Traces of Jewish Culture from Krakow

Itinerary
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Stop At: Cracow Tours, ul. Krupnicza 3, Krakow 31-123 Poland

Situated by the Vistula river, Krakow is the cradle of Polish culture anda characteristic urban phenomenon. It is the former capital of Poland, the place of coronation and later the burial ground of almost all Polish monarchs. For a long time it has been attracting scholars with the oldest university in the country, artists with the cultural climate and pilgrims with the sanctuaries and holy relics. Since the beginning, Kraków has also been enticing tourists with its atmosphere, monuments, and recently also the memory of Pope John Paul II.

The legendary founder of the city was Prince Krak, the vanquisher of the Wawel Dragon (the effigy of the beast stands at the foot of Wawel Hill). Remnants of the oldest history of the city have been preserved in two mounds dating from the 7th century called the Wanda and Krak mounds. The first historical information about Krakow is contained in a 10th-century note of Ibrahim ibn Jakub. In the book of Muhammad al-Idrisi (dating from the 12th century) Krakow is described as a “beautiful and large city with many houses, residents, markets, vineyards and gardens.” At the beginning of the 12th century Gallus Anonymous depicted

Krakow as a thriving metropolis and wrote in his Chronicles: “Krakow, the capital city, excels all Polish cities.” Krakow was founded according to the Magdeburg law (by Bolesław V the Chaste) on the 5 June 1257. district) was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage

Sites in 1978 as the first of its kind.It is important for the residents of Krakow to cultivate their traditions such as the annual nativity crib contest or the Lajkonik wandering in the octave of the

Corpus Christi (June) from Zwierzyniec to the Main Market Square.

Among the many eminent people connected to Krakow are the Pope John Paul II; the Nobel Prize poets Czesław Miłosz and Wislawa Szymborska; the founder of the avant-garde theatre Cricot-2, Tadeusz Kantor; the playwright Stanisław Mrozek; Stanislaw Lem – the legend of Polish fantasy writing; Stanislaw Wyspianski – a painter, poet, playwright, designer and the author of works such as the stained glass decorating the Franciscan Church; and Dr. Feliks “Manggha” Jasinski– the benefactor of the Japanese collection displayed currently in the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology funded by Andrzej Wajda.

Duration: 3 days

Stop At: Kazmierz The Former Jewish District, Szeroka 24, Krakow 31-053 Poland

Once independent, the city situated south of Wawel was the hub of Jewish life in Kraków for centuries, and today it is one of the greatest tourist attractions of the city.

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Old Synagogue (Stara Synagoga), ul. Szeroka 24, Krakow 31-053 Poland

Standing on Szeroka Street Street, known not only as the stage of the final concert of the Jewish Culture Festival but also as the centuries-old centre of Jewish life in Kazimierz, is one of the oldest synagogues in Poland preserved in such a good condition.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Remuh Synagogue (Synagoga Remuh), ul. Szeroka 40, Krakow 31-053 Poland

The smallest of the seven synagogues of Kraków, it has long contrasted with the others due to its decidedly more modest decor. After the renovation completed in April 2016, it became the main site of prayer for the members of the Jewish community in Kraków.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Szeroka Street, ul. Szeroka, Krakow Poland

Szeroka Street is the heart of Jewish Kazimierz. Let a testimony to its significance be the fact that four synagogues used to stand on the street, which was unheard of anywhere else in Europe.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: The Ghetto Heroes Square, Plac Bohaterow Getta, Krakow Poland

Situated in the Podgórze district, which in 1941 was turned into the Krakow Ghetto, the former Plac Zgody [Concord Square] was designated 'Umschlagplatz' under the Nazi occupation, the place where the Jews had to congregate to be deported.

Duration: 20 minutes

Pass By: Apteka pod Orlem - Ghetto Eagle Pharmacy Museum, pl. Bohaterow Getta 18, Krakow 30-547 Poland

Tadeusz Pankiewicz could not possibly have foreseen while taking over his father’s pharmacy that he would make history together with the enterprise.

Stop At: Muzeum Krakowa, oddzial Fabryka Emalia Oskara Schindlera, ul. Lipowa 4, Krakow 30-702 Poland

Where the tumultuous history of a world war meets everyday life, and private lives – a tragedy that affected the whole world.

Duration: 1 hour