Culture, fine art and fun in Krakow
July 20th, 2007 by Helen Sarkanova
Visiting Krakow, the cultural capital of Poland, is something I recommend to everyone. Krakow’s Old Town was declared a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in 1978and it became the most densely ‘pub-populated’ UNESCO Heritage Site in the world. Some Krakovians pride themselves with a saying that there’s more drinking holes per square meter here than anywhere else. And although the service is not always the best and finding a place to sit after 10 pm may be difficult, the spark of the vibrant Krakow night life will surely brighten up your travels.
The horizon above the Old Town is dominated by a mythical Wawel Castle, notable for its stunning courtyard and an incredible collection of jewel-encrusted. It is in Krakow where you will find Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Lady with an Ermine. Arguably the most beautiful out of only three female portraits know to be painted by Leonardo, Lady with an Ermine is displayed in the Czartoryskich Museum at 19 Sw. Jana Street.
Poles are film fanatics and art-house films, many of them in English with Polish subtitles, are mainstream here. So if you have time, you can go to see them in some of the coolest cinemas in Europe. Once in Krakow, don’t miss the unique Wieliczka Salt Mines with wonderful rooms, sculptures and a chapel craved entirely from salt! And while somebody might just be getting married in the salty chapel 200 meters under the ground, you may indulge in another one of Leonardo’s masterpieces, The Last Supper.
