Cracow Is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland ...

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–CracowIs the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River(Polish: Wisła) in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków hastraditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life andis one of Poland's most important economic hubs. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to1569; the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1596; the Grand Duchy of Krakówfrom 1846 to 1918; and Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1999. It is now thecapital of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.Developed over many centuries, Kraków provides a showcase setting for many historic stylesof architecture. As the city expanded, so too did the architectural achievements of its builders.It is for this reason that the variations in style and urban planning are so easily recognizable.Built from its nucleus (the city centre) outwards, and having escaped much of the destructionendured by Poland during 20th-century wars, Kraków's many architectural monuments cantypically be seen in historical order by simply walking from the city centre out towards itslater districts.Kraków's historic centre, which includes the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle, wasincluded as the first of its kind on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. The OldTown (Polish: Stare Miasto) is the most prominent example of an old town in the country.Formany centuries Kraków was the royal capital of Poland, until Sigismund III Vasa relocatedthe court to Warsaw in 1596. The whole district is bisected by the Royal Road, the coronationroute traversed by the Kings of Poland. The Route begins at St. Florian's Church outside thenorthern flank of the old city-walls in the medieval suburb of Kleparz; passes the Barbican ofKraków (Barbakan) built in 1499, and enters Stare Miasto through the Florian Gate. It leadsdown Floriańska Street through the Main Square, and up Grodzka to Wawel, the former seatof Polish royalty, overlooking the Vistula river. Old Town attracts visitors from all over theWorld. Kraków historic centre is one of the 13 places in Poland that are included in theUNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architectural design of the Old Town had survived allcataclysms of the past and retained its original form coming from the medieval times. The OldTown district of Kraków is home to about six thousand historic sites and more than twomillion works of art. Its rich variety of historic architecture includes Gothic, Renaissance andBaroque buildings. Kraków's palaces, churches, theatres and mansions display great variety ofcolor, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings.There are about 40 parks in Kraków including dozens of gardens and forests. Several, like thePlanty Park, Botanical Garden, Park Krakowski, Jordan Park and Błonia Park are located inthe center of the city; with Zakrzówek, Lasek Wolski forest, Strzelecki Park and Park

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–Lotników (among others) in the surrounding districts. Parks cover about 318.5 hectares(2002) of the city.The Planty Park is the best-known park in Kraków. It was established between 1822 and 1830in place of the old city walls, forming a green belt around the Old Town. It consists of a chainof smaller gardens designed in various styles and adorned with monuments. The park has anarea of 21 hectares (52 acres) and a length of 4 kilometers (2.5 mi), forming a scenic walkwaypopular with Cracovians.The Jordan Park founded in 1889 by Dr Henryk Jordan, was the first public park of its kind inEurope. The park built on the banks of the Rudawa river was equipped with running andexercise tracks, playgrounds, the swimming pool, amphitheatre, pavilions, and a pond for boatrowing and water bicycles. It is located on the grounds of a larger Kraków’s Błonia Park.The less prominent Park Krakowski was founded in 1885 by Stanisław Rehman but has sincebeen greatly reduced in size because of rapid real estate development. It was a populardestination point with many Cracovians at the end of the 19th century.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w)The Wawel Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w)

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–Renaissance Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in Main Market Square(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krak%C3%B3w_-_Sukiennice_01_cropped.jpg)Kanonicza Street, which leads to the Wawel, is home to a number of 16th and 17th centuryarchitectural masterpieces(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krak%C3%B3w_Kanonicza_Wawel.JPG)

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–Palace of Art at Szczepański Square (view from Planty), prime example of Art Nouveauarchitecture in central Kraków(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sztuka_Krakow.jpg)

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–Fountain, Planty Park(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:006Planty.JPG)

65 th Annual Meeting of ICCP and 30 th Annual Meeting of TSOP –2013–St. Mary's Basilica (Polish: Kościół Mariacki)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krak%C3%B3w_-_St._Mary_Church_01.JPG)