Krakow and Wieliczka tour

Wawel is a special place for the Poles which remains a symbol that has been connecting the whole nation for generations. Although Warsaw has been the capital of Poland for over 400 years now, there is no such place as Wawel. It is considered a symbol of royal power and an eyewitness to the birth of Polishness and its further formation. Towering over the city and looking from the limestone hill Wawel represents strength and significance of the country in its glory days. Initially, the castle had a wooden form and its stone walls started to be built in the 11th century, starting with the Rotunda of the Blessed Virgin Mary (what is now the chapel). For several centuries stone walls replaced the wooden ones, and after a fire in the 15th century, the Wawel castle was completely rebuilt. Today, you can admire its towers: Sandomierska, Senatorska, Złodziejska, Herbowa and Wazów, Sobieski's Tower or St. Leonard’s Crypt.

There are over 120 churches in Krakow most of which are hundreds-year-old historic buildings. In addition to the St. Mary's Church on the Main Market Square, you can spot the 14th-century buildings, the Church of Corpus Christi, the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret, Cathedral of St. Waclaw and St. Stanislawa, a series of churches from the 11th century and the older one built after the capital was moved. The city center itself is, without a doubt, the most important and the biggest square called the Main Market Square. You can admire Krakow Cloth Hall here, St. Mary’s Church, the Town Hall Tower, St. Wojciech’s Church and around 40 medieval tenement houses. Krakow Cloth Hall deserves special attention since it was the very first marketplace in the city’s history. The name comes from the cloth stalls built under the order of Boleslaw V the Chaste as a series of stone structures separated by streets. The object has taken on its present form after the reconstruction in the 16th century. The architect gave it a more artistic look by adding the arcaded attic and mascarons. The main square of Krakow is completed by the Small Market Square with a number of historic buildings. The city is still surrounded by what has remained of the defensive walls with the Barbican. Also, let us not forget about the famous Florian Gate and several preserved towers.

When in Krakow, take the opportunity to visit 15-kilometre away Wieliczka to see one of the most popular tourist attractions in Poland - the Salt Mine. It is the only mining facility in the world that has been open all the time from the Middle Ages up until now. The Wieliczka mine has 9 levels, the first of which is 64-meters deep and the last one is 327 meters below the surface of the earth. After climbing over 800 stairs and going 135 meters down, we enter an amazing world of salt. The most famous attractions are: Chapel of St. Kinga with fantastic sculptures made of salt, salt lakes, salt caves, chambers, sidewalks and excavations with, among others, historic mining equipment from past eras. Currently, the picturesque mine workings are used for tourist, museum and medicinal purposes. The mine has a truly unique microclimate; the temperature throughout the year is constant and ranges between 14-16 degrees Celsius. Climatic conditions in the mine are conducive to allergy treatment and respiratory diseases. For this particular reason, the underground spa was made. Wieliczka holds many events which are seemingly impossible to organize underground. There was already an underground balloon flight, entered Guinness Book of Records and a bungee jump in the Stanislaw Staszic chamber. On top of that, Polish sailor Mateusz Kusznierewicz swam on his board 104 meters under the surface on the lake filled with brine. In 1978, Wieliczka was included in the First World List of Cultural and Natural Heritage of UNESCO. By order of the President of the Republic of Poland in 1994, it was recognized as a Historical Monument.

Order Krakow and Wieliczka Salt Mine tour today and prepare for amazing day full of history!