Coasting to Krakow

Speed Limit Signs in Poland - I guess just pick a number

Cautiously approaching the obstacle that lay between me, and the final destination, a sense of fear came upon as I reminded myself of the potential trouble that might lie ahead…..“Look kids, Big Ben! Parliament!” the famous line said multiple times by Chevy Chase in European Vacation, I was about to tackle my first roundabout.  I conquered each roundabout with ease on route to visit the city where my great grandparents were born in Krakow, Poland.  Upon crossing the border into Poland, the recently constructed highway was smooth, almost too smooth.  Finally realizing that I had not seen a single car on either side of the highway, I began to wonder what might happen next.  Was I getting the royal treatment with a personal road for my journey into the country, or would I be awarded the medal for christening a new highway?  It turned out that the bridge ahead was under construction, and a 20 minute detour would take me through a small pot-hole filed town, with no Zloty (Polish currency) or map adding an additional challenge in my journey to Krakow (although I still have not attempted to conquer driving manual transmission).  Apart from the multiple speed limits, two other experiences of driving in Europe, neither of which involves driving on the other side of the road which is only in the UK and Ireland.  First, the street signs in all of the cities are located on the 2^nd floor of corner buildings, unlike the US that has them posted on the corners, which makes finding avenues more difficult.  Second, regarding the traffic signals, the colors go from green to yellow to red, then yellow before turning back to green.  Basically drivers just accelerate at the yellow either way.

Located on the banks of the Vistula River, Krakow is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland dating back to the 7th century.  From 1038 to 1569, Krakow served as the capital of Poland, and is the leading centers of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and one of Poland's most important economic hubs.  The city has a population of approximately 760,000, with about 8 million people living within a 100 km radius of its main square.  After the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II, Krakow became the capital of Germany's General Government.  Poles and Jews were classified as subhumans by the occupiers and were targeted for eventual extermination.   In 1978, Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Krakow, was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul II becoming the first Slavic pope ever, and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

Life in Krakow revolves around the historic center, which includes Old Town and Wawel Castle.  The entire medieval old town was among the first sites chosen for the UNESCO's original World Heritage List.  Surrounded by old brick buildings and palaces, almost all of them several centuries old, the main square dates back to the 13th century, and is the largest medieval town square in Europe at roughly 40,000 m² (430,000 ft²).  Today, numerous outdoor restaurants and bars surround the outside border of the square, with St. Mary's Basilica and Town Hall Tower standing high above the crowds the fill the area below.

Standing just off the river bank is Wawel, consisting of many buildings and fortifications; the largest and best known of these are Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral which is the Basilica of St Stanisław and St Wacław). Some of the Wawel's oldest stone buildings, such as the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary can be dated to 970AD.  There are also wooden parts of the complex which date to about the 9th century.  The castle itself has been described as "one of the most fascinating of all European castles."

Located just south of Krakow is the town of Wieliczka, home to a famous salt mine built in the 13th century, which produced table salt continuously until 2007.  The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of 327 metres (1,073 ft) and is over 287 kilometres (178 mi) long.  The mine's attractions include dozens of statues, three chapels and an entire cathedral that has been carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The oldest sculptures are augmented by the new carvings by contemporary artists.  During World War II, the shafts were used by the occupying Germans as an ad-hoc facility for various war-related industries.

Not to end on a sad note, but any trip to Krakow should include a stop to pay respect to the atrocity which occurred at the Auschwitz concentration camps. While it was not a very pleasant tour, it was extremely important to understand the magnitude of the events which happened there not too long ago.