Poland as the destination for Shared Services Centers

5 .1 Kraków (Cracow)
Skawina
44
94
79
Official website of the City of Cracow:
www.krakow.pl
7
Poland as the destination for Shared Services Centers 39
Cracow
79
Wieliczka
75
Niepołomice
General information
Cracow is located in the southern part of Poland on the Vistula River, at the foot of the
Carpathian Mountains. The city dates back to the 7th century. It was the capital of Poland from
1038 to 1596. Today it is the capital of the Malopolskie Voivodeship (Lesser Poland Province)
and Poland’s second largest city.
The city has traditionally been one of Poland’s leading centers of scientific, cultural and artistic
life. Each year it attracts over seven million local and international tourists. Cracow’s cultural
wealth is internationally recognized. In 1978 Cracow’s Old Town, the Wawel Castle and the
Kazimierz district (the historical centre of Cracow’s Jewish social and religious life) were
registered on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and in 2000 Cracow was nominated as
the City of European Culture. Cracow is also a city closely linked with John Paul II. The future
Pope, who was born in the nearby town Wadowice, came to study in Cracow in 1938 and lived
there for many years before being elected by the Papal conclave as the Head of the Roman
Catholic Church.
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