KRAKOW, POLAND

Kraków is a relatively small city and therefore easily discovered, allowing minimal use of maps and public transit. There are four main areas of interest to the first-time visitor.

The Old Town

The Old Town is one of the largest (and most concentrated) collections of historical buildings anywhere in the world. Occupying the very center of the city, this district is separated from the rest of the city by a belt of parkland. This green area (now popular with cyclists and walkers) was once where the defensive walls and a moat were located.

Traditionally this was where the best and most fancy shops were located, where the finest restaurants could be found and where the most desirable hotels were situated. These days, with the advent of shopping malls and entertainment centers well outside the center and with modern, well-equipped hotels also some distance away, this traditional dominance is being somewhat challenged.

However, the ever-increasing number of tourists means that the restaurants are flourishing, the hotels are full and the shops very... more