Nowa Huta is today the easternmost district of Krakow. Conceived in the late 1940s as a separate city, it was a realisation of the Stalinist utopia. The city developed around a giant Lenin Steelworks created there to put thousands of people to work in the proletarian spirit. Nowa Huta was supposed to overshadow

All of the synagogues in Krakow are located in the Jewish Quarter in Kazimierz. The Jewish community in Krakow had been living in Kazimierz for centuries, creating one of the most vibrant Jewish centres in this part of Europe. After World War II the Jewish Quarter was completely devastated and

Czartoryski Museum (Muzeum Ksiazat Czartoryskich in Polish) is the oldest museum in Poland. It was established in 1796 in the Czartoryski family Palace in Pulawy, in 1878 moved to Krakow. Its exhibition consists of collection of national heritage, masterpieces of European art (13th-18th century) as well as ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek

History of Kazimierz dates back to 1335 when Polish King Casimir III the Great declared that on a small island on the Vistula river a new town was to be located. It was supposed to protect the southern boundaries of Krakow. With the decree of King Casimir III the Great,

Auschwitz concentration camp is known worldwide as a symbol of terror, genocide and the Holocaust. It was the largest concentration camp in former Nazi Germany, that took lives of from 1.1 million people during the 1940-1945 time period. There were three main camps built in the area that created a network.

Oskar Schindler Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist and owner of the enamelware factory in Krakow. He bought the establishment in Krakow in 1939 from previous owners and soon Schindler’s factory became one of the most prominent in the area. In 1943 Schindler run a production line of ammunition and military equipment

Leonardo da Vinci paintings are amongst the most valuable and admired in the world. The artist himself was a real Renaissance man, extraordinarily talented in many subjects. All of his work, either paintings or else, are considered excellent examples of technique and vision. Lady with an Ermine is Leonardo da Vinci’s

Legend of Wawel Castle Dragon The legend of the Wawel Castle Dragon is one of the most popular Polish tales. It is known thanks to Polish chronicler Wincenty Kadlubek who, in the late 12th century, had either written down a popular folk’s tale or had invented the story himself. From then on it

The historic royal residence on the Wawel Hill was turned into the national museum after World War II in 1945. Since the Castle was devastated after the 19th-century occupations and two World Wars, it had been being reconstructed for many years. It has now returned to its original splendour. There are

History of the Cathedral The Cathedral on the Wawel Hill is a place of worship of top significance. It is due to the role that temple served over the centuries. From the reign of the very first King of Poland, Boleslaw Chrobry, son of Mieszko I, the Wawel Hill was