Krakow Attractions

Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland, is a historic residence museum. It was originally built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard. People have lived on Wawel Hill at the site of the Castle as early as fifty thousand years ago, in the Paleolithic Age. The settlement was apparently bustling with trade, assorted crafts and local farming. When more people began to settle down on the Wawel Hill and when trade became more efficient, the rulers of Poland took up their residence at the Hill as well. At Wawel Castle, lounge and take in the sun on the banks of the Vistula river, or take a cruise down the river. See the Dragon's Lair and see the dragon breathe fire.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is polish memorial and museum reasonably accessible from the tourist resort of Krakow. The preserved, authentic Memorial consists of two distinct parts of the former Nazi concentration camp: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. A guided visit allows visitors to understand this unique place. A guided tour requires at least three and a half hours. There is no admission fee to the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial but fees are charged for a guided tour taken by a professional member of staff. Visitors in groups are required to use and Auschwitz Memorial professional guide.

The Main Market Square in Kraków is the most important market square of the Old Town in Kraków, Poland and a principal urban space located at the centre of the city. It dates back to the 13th century, and – at roughly 40,000 m² (430,000 ft²) – it is the largest medieval town square in Europe. Rynek Glowny is a spacious square surrounded by historical townhouses, palaces and churches. The centre of the square is dominated by the Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall or Drapers' Hall), rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a beautiful attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. On one side of the Sukiennice is the Town Hall Tower (Wieża ratuszowa), on the other the 10th century Church of St. Wojciech (St. Adalbert's) and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Rising above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary's Basilica.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. The mine continuously produced table salt from the 13th century until 2007 as one of the world's oldest operating salt mines. It is believed to be the world's 14th-oldest company still in operation. The mine's attractions for tourists include dozens of statues and an entire chapel that has been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.