Tour Day 8 | Dzień Ósmy

Historic Kraków

This morning we met a local guide and wound our way through the story of Kraków, from its well-known university to the famous St. Mary's Basilica where a trumpet is played live every hour from one of the spires. We continued onto the home of Poland's historic royal residence, Wawel Castle, and national cathedral, Wawel Cathedral. Along the way, we learned about the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II, who began his career as a Kraków parish priest and was much beloved by my extended family over the years.

After a break for lunch, we met some locals for a trip to the farmer's market to gather ingredients for making pierogi. We put our Polish and cooking skills to the test (purchasing ingredients in Polish) and then sat down to enjoy our homemade Polish dumplings. Diane said these pierogi were her favorite of the trip as they tasted the most like the ones her mother used to make.

St. Mary's Basilica | Bazylika Mariacka

With two towers in the front, St. Mary's Basilica is a prominent part of the Main Market Square in old town Kraków.  Its altarpiece is a pentaptych (five-winged) masterpiece by Viet Stoss and was lovely saved for part of WWII by the city's residents who snuck it into the country.  It was found by the Nazis and sent to Germany for the remainder of the war, but was discovered after the bombardment of Nuremberg and returned it to Poland in 1946.  The altarpiece is opened once a day and we were pleased to be present for this event (see the video below).  It is made with three types of wood with lifelike painting of the figures.  The artwork in this church is stunning and it well worth taking your time to look around--we certainly did!

Wawel Cathedral | Katedra Wawelska

Wawel Cathedral is an architectural wonder.  The cathedral dates back to around the year 1,000 (consecrated in 1142), but has domes from multiple eras (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and Neogothic) with each having completely different styles of artwork in each of the chapels below, reflecting the styles of each era beautifully.  While you might think that this would lead to a disjoined experience, it lends to one that is breathtakingly beautiful and cohesive as if a timeline of Polish history, Christian faith, and art.  No pictures are allowed on the inside, unfortunately, but you can see  some of the interior at their website.

Wawel Castle | Zamek Wawelski

In the same complex as the cathedral is Wawel Castle.  Once again, we can see the Vistula River from this hill (a common theme throughout the tour).  The main courtyard of the castle harkens back to a fervor for all things Roman including some of the paintings that can be see on the 3rd level if you look closely.  This is where the Polish royalty lived for centuries, though some of its oldest parts date back to 970 AD.

Making Pierogi | Robienie Pierogów

This is one thing we were both looking forward to with anticipation.  Diane's mother would make pierogi on special occasions for their family.  We were split into groups of 3-4 people per local Kraków resident who took us into the market where we had to order ingredients in Polish to make our dinner.  We piled into a taxi and went back to Kasia's apartment where we made the dough, cooked the fillings, and stuffed the pierogi by hand.  These were Diane's favorite as they were almost exactly as her mother made them.