

The Southern Pier is a man-made artificial peninsula – jetty. The Pier was built in the 1920s and quickly gained the reputation of the most picturesque spot of the city. The greatest tourist attraction are the historic vessels moored at the quayside: the only preserved Polish pre-World War II ship, and the oldest destroyer in the world today ORP Błyskawica (the most frequently photographed object in the Pomeranian region) and the most famous tall ship, over a 100 year-old Dar Pomorza, today a museum-ship. The prime example of modernist architecture of Gdynia can be noticed in the building located in the vicinity, formerly functioning as The Polish Seafarer’s House (Dom Żeglarza Polskiego), nowadays the seat of Maritime Academy Faculty of Navigation (Wydział Nawigacyjny Akademii Morskiej). At the end of the square there is The Aquarium, where the mysteries of the ocean depths are revealed to its visitors.  Here you will see the most extraordinary species of fish, amphibians and reptiles from all over the world: Africa, North America or Northern Europe.

On the Southern Pier you may walk along the „Alley of Passenger Ships” – the only such place in Poland, where the green granite plaques commemorate the arrivals of all passenger ships in Gdynia. The plaques are assembled on the Southern Pier. Try to spot here the statue of a boy, called the „wave conductor”, who welcomes and bids farewell to sailors in the marina. 2-metre tall statue stands on poles stuck into the sea bottom about 40 metres away from the shore and is best seen from the Southern Pier and from the marina. From Kościuszko Square it is a good idea to walk along the Seaside Boulevard (Bulwar Nadmorski).

Weapons and combat equipment ranging from the 17th century to the present day

Close to the Seaside Boulevard and the beach, there is an attractive outdoor exhibition of weapons and marine armaments. It contains the exhibits of weapons and combat equipment ranging from the 17th century to the present day. There is a particularly rich collection of weapons dating back from the World War II and post-war period, including the the Navy airplanes and helicopters.

The Observatory of changes

The city’s wonderful panoramic view can be admired from the most luxurious districts of Gdynia – the Stone Hill, easily recognizable by the large cross at its top. On your way there, you will pass the famous Musical Theatre (Teatr Muzyczny), and the new seat of the Gdynia City Museum. Back from the waterfront, in the centre, there is a place called the Observatory of changes, a.k.a. Infobox, where you can watch the square and the sea from above and take a closer look at the city miniature model and all its highlighted landmarks.

Background of wedding photo shoots

Orłowo Pier is one of the most charming places, eagerly frequented by the inhabitants of Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot and tourists. No wonder, as the view of the surroundings from there is amazing: not only the wildlife reserve, Orłowo Cliffs, but also Sopot, Gdańsk and Hel Peninsula are visible. The 60-metre escarpment is considered an identifying symbol of Gdynia, being one of the most frequently photographed natural sites in Poland. Next to the entrance to the pier (free of charge) we come across a fishing harbour. Banners fluttering in the wind, fishing nets drying in the sun, colourful boats on the shore make this place unique, often serving as a background of wedding photo shoots and other photographic locations.

***

The largest, the smallest, the first, the longest, the oldest, the most famous, the Orly, one of the most beautiful – this is how you can describe Tri-City. It`s the world`s phenomenon which you musn`t miss. So I hope you will visit Trójmiasto soon.

See you there!

Photos: Michał Stanisławski, Bożena Szostkowska and Joanna Rumińska

The text was published at http://www.communications-unlimited.nl/polish-pearl-of-the-north/#prettyPhoto

Gdańsk

The Oliwa Cathedral

Gdynia

TV show location at Gdynia`s Marina

Sopot

Sołdek