Kraków - Wikipedia Kraków For other uses, see Krakow ( disambiguation ) and Cracow ( disambiguation ). Kraków Cracow Left to right : St. Mary 's Basilica Town Hall Tower Wawel Cathedral Saints Peter and Paul Church Renaissance courtyard within Wawel Castle Floriańska Street Cloth Hall Flag Coat of arms Kraków Kraków Show map of Lesser Poland Voivodeship Show map of Poland Show all Coordinates : 50 ° 4 ′ N 19 ° 56 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 50.067 ° N 19.933 ° E ﻿ / 50.067 ; 19.933 Coordinates : 50 ° 4 ′ N 19 ° 56 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 50.067 ° N 19.933 ° E ﻿ / 50.067 ; 19.933 Country Poland Voivodeship Lesser Poland County Kraków County City rights 5 June 1257 Government Mayor Jacek Majchrowski ( I ) Deputy Mayor Tadeusz Trzmiel ( I ) Area City 326.8 km ( 126.2 sq mi ) Metro 1,023.21 km ( 395.06 sq mi ) Elevation 219 m ( 719 ft ) Population ( 30.06. 2017 ) City 766,739 Density 2,327.7 / km ( 6,029 / sq mi ) Metro 1,725,894 Demonym ( s ) Cracovian Time zone CET ( UTC + 1 ) Summer ( DST ) CEST ( UTC + 2 ) Postal code 30 - 024 to 31 -- 962 Area code ( s ) + 48 12 Website www.krakow.pl UNESCO World Heritage Site Official name Historic Centre of Kraków Type Cultural Criteria IV Designated 1978 ( 2nd session ) Reference no. 29 UNESCO region Europe Kraków ( Polish pronunciation : ( ˈkrakuf ) ( listen ) ), also spelled Cracow or Krakow ( UK : / ˈkrækaʊ / ; US : / ˈkrɑː - / ), is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River ( Polish : Wisła ) in the Lesser Poland ( Polish : Małopolska ) region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland 's most important economic hubs. It was the capital of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1038 to 1569 ; the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1596, the Free City of Kraków from 1815 to 1846 ; the Grand Duchy of Cracow from 1846 to 1918 ; and Kraków Voivodeship from the 14th century to 1998. It has been the capital of Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. The city has grown from a Stone Age settlement to Poland 's second most important city. It began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill and was already being reported as a busy trading centre of Slavonic Europe in 965. With the establishment of new universities and cultural venues at the emergence of the Second Polish Republic in 1918 and throughout the 20th century, Kraków reaffirmed its role as a major national academic and artistic centre. The city has a population of approximately 760,000, with approximately 8 million additional people living within a 100 km ( 62 mi ) radius of its main square. After the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II, Kraków became the capital of Germany 's General Government. The Jewish population of the city was forced into a walled zone known as the Kraków Ghetto, from which they were sent to German extermination camps such as the nearby Auschwitz never to return, and the Nazi concentration camps like Płaszów. In 1978, Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Kraków, was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul II -- the first Slavic pope ever, and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Also that year, UNESCO approved the first ever sites for its new World Heritage List, including the entire Old Town in inscribing Kraków 's Historic Centre Kraków is classified as a global city with the ranking of high sufficiency by GaWC. Cited as one of Europe 's most beautiful cities, as well as one of the most unique destinations in the world, its extensive cultural heritage across the epochs of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture includes the Wawel Cathedral and the Royal Castle on the banks of the Vistula river, the St. Mary 's Basilica, Saints Peter and Paul Church and the largest medieval market square in Europe, the Rynek Główny. Kraków is home to Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest universities in the world and traditionally Poland 's most reputable institution of higher learning. In 2000, Kraków was named European Capital of Culture. In 2013 Kraków was officially approved as a UNESCO City of Literature. The city hosted the World Youth Day in July 2016. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Kraków 's `` Golden Age '' 2.2 19th century 2.3 20th century to the present 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 4 Cityscape 4.1 Parks and gardens 4.2 Environment 5 Governance 5.1 Districts 6 Economy 6.1 Knowledge and Innovation Community 7 Transport 8 Demographics 8.1 Religion 9 Education 10 Culture 10.1 Museums and national art galleries 10.2 Performing arts 10.3 Music 11 Tourism 12 Sports 13 International relations 13.1 Contemporary foreign names for the city 13.2 Twin towns and sister cities 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 External links Etymology The name of Kraków is traditionally derived from Krakus ( Krak, Grakch ), the legendary founder of Kraków and a ruler of the tribe of Lechitians. In Polish, Kraków is an archaic possessive form of Krak and essentially means `` Krak 's ( town ) ''. Krakus 's name may derive from `` krakula '', a Proto - Slavic word meaning a judge 's staff, or a Proto - Slavic word `` krak '' meaning an oak, once a sacred tree most often associated with the concept of genealogy. The first mention of Prince Krakus ( then written as Grakch ) dates back to 1190, although the town existed as early as the 7th century, inhabited by the tribe of Vistulans. The city 's full official name is Stołeczne Królewskie Miasto Kraków, which can be translated as `` Royal Capital City of Kraków ''. In English, a person born or living in Kraków is a Cracovian ( Polish : krakowianin ). While in the 1990s the English version of the name was often written Cracow, the most widespread modern English version is Krakow. History Main articles : History of Kraków and Timeline of Kraków Woodcut of Kraków from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493 Royal tomb of king Casimir III the Great at the Wawel Cathedral -- Kraków was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596 Kraków 's early history begins with evidence of a Stone Age settlement on the present site of the Wawel Hill. A legend attributes Kraków 's founding to the mythical ruler Krakus, who built it above a cave occupied by a dragon, Smok Wawelski. The first written record of the city 's name dates back to 965, when Kraków was described as a notable commercial centre controlled first by Moravia ( 876 -- 879 ), but captured by a Bohemian duke Boleslaus I in 955. The first acclaimed ruler of Poland, Mieszko I, took Kraków from the Bohemians and incorporated it into the holdings of the Piast dynasty towards the end of his reign. In 1038, Kraków became the seat of the Polish government. By the end of the 10th century, the city was a leading centre of trade. Brick buildings were constructed, including the Royal Wawel Castle with St. Felix and Adaukt Rotunda, Romanesque churches such as St. Adalbert 's, a cathedral, and a basilica. The city was sacked and burned during the Mongol invasion of 1241. It was rebuilt practically identical, based on new location act and incorporated in 1257 by the high duke Bolesław V the Chaste who following the example of Wrocław, introduced city rights modelled on the Magdeburg law allowing for tax benefits and new trade privileges for the citizens. In 1259, the city was again ravaged by the Mongols. A third attack in 1287 was repelled thanks in part to the new built fortifications. In 1335, King Casimir III of Poland ( Kazimierz in Polish ) declared the two western suburbs to be a new city named after him, Kazimierz ( Casimiria in Latin ). The defensive walls were erected around the central section of Kazimierz in 1362, and a plot was set aside for the Augustinian order next to Skałka. The city rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir III of Poland founded the University of Kraków, the second oldest university in central Europe after the Charles University in Prague. King Casimir also began work on a campus for the Academy in Kazimierz, but he died in 1370 and the campus was never completed. The city continued to grow under the joint Lithuanian - Polish Jagiellon dynasty. As the capital of the Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League, the city attracted many craftsmen, businesses, and guilds as science and the arts began to flourish. The royal chancery and the University ensured a first flourishing of Polish literary culture in the city. Kraków 's `` Golden Age '' The 15th and 16th centuries were known as Poland 's Złoty Wiek or Golden Age. Many works of Polish Renaissance art and architecture were created, including ancient synagogues in Kraków 's Jewish quarter located in the north - eastern part of Kazimierz, such as the Old Synagogue. During the reign of Casimir IV, various artists came to work and live in Kraków, and Johann Haller established a printing press in the city after Kasper Straube had printed the Calendarium Cracoviense, the first work printed in Poland, in 1473. View of Kraków ( Cracovia ) near the end of the 16th - century In 1495, King John I Albert expelled the Jews from the city walls of Kraków ; they moved to Kazimierz ( now a district of Kraków ). However, they were still allowed to trade on the Main Square. In 1520, the most famous church bell in Poland, named Zygmunt after Sigismund I of Poland, was cast by Hans Behem. At that time, Hans Dürer, a younger brother of artist and thinker Albrecht Dürer, was Sigismund 's court painter. Hans von Kulmbach made altarpieces for several churches. In 1553, the Kazimierz district council gave the Jewish Qahal a licence for the right to build their own interior walls across the western section of the already existing defensive walls. The walls were expanded again in 1608 due to the growth of the community and influx of Jews from Bohemia. In 1572, King Sigismund II, the last of the Jagiellons, died childless. The Polish throne passed to Henry III of France and then to other foreign - based rulers in rapid succession, causing a decline in the city 's importance that was worsened by pillaging during the Swedish invasion and by an outbreak of bubonic plague that left 20,000 of the city 's residents dead. In 1596, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa moved the administrative capital of the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warsaw. 19th century Tadeusz Kościuszko takes the oath of loyalty to the Polish nation in Kraków 's market square ( Rynek ), 1794 Act of granting the constitution to the Free City of Cracow. After the Partitions of Poland, Kraków was independent city republic and the only piece of sovereign Polish territory between 1815 and 1846. Already weakened during the 18th century, by the mid-1790s the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth had twice been partitioned by its neighbors : Russia, the Habsburg empire, and Prussia. In 1791, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II changed the status of Kazimierz as a separate city and made it into a district of Kraków. The richer Jewish families began to move out. However, because of the injunction against travel on the Sabbath, most Jewish families stayed relatively close to the historic synagogues. In 1794, Tadeusz Kościuszko initiated an unsuccessful insurrection in the town 's Main Square which, in spite of his victorious Battle of Racławice against a numerically superior Russian army, resulted in the third and final partition of Poland. In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte captured former Polish territories from Austria and made the town part of the Duchy of Warsaw. Following Napoleon 's defeat, the 1815 Congress of Vienna restored the pre-war boundaries but also created the partially independent Free City of Kraków. An insurrection in 1846 failed, resulting in the city being annexed by Austria under the name the Grand Duchy of Cracow ( Polish : Wielkie Księstwo Krakowskie, German : Großherzogtum Krakau ). In 1866, Austria granted a degree of autonomy to Galicia after its own defeat in the Austro - Prussian War. Politically freer Kraków became a Polish national symbol and a centre of culture and art, known frequently as the `` Polish Athens '' ( Polskie Ateny ) or `` Polish Mecca ''. Many leading Polish artists of the period resided in Kraków, among them the seminal painter Jan Matejko, laid to rest at Rakowicki Cemetery, and the founder of modern Polish drama, Stanisław Wyspiański. Fin de siècle Kraków evolved into a modern metropolis ; running water and electric streetcars were introduced in 1901, and between 1910 and 1915, Kraków and its surrounding suburban communities were gradually combined into a single administrative unit called Greater Kraków ( Wielki Kraków ). At the outbreak of World War I on 3 August 1914, Józef Piłsudski formed a small cadre military unit, the First Cadre Company -- the predecessor of the Polish Legions -- which set out from Kraków to fight for the liberation of Poland. The city was briefly besieged by Russian troops in November 1914. Austrian rule in Kraków ended in 1918 when the Polish Liquidation Committee assumed power. 20th century to the present Flower vendors in Rynek. First autochrome in Poland, dated 1912 With the emergence of the Second Polish Republic, Kraków resumed its role as a major academic and cultural centre, with the establishment of new universities such as the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, including a number of new and essential vocational schools. It became an important cultural centre for the Polish Jews with a Zionist youth movement relatively strong among the city 's Jewish population. Kraków was also an influential centre of Jewish spiritual life, with all its manifestations of religious observance from Orthodox, to Chasidic and Reform flourishing side by side. Kraków Ghetto, 1942 -- a German checkpoint during operation Aktion Krakau Following the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in September 1939, the city became part of the General Government, a separate administrative region of the Third Reich, and from 4 November 1939 ; it became the capital of this administration. The General Government was ruled by Hans Frank who was based in the city 's Wawel Castle. The Nazis envisioned turning Kraków into a completely Germanised city ; after removal of all the Jews and Poles, renaming of locations and streets into the German language, and sponsorship of propaganda trying to portray it as a historically German city. During an operation called `` Sonderaktion Krakau '', more than 180 university professors and academics were arrested and sent to Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps, though the survivors were later released on the request of prominent Italians. The Jewish population was first confined to a ghetto in which many died of illness or starvation. Those in the ghetto were later murdered or sent to concentration camps, including Płaszów and Auschwitz. Roman Polanski, the film director, is a survivor of the Kraków Ghetto, while Oskar Schindler selected employees from the ghetto to work in his enamelware plant, Deutsche Emailwaren Fabrik ( Emalia for short ) saving them from the camps. Although looted by occupational authorities, Kraków remained relatively undamaged at the end of World War II, sparing most of the city 's historical and architectural legacy. Soviet forces entered the city on 18 January 1945, and began arresting Poles loyal to the Polish government - in - exile or those who had served in the Home Army. Kraków 's territorial growth from the late 18th - to the 20th - century After the war, under the Polish People 's Republic, the intellectual and academic community of Kraków was put under complete political control. The universities were soon deprived of printing rights and autonomy. The Stalinist government ordered the construction of the country 's largest steel mill in the newly created suburb of Nowa Huta. The creation of the giant Lenin Steelworks ( now Sendzimir Steelworks owned by Mittal ) sealed Kraków 's transformation from a university city, into an industrial centre. The new working - class, drawn by the industrialisation of Kraków, contributed to rapid population growth. In an effort that spanned two decades, Karol Wojtyła, cardinal archbishop of Kraków, successfully lobbied for permission to build the first churches in the newly industrial suburbs. In 1978, Wojtyła was elevated to the papacy as John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. In the same year, UNESCO placed Kraków Old Town on the first - ever list of World Heritage Sites. Geography Camaldolese Hermit Monastery in Bielany Kraków lies in the southern part of Poland, on the Vistula River, in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, 219 m ( 719 ft ) above sea level ; halfway between the Jurassic Rock Upland ( Polish : Jura Krakowsko - Częstochowska ) to the north, and the Tatra Mountains 100 km ( 62 mi ) to the south, constituting the natural border with Slovakia and the Czech Republic ; 230 km ( 143 mi ) west from the border with Ukraine. There are five nature reserves in Kraków, with a combined area of ca. 48.6 hectares ( 120 acres ). Due to their ecological value, these areas are legally protected. The western part of the city, along its northern and north - western side, borders an area of international significance known as the Jurassic Bielany - Tyniec refuge. The main motives for the protection of this area include plant and animal wildlife and the area 's geomorphological features and landscape. Another part of the city is located within the ecological ' corridor ' of the Vistula River valley. This corridor is also assessed as being of international significance as part of the Pan-European ecological network. The city centre is situated on the left ( northern ) bank of the river. Climate Convent of Norbertine Sisters in Kraków - Zwierzyniec and the Vistula River during the Winter season Kraków has a humid continental climate ( Dfb ) according to the Köppen climate classification system, which can be classified as an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) using the − 3.0 ° C ( 27 ° F ) isotherm. The Kraków climate is influenced by its far inland position, with significant temperature differences between seasons. Average temperatures in summer range from 17.0 to 19.2 ° C ( 63 to 67 ° F ) and in winter from − 2.0 to − 0.6 ° C ( 28 to 31 ° F ). The average annual temperature is 8.7 ° C ( 48 ° F ). In summer temperatures often exceed 25 ° C ( 77 ° F ), and even 30 ° C ( 86 ° F ), while winter drops to − 5 ° C ( 23 ° F ) at night and about 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ) at day ; during very cold nights the temperature can drop to − 15 ° C ( 5 ° F ). Since Kraków lies near the Tatra Mountains, there are often occurrences of halny blowing ( a foehn wind ), causing temperatures to rise rapidly, and even in winter reach up to 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ). The climate table below presents weather data from the years 2000 -- 2012 although the official Köppen reference period was from 1981 -- 2010. According to ongoing measurements, the temperature has increased during these years as compared with the last series. This increase averages about 0.6 ° C over all months. Warming is most pronounced during the winter months, with an increase of more than 1.0 ° C in January. Climate data for Kraków ( 1981 -- 2010 ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 15.0 ( 59 ) 19.4 ( 66.9 ) 23.0 ( 73.4 ) 30.0 ( 86 ) 32.6 ( 90.7 ) 33.7 ( 92.7 ) 35.5 ( 95.9 ) 37.3 ( 99.1 ) 30.2 ( 86.4 ) 27.1 ( 80.8 ) 20.5 ( 68.9 ) 19.3 ( 66.7 ) 37.3 ( 99.1 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 1.0 ( 33.8 ) 2.5 ( 36.5 ) 7.5 ( 45.5 ) 14.0 ( 57.2 ) 19.4 ( 66.9 ) 21.9 ( 71.4 ) 24.2 ( 75.6 ) 23.7 ( 74.7 ) 18.4 ( 65.1 ) 13.6 ( 56.5 ) 6.5 ( 43.7 ) 1.8 ( 35.2 ) 12.9 ( 55.2 ) Daily mean ° C ( ° F ) − 2.0 ( 28.4 ) − 0.6 ( 30.9 ) 3.3 ( 37.9 ) 8.8 ( 47.8 ) 14.4 ( 57.9 ) 17.0 ( 62.6 ) 19.2 ( 66.6 ) 18.4 ( 65.1 ) 13.8 ( 56.8 ) 9.1 ( 48.4 ) 3.4 ( 38.1 ) − 0.7 ( 30.7 ) 8.7 ( 47.7 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) − 4.9 ( 23.2 ) − 4.0 ( 24.8 ) 0.6 ( 33.1 ) 3.9 ( 39 ) 8.8 ( 47.8 ) 11.9 ( 53.4 ) 13.7 ( 56.7 ) 13.2 ( 55.8 ) 9.3 ( 48.7 ) 4.8 ( 40.6 ) 0.3 ( 32.5 ) − 3.6 ( 25.5 ) 4.4 ( 39.9 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 29.6 ( − 21.3 ) − 27.0 ( − 16.6 ) − 17.0 ( 1.4 ) − 7.0 ( 19.4 ) − 4.0 ( 24.8 ) − 3.8 ( 25.2 ) 3.0 ( 37.4 ) 4.0 ( 39.2 ) − 2.0 ( 28.4 ) − 7.4 ( 18.7 ) − 17.0 ( 1.4 ) − 24.8 ( − 12.6 ) − 29.6 ( − 21.3 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 39 ( 1.54 ) 33 ( 1.3 ) 39 ( 1.54 ) 47 ( 1.85 ) 82 ( 3.23 ) 90 ( 3.54 ) 85 ( 3.35 ) 74 ( 2.91 ) 61 ( 2.4 ) 41 ( 1.61 ) 41 ( 1.61 ) 38 ( 1.5 ) 670 ( 26.38 ) Average precipitation days 18 17 15 15 15 16 14 13 13 13 17 20 186 Average rainy days 8 7 10 14 15 16 14 13 13 13 13 12 148 Average snowy days 13 12 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 12 55 Average relative humidity ( % ) 85 82 78 71 72 74 74 76 81 83 87 87 79.2 Source # 1 : pogoda.ru.net Source # 2 : bestplaces.net Cityscape The Renaissance Cloth Hall ( Sukiennice ) in Main Market Square Developed over many centuries, Kraków provides a showcase setting for many historic styles of 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 recognisable. Built from its earliest nucleus outward, and having escaped much of the destruction endured by Poland during the 20th - century wars, Kraków 's many architectural monuments can typically be seen in historical order by walking from the city centre out, towards its later districts. Kraków is one of the few medieval towns in Poland that does not have a historic Ratusz town hall in its Main Square, because it has not survived the Partitions of Poland. Kraków 's historic centre, which includes the Old Town, Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle, was included as the first of its kind on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. The Stare Miasto is the most prominent example of an old town in the country. For many centuries Kraków was the royal capital of Poland, until Sigismund III Vasa relocated the court to Warsaw in 1596. The whole district is bisected by the Royal Road, the coronation route traversed by the Kings of Poland. The Route begins at St. Florian 's Church outside the northern flank of the old city - walls in the medieval suburb of Kleparz ; passes the Barbican of Kraków ( Barbakan ) built in 1499, and enters Stare Miasto through the Florian Gate. It leads down Floriańska Street through the Main Square, and up Grodzka to Wawel, the former seat of Polish royalty, overlooking the Vistula river. Old Town attracts visitors from all over the World. Kraków historic centre is one of the 13 places in Poland that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architectural design of the district had survived all cataclysms of the past and retained its original form coming from the medieval times. The Old Town of Kraków is home to about six thousand historic sites and more than two million works of art. Its rich variety of heritage architecture includes Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Kraków 's palaces, churches, theatres and mansions display great variety of color, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings. Kanonicza Street, at the foot of the Wawel Castle In addition to the old town, the city 's district of Kazimierz is particularly notable for its many renaissance buildings and picturesque streets, as well as the historic Jewish quarter located in the north - eastern part of Kazimierz. Kazimierz was founded in the 14th century to the south - east of the city centre and soon became a wealthy, well - populated area where construction of imposing properties became commonplace. Perhaps the most important feature of medieval Kazimierz was the only major, permanent bridge ( Pons Regalis ) across the northern arm of the Vistula. This natural barrier used to separate Kazimierz from the Old Town for several centuries, while the bridge connected Kraków to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the lucrative Hungarian trade route. The last structure at this location ( at the end of modern Stradom Street ) was dismantled in 1880 when the northern arm of the river was filled in with earth and rock, and subsequently built over. View of Kraków from St. Mary 's Basilica in the Market Square By the 1930s, Kraków had 120 officially registered synagogues and prayer houses that spanned across the old city. Much of Jewish intellectual life had moved to new centres like Podgórze. This in turn, led to the redevelopment and renovation of much of Kazimierz and the development of new districts in Kraków. Most historic buildings in central Kazimierz today are preserved in their original form. Some old buildings however, were not repaired after the devastation brought by the Second World War, and have remained empty. Most recent efforts at restoring the historic neighborhoods gained new impetus around 1993. Kazimierz is now a well - visited area, seeing a booming growth in Jewish - themed restaurants, bars, bookstores and souvenir shops. Palace of Art at Szczepański Square, is an example of Art Nouveau architecture in central Kraków As the city of Kraków began to expand further under the rule of the Austro - Hungarian Empire, the new architectural styles also developed. Key buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries in Kraków include the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, the directorate of the Polish State Railways as well as the original complex of Kraków Główny railway station and the city 's Academy of Economics. It was also at around that time that Kraków 's first radial boulevards began to appear, with the city undergoing a large - scale program aimed at transforming the ancient Polish capital into a sophisticated regional centre of the Austro - Hungarian Empire. New representative government buildings and multi-story tenement houses were built at around that time. Much of the urban - planning beyond the walls of the Old Town was done by Polish architects and engineers trained in Vienna. Some major projects of the era include the development of the Jagiellonian University 's new premises and the building of the Collegium Novum just west of the Old Town. The imperial style planning of the city 's further development continued until the return of Poland 's independence, following the First World War. Early modernist style in Kraków is represented by such masterpieces as the Palace of Art by Franciszek Mączyński and the ' House under the Globe '. Secession style architecture, which had arrived in Kraków from Vienna, became popular towards the end of the Partitions. Basztowa Street, filled with some of the most unique historical buildings in all architectural styles ; part of the Royal Route of Kraków With Poland 's regained independence came the major change in the fortunes of Kraków -- now the second most important city of a sovereign nation. The state began to make new plans for the city development and commissioned a number of representative buildings. The predominant style for new projects was modernism with various interpretations of the art - deco style. Important buildings constructed in the style of Polish modernism include the Feniks ' LOT ' building on Basztowa Street, the Feniks department store on the Main Square and the Municipal Savings Bank on Szczepański Square. The Józef Piłsudski house is also of note as a particularly good example of interwar architecture in the city. After the Second World War, new government turned toward Soviet influence and the Stalinist monumentalism. The doctrine of Socialist realism in Poland, as in other countries of the People 's Republics, was enforced from 1949 to 1956. It involved all domains of art, but its most spectacular achievements were made in the field of urban design. The guidelines for this new trend were spelled - out in a 1949 resolution of the National Council of Party Architects. Architecture was to become a weapon in establishing the new social order by the communists. The ideological impact of urban design was valued more than aesthetics. It aimed at expressing persistence and power. This form of architecture was implemented in the new industrial district of Nowa Huta with apartment blocks constructed according to a Stalinist blueprint, with repetitious courtyards and wide, tree - lined avenues. Pawilon Wyspiański 2000 is a rare piece of Postmodern architecture present in Kraków 's Old Town Since the style of the Renaissance was generally regarded as the most revered in old Polish architecture, it was also used for augmenting Poland 's Socialist national format. However, in the course of incorporating the principles of Socialist realism, there were quite a few deviations introduced by the communists. One of these was to more closely reflect Soviet architecture, which resulted in the majority of works blending into one another. From 1953, critical opinions in the Party were increasingly frequent, and the doctrine was given up in 1956 marking the end of Stalinism. Currently the soc - realist centre of Nowa Huta is considered to be a meritorious monument of the times. This period in postwar architecture was followed by the mass - construction of large Panel System apartment blocks, most of which were built outside the city centre and thus do not encroach upon the beauty of the old or new towns. Some examples of the new style ( e.g., Hotel Cracovia ) recently listed as heritage monuments were built during the later half of the 20th century in Kraków. After the Revolutions of 1989 and the birth of the Third Republic in the later half of the 20th century, a number of new architectural projects were completed, including the construction of large business parks and commercial facilities such as the Galeria Krakowska, or infrastructure investments like the Kraków Fast Tram, giving the city a great deal of quality solutions blending with its centuries - old heritage. A good example of this would be the 2007 - built Pawilon Wyspiański 2000, which is used as a multi-purpose information and exhibition space, or the award - winning Małopolski Garden of Arts ( Małopolski Ogród Sztuki ), a multi-purpose exhibition and theatre complex located in the historic Old Town. Parks and gardens Fountain in the Planty Park, which surrounds Kraków 's Old Town There are about 40 parks in Kraków including dozens of gardens and forests. Several, like the Planty Park, Botanical Garden, Park Krakowski, Jordan Park and Błonia Park are located in the centre of the city ; with Zakrzówek, Lasek Wolski forest, Strzelecki Park and Park 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 1830 in place of the old city walls, forming a green belt around the Old Town. It consists of a chain of smaller gardens designed in various styles and adorned with monuments. The park has an area of 21 hectares ( 52 acres ) and a length of 4 kilometres ( 2.5 mi ), forming a scenic walkway popular with Cracovians. The Jordan Park founded in 1889 by Dr Henryk Jordan, was the first public park of its kind in Europe. The park built on the banks of the Rudawa river was equipped with running and exercise tracks, playgrounds, the swimming pool, amphitheatre, pavilions, and a pond for boat rowing 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 since been greatly reduced in size because of rapid real estate development. It was a popular destination point with many Cracovians at the end of the 19th century. Environment There are five nature reserves in Kraków with a total area of 48.6 ha. Smaller green zones constitute parts of the Kraków - Częstochowa Upland Jurassic Landscape Parks ' Board, which deals with the protection areas of the Polish Jura. Under its jurisdiction are : the Bielany - Tyniec Landscape Park ( Park Bielańsko - Tyniecki ), Tenczynek Landscape Park ( Park Tencziński ) and Kraków Valleys Landscape Park ( Park Krajobrazowy Dolinki Krakowskie ), with their watersheds. All natural reserves of the Polish Jura Chain are part of the CORINE biotopes programme due to their unique flora, fauna, geomorphology and landscape. The western part of Kraków constitute the so - called Obszar Krakowski ecological network, including the ecological corridor of the Vistula river. The southern slopes of limestone hills provide conditions for the development of thermophilous vegetation, grasslands and scrubs. The city is spaced along an extended latitudinal transect of the Vistula River Valley with a network of tributaries including its right tributary Wilga, and left : Rudawa, Białucha, Dłubnia and Sanka. The rivers and their valleys along with bodies of water are some of the most interesting natural wonders of Kraków. Governance Further information : Local government in Kraków President of Kraków, Jacek Majchrowski The Kraków City Council has 43 elected members, one of whom is the mayor, or President of Kraków, elected every four years. The election of the City Council and of the local head of government, which takes place at the same time, is based on legislation introduced on 20 June 2002. The current President of Kraków, re-elected for his fourth term in 2014, is Jacek Majchrowski. Several members of the Polish national Parliament ( Sejm ) are elected from the Kraków constituency. The city 's official symbols include a coat of arms, a flag, a seal, and a banner. Wielopolski Palace ( 1560 ), the seat of Kraków 's mayor, administration and city council The responsibilities of Kraków 's president include drafting and implementing resolutions, enacting city bylaws, managing the city budget, employing city administrators, and preparing against floods and natural disasters. The president fulfills his duties with the help of the City Council, city managers and city inspectors. In the 1990s, the city government was reorganised to better differentiate between its political agenda and administrative functions. As a result, the Office of Public Information was created to handle inquiries and foster communication between city departments and citizens at large. In 2000, the city government introduced a new long - term program called `` Safer City '' in cooperation with the Police, Traffic, Social Services, Fire, Public Safety, and the Youth Departments. Subsequently, the number of criminal offences went down by 3 percent between 2000 and 2001, and the rate of detection increased by 1.4 percent to a total of 30.2 percent in the same period. The city is receiving help in carrying out the program from all educational institutions and the local media, including TV, radio and the press. Districts Main article : Districts of Kraków Kraków is divided into 18 administrative districts ( dzielnica ) or boroughs, each with a degree of autonomy within its own municipal government. Prior to March 1991, the city had been divided into four quarters which still give a sense of identity to Kraków -- the towns of Podgórze, Nowa Huta, and Krowodrza which were amalgamated into the city of Kraków as it expanded, and the ancient town centre of Kraków itself. Matejko Square at Kleparz is one of the city 's most important public spaces The oldest neighborhoods of Kraków were incorporated into the city before the late - 18th century. They include the Old Town ( Stare Miasto ), once contained within the city defensive walls and now encircled by the Planty park ; the Wawel District, which is the site of the Royal Castle and the cathedral ; Stradom and Kazimierz, the latter originally divided into Christian and Jewish quarters ; as well as the ancient town of Kleparz. Major districts added in the 19th and 20th centuries include Podgórze, which until 1915, was a separate town on the southern bank of the Vistula, and Nowa Huta, east of the city centre, built after World War II. Socialist - realist district of Nowa Huta Among the most notable historic districts of the city are : Wawel Hill, home to Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral, where many historic Polish kings are buried ; the medieval Old Town, with its Main Market Square ( 200 metres ( 660 ft ) square ) ; dozens of old churches and museums ; the 14th - century buildings of the Jagiellonian University ; and Kazimierz, the historical centre of Kraków 's Jewish social and religious life. The Old Town district of Kraków is home to about 6,000 historic sites, and more than 2,000,000 works of art. Its rich variety of historic architecture includes Renaissance, Baroque and Gothic buildings. Kraków 's palaces, churches and mansions display great variety of colour, architectural details, stained glass, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings. In the Market Square stands the Gothic St. Mary 's Basilica ( Kościół Mariacki ). It was rebuilt in the 14th - century and features the famous wooden altar ( Altarpiece of Veit Stoss ), the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, carved by Veit Stoss. From the church 's main tower a trumpet call ( hejnał mariacki ), is sounded every hour. The melody, which used to announce the opening and closing of city gates, ends unexpectedly in midstream. According to legend, the tune was played during the 13th - century Tatar invasion by a guard warning citizens against the attack. He was shot by an archer of the invading Tatar forces whilst playing, the bugle call breaking off at the moment he died. The story was recounted in a book published in 1928 called The Trumpeter of Krakow, by Eric P. Kelly, which won a Newbery Award. District Population Area ( 2009 ) Stare Miasto ( I ) 41,121 559.29 ha ( 5.5929 km ) Grzegórzki ( II ) 30,441 586.18 ha ( 5.8618 km ) Prądnik Czerwony ( III ) 46,621 638.82 ha ( 6.3882 km ) Prądnik Biały ( IV ) 66,649 2,370.55 ha ( 23.7055 km ) Krowodrza ( V ) 34,467 538.32 ha ( 5.3832 km ) Bronowice ( VI ) 22,467 957.98 ha ( 9.5798 km ) Zwierzyniec ( VII ) 20,243 2,866.9 ha ( 28.669 km ) Dębniki ( VIII ) 56,258 4,671.11 ha ( 46.7111 km ) Łagiewniki - Borek Fałęcki ( IX ) 15,014 573.9 ha ( 5.739 km ) Swoszowice ( X ) 20,641 2,416.73 ha ( 24.1673 km ) Podgórze Duchackie ( XI ) 52,522 1,065.24 ha ( 10.6524 km ) Bieżanów - Prokocim ( XII ) 63,270 1,846.93 ha ( 18.4693 km ) Podgórze ( XIII ) 32,050 2,516.07 ha ( 25.1607 km ) Czyżyny ( XIV ) 26,169 1,229.44 ha ( 12.2944 km ) Mistrzejowice ( XV ) 54,276 547.82 ha ( 5.4782 km ) Bieńczyce ( XVI ) 44,237 369.43 ha ( 3.6943 km ) Wzgórza Krzesławickie ( XVII ) 20,234 2,375.82 ha ( 23.7582 km ) Nowa Huta ( XVIII ) 58,320 6,552.52 ha ( 65.5252 km ) Total 760,700 32,680.00 ha ( 326.8000 km ) The current divisions were introduced by the Kraków City Hall on 19 April 1995. Districts were assigned Roman numerals as well as the current name : Stare Miasto ( I ), Grzegórzki ( II ), Prądnik Czerwony ( III ), Prądnik Biały ( IV ), Łobzów ( V ), Bronowice ( VI ), Zwierzyniec ( VII ), Dębniki ( VIII ), Łagiewniki - Borek Fałęcki ( IX ), Swoszowice ( X ), Podgórze Duchackie ( XI ), Bieżanów - Prokocim ( XII ), Podgórze ( XIII ), Czyżyny ( XIV ), Mistrzejowice ( XV ), Bieńczyce ( XVI ), Wzgórza Krzesławickie ( XVII ), and Nowa Huta ( XVIII ). Map of districts of the City of Kraków IV VI VII V II IX III XVII X VIII XI XII XIII XIV XVIII XV XVI Vistula ( Wisła ) Interactive map. For more information, click on district number. Economy Cracovia Business Centre Kraków is one of Poland 's most important economic centres and the economic hub of the Lesser Poland ( Małopolska ) region. Since the fall of communism, the private sector has been growing steadily. There are about 50 large multinational companies in the city, including Google, IBM, Royal Dutch Shell, Motorola, Delphi, MAN SE, General Electric, ABB, Aon Hewitt, Cisco Systems Hitachi, Philip Morris, Capgemini, and Sabre Holdings, along with other British, German and Scandinavian - based firms. The city is also the global headquarters for Comarch, a Polish enterprise software house. In 2005, Foreign direct investment in Kraków has reached approximately US $3,500,000,000. Kraków has been trying to model itself as a European version of Silicon Valley, based on the large number of local and foreign hi - tech companies. The unemployment rate in Kraków was 4.8 % in May 2007, well below the national average of 13 %. Kraków is the second most - visited city in Poland ( after Warsaw ). According to the World Investment Report 2011 by the UN Conference for Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ), Kraków is also the most emergent city location for investment in global BPO projects ( Business Process Outsourcing ) in the world. The Center for Business Innovation office complex in Kraków In 2011, the city budget, which is presented by the Mayor of Kraków on 15 November annually, has a projected revenue of 3,500,000,000 złoty. The primary sources of revenue were as follows : 14 % from the municipal taxation on real estate properties and the use of amenities, 30 % in transfers from the national budget, and 34 % in state subsidies. Projected expenditures, totaling 3,520,000,000 złoty, included 21 % in city development costs and 79 % in city maintenance costs. Of the maintenance costs, as much as 39 % were spent on education and childcare. The City of Kraków 's development costs included ; 41 % toward construction of roads, transport, and communication ( combined ), and 25 % for the city 's infrastructure and environment. The city has a high bond credit rating, and some 60 % of the population is under the age of 45. Lufthansa shared service centre Knowledge and Innovation community Kraków is one of the co-location centres of Knowledge and Innovation Community ( Sustainable Energy ) of The European Institute of Innovation and Technology ( EIT ). InnoEnergy is an integrated alliance of reputable organisations from the education, research and industry sectors. It was created based on long standing links of cooperation as well as the principles of excellence. The partners have jointly developed a strategy to tackle the weaknesses of the European innovation landscape in the field of sustainable energy. Transport Main article : Transport in Kraków Public transport is based on a fairly dense network of tram and bus routes operated by a municipal company, supplemented by a number of private minibus operators. Local trains connect some of the suburbs. The bulk of the city 's historic area has been turned into a pedestrian zone with rickshaws and horse - drawn carriages ; however, the tramlines run within a three - block radius ( pictured ). The historic means of transportation in the city can be examined at the Museum of Municipal Engineering in the Kazimierz district, with many old trams, cars and buses. Railway connections are available to most Polish cities, e.g. Katowice, Częstochowa, Szczecin, Gdynia and Warsaw. International destinations include Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, Lviv, Kiev, and Odessa ( June -- September ). The main railway station is located just outside the Old Town District and is well - served by public transport. Kraków 's airport, officially named John Paul II International Airport Kraków -- Balice ( IATA : KRK ), is located 11 km ( 7 mi ) west of the city. Direct trains cover the route between Kraków Główny train station and the airport in 20 minutes. Kraków Airport served around 5,800,000 passengers in 2017. Also, the Katowice International Airport is located 80 kilometres ( 50 miles ) or about 75 minutes from Kraków. Main Railway Station Bombardier city tram Underground tram station Solaris Urbino city bus In Autumn 2016 Poland 's oldest Bicycle - sharing system was modernized and now offers 1,500 bikes at 150 stations under the name of Wavelo ( pl ), which is owned by BikeU of the French multinational company Egis. Demographics See also : Urban demographics of Poland Kraków had a recorded population of 762,508 in 2015. According to the 2006 data, the population of Kraków comprised about 2 % of the population of Poland and 23 % of the population of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Selected demographic indicators are presented in a table ( below ), compiled on the basis of only the population living in Kraków permanently. The larger metropolitan area of the city encompasses a territory in which ( in 2010 ) 1,393,893 inhabitants live. Already in the Middle Ages, the population of Kraków consisting of numerous ethnic groups, began to grow rapidly. It doubled between 1100 and 1300 from 5,000 to 10,000, and in 1400 counted 14,000 inhabitants. By 1550, the population of metropolitan Kraków was 18,000 ; although it went down to 15,000 in the next fifty years due to calamity. By the early 17th century the Kraków population had reached 28,000 inhabitants. Population breakdown Demographic indicators Years Kraków Population in thousands 1970 1978 1988 1995 2002 588, 0 693, 6 746, 6 732, 9 758, 5 Population density person / km2 1970 1978 1988 1995 2002 2,556 2,156 2,285 2,243 2,320 Number of women per 100 men 1970 1978 1988 1995 2002 110 110 110 112 113 Population growth per 1000 1998 1999 2000 2001 − 1.3 − 1.7 − 1.5 − 1.5 Source : Stat.gov.pl Tabl. 1 ( 27 ). In the historical 1931 census preceding World War II, 78.1 % of Cracovians declared Polish as their primary language, with Yiddish or Hebrew at 20.9 %, Ukrainian 0.4 %, German 0.3 %, and Russian 0.1 %. The ravages of history have greatly reduced the percentage of ethnic minorities living in Kraków. The official and unofficial numbers differ, as in the case of Romani people. Hence, according to the 2002 census, among those who have declared their national identity ( irrespective of language and religion ) in Kraków Voivodeship, 1,572 were Slovaks, followed by Ukrainians ( 472 ), Jews ( 50 ) and Armenians ( 22 ). Romani people, officially numbered at 1,678, are estimated at over 5,000. Statistics collected by the Ministry of Education reveal that, even though only 1 % of adults ( as per above ) officially claim minority status, as many as 3 % of students participate in programmes designed for ethnic minorities. Population growth in Kraków since 1791 Religion Main articles : Churches of Kraków and Synagogues of Kraków Wawel Cathedral, home to royal coronations and resting place of many national heroes ; considered to be Poland 's national sanctuary The metropolitan city of Kraków is known as the city of churches. The abundance of landmark, historic temples along with the plenitude of monasteries and convents earned the city a countrywide reputation as the `` Northern Rome '' in the past. The churches of Kraków comprise over 120 places of worship ( 2007 ) of which over 65 were built in the 20th century. More are still being added. In addition to Roman Catholicism, other denominations present include Jehovah 's Witnesses, Mariavite Church, Polish Catholic Church, Polish Orthodox Church, Protestantism and Latter - Day Saints. Saint Mary 's Basilica ( Kościół Mariacki ) Kraków contains also an outstanding collection of monuments of Jewish sacred architecture unmatched anywhere in Poland. Kraków was an influential centre of Jewish spiritual life before the outbreak of World War II, with all its manifestations of religious observance from Orthodox to Chasidic and Reform flourishing side by side. There were at least 90 synagogues in Kraków active before the Nazi German invasion of Poland, serving its burgeoning Jewish community of 60,000 -- 80,000 ( out of the city 's total population of 237,000 ), established since the early 12th century. Most synagogues of Kraków were ruined during World War II by the Nazis who despoiled them of all ceremonial objects, and used them as storehouses for ammunition, firefighting equipment, as general storage facilities and stables. The post-Holocaust Jewish population of the city had dwindled to about 5,900 before the end of the 1940s. Poland was the only Eastern Bloc country to allow free Jewish aliyah without visas or exit permits upon the conclusion of World War II. By contrast, Stalin forcibly kept Soviet Jews in the USSR, as agreed to in the Yalta Conference. In recent time, thanks to efforts of the local Jewish and Polish organisations including foreign financial aid from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, many synagogues underwent major restorations and serve religious and tourist purposes. Education Main article : Education in Kraków Kraków University of Economics Kraków is a major centre of education. Twenty - four institutions of higher education offer courses in the city, with more than 200,000 students. Jagiellonian University, the oldest university in Poland and ranked by the Times Higher Education Supplement as the second - best university in the country, was founded in 1364 as Studium Generale and renamed in 1817 to commemorate the Jagiellonian dynasty of Polish - Lithuanian kings. Its principal academic asset is the Jagiellonian Library, with more than 4 million volumes, including a large collection of medieval manuscripts like Copernicus ' De Revolutionibus and the Balthasar Behem Codex. With 42,325 students ( 2005 ) and 3,605 academic staff, the Jagiellonian University is also one of the leading research centres in Poland. Famous historical figures connected with the University include Saint John Cantius, Jan Długosz, Nicolaus Copernicus, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, Jan Kochanowski, King John III Sobieski, Pope John Paul II and Nobel laureates Ivo Andrić and Wisława Szymborska. AGH University of Science and Technology, established in 1919, is the largest technical university in Poland, with more than 15 faculties and student enrollment exceeding 30,000. It was ranked by the Polish edition of Newsweek as the best technical university in the country in 2004. During its 80 - year history, more than 73,000 students graduated from AGH with master 's or bachelor 's degrees. Some 3,600 persons were granted the degree of Doctor of Science, and about 900 obtained the qualification of Habilitated Doctor. Collegium Maius, Jagiellonian University 's oldest building Other institutions of higher learning include Academy of Music in Kraków first conceived as conservatory in 1888, one of the oldest and most prestigious conservatories in Central Europe and a major concert venue ; Cracow University of Economics, established in 1925 ; Pedagogical University, in operation since 1946 ; Agricultural University of Cracow, offering courses since 1890 ( initially as a part of Jagiellonian University ) ; Academy of Fine Arts, the oldest Fine Arts Academy in Poland, founded by the Polish painter Jan Matejko ; Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts ; The Pontifical Academy of Theology ; and Cracow University of Technology, which has more than 37,000 graduates. Scientific societies and their branches in Kraków conduct scientific and educational work in local and countrywide scale. Academy of Learning, Cracow Scientific Society, Association of Law Students ' Library of the Jagiellonian University, Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists, Polish Geological Society, Polish Theological Society in Kraków, Polish Section of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Polish Society for Synchrotron Radiation have in Kraków their main seats. Culture Main articles : Culture of Kraków, Events in Kraków, and Kraków Old Town Leonardo da Vinci 's Lady with an Ermine at National Museum Kraków was named the official European Capital of Culture for the year 2000 by the European Union. It is a major attraction for both local and international tourists, attracting seven million visitors a year. Major landmarks include the Main Market Square with St. Mary 's Basilica and the Sukiennice Cloth Hall, the Wawel Castle, the National Art Museum, the Zygmunt Bell at the Wawel Cathedral, and the medieval St Florian 's Gate with the Barbican along the Royal Coronation Route. Kraków has 28 museums and public art galleries. Among them is the National Museum featuring works by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Museums and National art galleries The National Museum in Kraków is one of Poland 's finest galleries of art Kraków 's 28 museums are separated into the national and municipal museums ; the city also has a number of art collections and public art galleries. The National Museum, established in 1879, as well as the National Art Collection on Wawel Hill, are all accessible to the general public and well patroned. The National Art Collection is located at the Wawel, the former residence of three dynasties of Polish monarchs. Royal Chambers feature art, period furniture, Polish and European paintings, collectibles, and an unsurpassed display of the 16th - century monumental Flemish tapestries. Wawel Treasury and Armoury features Polish royal memorabilia, jewels, applied art, and 15th to 18th century arms. The Wawel Eastern Collection features Turkish tents and military accessories. The National Museum is the richest museum in the country with collections consisting of several hundred thousand items kept in big part in the Main Building at Ul. 3 Maja, although there are as many as eleven separate divisions of the museum in the city, one of the most popular being The Gallery of the 19th Century Polish Art in Sukiennice with the collection of some of the best known paintings and sculptures of the Young Poland movement. The latest division called Europeum with Brueghel among a hundred Western European paintings was inaugurated in 2013. Kraków 's renowned Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. Other major museums of special interest in Kraków include the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology ( at M. Konopnickiej 26 ), Stanisław Wyspiański Museum ( at 11 Szczepanska St ), Jan Matejko Manor in Krzesławice, -- a museum devoted to the master painter and his life, Emeryk Hutten Czapski Museum, and Józef Mehoffer Manor. Kraków Congress Centre - the business and cultural flagship of the city The Rynek Underground museum, under the main square, is an evocative modern display of Kraków 's 1000 + years of history though its streets, activities and artifacts. This followed the massively extended excavations which started in a small way in 2005 and, as more and more was found, ran on eventually to 2010. A half - an - hour tram - ride takes you to the little - heralded Polish Aviation Museum considered eighth world 's best aviation museum by CNN and featuring over 200 aircraft including a Sopwith Camel among other First World War biplanes ; a comprehensive display of aero engines ; and essentially a complete collection of airplane types developed by Poland after 1945. Activities of small museums around Kraków and in the Lesser Poland region are promoted and supported by the Małopolska Institute of Culture ; the Institute organises annual Małopolska Heritage Days. Performing Arts The city has several famous theatres, including the Narodowy Stary Teatr ( the National Old Theatre ), the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, the Bagatela Theatre, the Ludowy Theatre, and the Groteska Theatre of Puppetry, as well as the Opera Krakowska and Kraków Operetta. The city 's principal concert hall and the home of the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra is the Kraków Philharmonic ( Filharmonia Krakowska ) built in 1931. Kraków hosts many annual and biannual artistic events, some of international significance such as the Misteria Paschalia ( Baroque music ), Sacrum - Profanum ( contemporary music ), the Cracow Screen Festival ( popular music ), the Festival of Polish Music ( classical music ), Dedications ( theatre ), the Kraków Film Festival ( one of Europe 's oldest short films events ), Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival ( the oldest international art - film event in Poland ), Biennial of Graphic Arts, and the Jewish Culture Festival. Kraków was the residence of two Polish Nobel laureates in literature, Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz ; a third Nobel laureate, the Yugoslav writer Ivo Andric, lived and studied in Kraków. Other former longtime residents include internationally renowned Polish film directors Andrzej Wajda and Roman Polanski, both of whom are Academy Award winners. Music Concert hall of the Kraków Philharmonic Opera Krakowska one of the leading national opera companies, stages 200 performances each year including ballet, operettas and musicals. It has, in its main repertoire, the greatest world and Polish opera classics. The Opera moved into its first permanent House in the autumn of 2008. It is in charge also of the Summer Festival of Opera and Operetta. Kraków is home to two major Polish festivals of early music presenting forgotten Baroque oratorios and operas : Opera Rara, and Misteria Paschalia. Meanwhile, Capella Cracoviensis runs the Music in Old Cracow International Festival. Academy of Music in Kraków, founded in 1888, is known worldwide as the alma mater of the contemporary Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki and it is also the only one in Poland to have two winners of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw among its alumni. The Academy organises concerts of its students and guests throughout the whole year. Music organisations and venues include : Kraków Philharmonic, Sinfonietta Cracovia ( a.k.a. the Orchestra of the Royal City of Kraków ), the Polish Radio Choir of Kraków, Organum Academic Choir, the Mixed Mariański Choir ( Mieszany Chór Mariański ), Kraków Academic Choir of the Jagiellonian University, the Kraków Chamber Choir, Amar Corde String Quartet, Consortium Iagellonicum Baroque Orchestra of the Jagiellonian University, Brass Band of T. Sendzimir Steelworks, and Camerata Chamber Orchestra of Radio Kraków. Tourism According to recent official statistics, in 2016 Kraków was visited by over 12 million tourists including 2.9 million foreign travelers. The visitors spent over 5.4 billion złoty ( € 1.2 billion ) in the city ( without travel costs and pre-booked accommodations ). Most foreign tourists came from Great Britain, followed by German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Canadian and American visitors. The Kraków tour - guide from the Lesser Poland Visitors Bureau indicated that not all statistics are recorded due to considerable number of those who come, staying in readily available private rooms paid by cash, especially from Eastern Europe. The main reasons for visiting the city are : its historical monuments, recreation as well as relatives and friends ( placing third in the ranking ), religion and business. There are 120 quality hotels in Kraków ( usually about half full ) offering 15,485 overnight accommodations. The average stay last for about 4 to 7 nights. The survey conducted among the travelers showed that they enjoyed the city 's friendliness most, with 90 % of Polish tourists and 87 % foreigners stating that they would personally recommend visiting it. Notable points of interest outside the city include the Wieliczka salt mine, the Tatra Mountains 100 km ( 62 mi ) to the south, the historic city of Częstochowa ( north - west ), the well - preserved former Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, and Ojcowski National Park, which includes the Renaissance Castle at Pieskowa Skała. Kraków has been awarded a number of top international rankings such as the 1st place in the Top city - break destinations 2014 survey conducted by the British Which ?. Popular points of interest in and around Kraków Wawel Castle German concentration camp of Auschwitz - Birkenau Wieliczka Salt Mine Ojców National Park and Pieskowa Skała castle Benedictine Tyniec Abbey Sports Wisła Kraków Stadium Kraków was the host city of the 2014 FIVB Men 's Volleyball World Championship and 2016 European Men 's Handball Championship. It has also been selected as the European City of Sport for 2014. Football is one of the most popular sports in the city. The two teams with the largest following are thirteen - time Polish champion Wisła Kraków, and five - time champion Cracovia, both founded in 1906 as the oldest still existing in Poland. They have been involved in the most intense rivalry in the country and one of the most intense in all of Europe, known as the Holy War ( Święta Wojna ). Other football clubs include Hutnik Kraków, Wawel Kraków, and one - time Polish champion Garbarnia Kraków. There is also the first - league rugby club Juvenia Kraków. Kraków has a number of additional, equally valued sports teams including twelve - time Polish ice hockey champions Cracovia and the twenty - time women 's basketball champions Wisła Kraków. Cracovia Stadium The Cracovia Marathon, with over a thousand participants from two dozen countries annually, has been held in the city since 2002. Poland 's first F1 racing driver Robert Kubica was born and brought up in Kraków, as was former WWE tag team champion Ivan Putski, and Top 10 ranked women 's tennis player Agnieszka Radwańska. The construction of a new Kraków Arena began in May 2011 ; for concerts, indoor athletics, hockey, basketball, futsal, etc. The Arena will be ready in 2013 ; the total cost is estimated to be 363 million Polish złoty. It will accommodate up to 15 thousand viewers. In the case of a concert, when the stage is set on the lower arena, the facility will be able to seat up to 18 thousand people. Kraków was bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics with Jasná but the bid was rejected by a majority ( 69.72 % ) of the vote in a referendum on 16 May 2014. The referendum was organised after a wave of criticism from citizens who believed that the Olympics would not promote the city. The organizing committee of `` Krakow 2022 '' spent almost $40,000 to pay for a citizen - approved logo, but many citizens considered this a waste of public money. The committee was rumoured to have fraudulently used several million zlotys for unknown expenses. International Relations See also : List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland Contemporary foreign names for the city Kraków is referred to by various names in different languages. A traditional English name for the city is Cracow ; though it has become less common in recent decades, some sources still use it. The city is known in Czech, Slovak and Serbian as Krakov, in Hungarian as Krakkó, in Lithuanian as Krokuva, in Finnish as Krakova, in German and Dutch as Krakau, in Latin, Spanish and Italian as Cracovia, in French as Cracovie, in Portuguese as Cracóvia and in Russian as Краков. Ukrainian and Yiddish languages refer to it as Krakiv ( Краків ) and Kroke ( קראָקע ‎ ) respectively. See also : Names of Kraków in different languages. Twin towns and Sister Cities Kraków is twinned, or maintains close relations, with 34 cities around the world : Bordeaux, France ( 1993 ) Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary ( 2005 ) Cambridge, Massachusetts, US ( 1989 ) Curitiba, Brazil ( 1993 ) Cusco, Peru Edinburgh, United Kingdom ( 1995 ) Fes, Morocco ( 2004 ) Florence, Italy ( 1992 ) Frankfurt, Germany ( 1991 ) Göteborg, Sweden ( 1990 ) Grozny, Russia ( 1997 ) Guadalajara, Mexico Innsbruck, Austria ( 1998 ) Kiev, Ukraine ( 1993 ) La Serena, Chile ( 1995 ) Leipzig, Germany ( 1995 ) Leuven, Belgium ( 1991 ) Lviv, Ukraine ( 1995 ) Milan, Italy ( 2003 ) Nuremberg, Germany ( 1991 ) Orléans, France ( 1992 ) Pécs, Hungary ( 1998 ) Quito, Ecuador Rochester, New York, US ( 1973 ) Rome, Italy St Petersburg, Russia ( 2006 ) San Francisco, US ( 2009 ) Seville, Spain ( 2002 ) Solothurn, Switzerland ( 1990 ) Split, Croatia Tbilisi, Georgia Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria ( 1975 ) Vilnius, Lithuania Zagreb, Croatia ( 1975 ) See also Poland portal European Union portal Tourism in Poland Notes Jump up ^ `` Powierzchnia i ludność w przekroju terytorialnym w 2017 r ''. Główny Urząd Statystyczny. 2017 - 10 - 30. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Cracow ''. Oxford Dictionaries. US English. Jump up ^ `` Cracow ''. Oxford Dictionaries. British & World English. ^ Jump up to : The Municipality Of Kraków, Press Office ( 2008 ). `` Our City. History of Kraków ( archaeological findings ) ''. Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Marek Strzala. `` History of Kraków ''. Krakow Info. Retrieved 23 December 2012. Jump up ^ http://warsawtour.pl/en/about-warsaw/history-of-the-city-2076.html Jump up ^ Małota, Wojciech. `` Kraków -- Office Power -- CRACOW & MAŁOPOLSKA ''. welcome.com.pl. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Jump up ^ `` Plaszow Forced Labour Camp ''. Aktion Reinhard Camps. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ Kengor, Paul ; Patricia Clark Doerner ( October 2007 ). The Judge : William P. Clark, Ronald Reagan 's Top Hand. Ignatius Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 58617 - 183 - 4. 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ISBN 978 - 0 - 89357 - 257 - 0 First chapters online, Retrieved on 25 September 2007 Jump up ^ Cracow 's Historic centre, UNESCO report, retrieved on 4 October 2007 Jump up ^ Old Synagogue in Kraków, Retrieved on 25 September 2007. Jump up ^ Harold B. Segel, Renaissance Culture in Poland : The Rise of Humanism, 1470 -- 1543, Cornell University Press, 1989, ISBN 0 - 8014 - 2286 - 8, Google Print, p. 252 Jump up ^ Norman Davies, God 's Playground, vol. 1, chapter 5. Google Books. 2005. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 925339 - 5. Retrieved 9 November 2010. Jump up ^ Wieslaw Wydra, `` Die ersten in polnischer Sprache gedruckten Texte, 1475 -- 1520 '', Gutenberg - Jahrbuch, Vol. 62 ( 1987 ), pp. 88 -- 94 ( 88 ) ^ Jump up to : Wynne, Suzan F. ( 1998 ). Finding Your Jewish Roots in Galicia : A Resource Guide. Teaneck, New Jersey : Avotaynu. p. 4. ISBN 9781886223080. OCLC 39045032. Jump up ^ `` The Warsaw Voice '', 11 April 1999. `` Bell Woman of Wawel Hill ''. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` Painting in Poland -- A brief summary ''. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ Emil Kren and Daniel Marx, `` Artists ' biographies. '' Hans Süss von Kulmbach ; J. Paul Getty Museum, `` Artists : Hans von Kulmbach '' ; also, Agnieszka Janczyk, Kazimierz Kuczman, Joanna Winiewicz - Wolska, `` Wawel Royal Castle, The National Art Collection ( homepage ) ''. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ Kazimierz.com. `` Kazimierz wczoraj. Introdution ''. Stowarzyszenie Twórców Kazimierz.com. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Jagiellonian University Centre for European Studies, `` A Very Short History of Kraków '', see : `` 1596 administrative capital, the tiny village of Warsaw ''. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` The Polish struggle for freedom ''. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Insurekcja kościuszkowska 1764 -- 1798 ''. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007. Jump up ^ `` Republic of Cracow ( historical state, Poland ) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia ''. britannica.com. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ Cresswell, Peterjon ( 12 May 2009 ). Frommer 's Kraków Day by Day : 20 Smart Ways to See the City. John WIley & Sons. ISBN 978 - 0 - 470 - 69710 - 8. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ Chambers 's Encyclopaedia : A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge for the People, Volume 4. W. and R. Chambers. 1862. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ Marek Strzala, `` History of Krakow '' `` ( see : Franz Joseph I granted Kraków the municipal government ) ''. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Miedzy dwoma swiatami czyli powrot do przeszlosci ''. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2007. Jump up ^ Beata Moore ( 25 August 2006 ). Cracow : City of Treasures. Pgw. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7112 - 2571 - 8. Retrieved 9 November 2010. ^ Jump up to : Jan Matejko Manor in Krzesławice `` Jan Matejko : The Painter and Patriot ''. Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2007. Jump up ^ Maria Prussak, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, April 2006. Profiles. Visual arts, literature, theatre : `` Stanisław Wyspiański ''. Retrieved 2 September 2007. Jump up ^ Wood, Nathaniel D. ( 2010 ). Becoming Metropolitan : Urban Selfhood and the Making of Modern Cracow. DeKalb : Northern Illinois University Press. p. 272. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87580 - 422 - 4. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Artur Turyna, `` Kraków -- najważniejsze daty -- Okres IV -- od początku XX wieku do dziś ''. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Bohdan Urbankowski, Bohdan Urbankowski ( 1997 ). Józef Piłsudski : marzyciel i strateg ( Józef Piłsudski : Dreamer and Strategist ). Wydawnictwo ALFA, Warsaw, 1997. pp. 171 -- 172. ISBN 83 - 7001 - 914 - 5. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Paweł Stachnik, Dziennik Polski, 21 September 2004. `` Okrzyk na cześć cesarza ''. Retrieved 1 September 2007. Jump up ^ Frucht, Richard C. ( 2005 ). Eastern Europe : An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture, Volume 1. ABC - CLIO. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57607 - 800 - 6. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ Magocsi, Paul R. ; Pop, Ivan ( 2002 ). Encyclopedia of Rusyn history and Culture. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8020 - 3566 - 0. Retrieved 14 August 2009. Jump up ^ Eilat Gordin Levitan, `` Krakow old scenes, including historical photographs ''. Retrieved 1 September 2007. Jump up ^ Cztery miasta w jednym -- nowa historia wojennego Krakowa Niechciana `` stolica '' Agnieszka Sabor Tygodnik Powszechny Nr 4 ( 2794 ), 26 stycznia 2003 Jump up ^ Anna M. Cienciala, History 557 Lecture Notes, 2002 ( Revised Fall. 2003 ), `` 16B. Eastern Europe in World War II : October 1939 -- May 1945 ''. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Edward Burek, ( editor ). `` Sonderaktion Krakau '' in Encyklopedia Krakowa. Krakow : PWM, 2000 Jump up ^ Bieberstein : Zagłada Żydów w Krakowie. Kraków 1985. J. Kast, B. Siegler, P. Zinke : Das Tagebuch der Partisanin Justyna. Jüdischer Widerstand in Krakau. Berlin 1999. Articles from Kraków newspapers ( mostly from the local `` Gazeta Wyborcza '' ) published in March 2003 on the 60th anniversary of the liquidation of the Kraków ghetto. Featuring historical maps. `` The Kraków Ghetto 1940 -- 1943 ''. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ Gressor, Megan ; Cook, Kerry ( 2005 ). All for Love. Murdoch Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 74045 - 596 - 1. Retrieved 20 July 2009. Jump up ^ Crowe, David ( 7 May 2007 ). Oskar Schindler : The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind the List. Basic Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 465 - 00253 - 5. Retrieved 20 July 2009. Jump up ^ Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki, A Concise History of Poland, Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 0 - 521 - 85332 - X, Google Print, p. 66 Jump up ^ Gilbert, M ( 1989 ) Second World War, Weidenfeld & Nicolson P646 Jump up ^ `` Science & Higher Education in Cracow 2007 ''. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007. Jump up ^ Jagiellonian University centre for European Studies, see : `` '' Worker 's paradise '' of concrete ``. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Nowa Huta ( section of Kraków, Poland ) ''. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007. Jump up ^ Jerzy Aleksander Karnasiewicz, Nowa Huta. Okruchy życia i meandry historii ( Nowa Huta. Crumbs of Life and the Meanders of History ), photo anthology ; Wydawnictwo Towarzystwo Slowaków w Polsce, Kraków, 2003 ; ISBN 83 - 89186 - 67 - 5 Jump up ^ Witold Stefan Alexandrowicz and Zofia Alexandrowicz, Acta Carsologica, Slovenian Academy Of Sciences `` Pattern of karst landscape of the Cracow Upland ( South Poland ) ''. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Jump up ^ Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Jagiellonian University, `` The forms of nature protection within the city limits ''. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) pogoda.ru.net. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) bestplaces.net. Jump up ^ `` Cracow 's Historic centre -- UNESCO World Heritage centre ''. whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 20 July 2009. Jump up ^ Ingrid Gustafson, Let 's Go : Eastern Europe Published by Macmillan, page 444. Let 's Go Publications, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Jeffrey Zuehlke, Zuehlke, Jeffrey. Poland in Pictures. Twenty - First Century Books. p. 72. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8225 - 2676 - 6. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` Uniwersytet Jagielloński ''. Wandaluzja. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ List of synagogues and Betei Midrash in Kraków between the wars. PDF 49 KB. Retrieved 17 April 2012. Archived 9 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Marek Strzala. `` Krakow 's Arts Palace ''. Krakow Info. Retrieved 16 April 2012. Jump up ^ Piotr Strasz. `` Secesyjny Kraków ''. Muzeumsecesji.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Beata Vogt, Farid Nassery, Aspekt geometryczny krakowskich budowli modernistycznych powstałych do II Wojny Światowej. Scribd.com document. Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Kraków, Oleandry -- Dom im. Józefa Piłsudskiego ''. Osen.pl. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Nowa Huta -- Sightseeing in Kraków -- In Your Pocket city guide -- essential travel guides to cities in Poland ''. Inyourpocket.com. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Architecture of Nowa Huta ''. Nh.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Sztuka Architektury ''. Sztuka-architektury.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` SOCREALIZM in Poland ( 1949 -- 1955 ) ''. Arts.gla.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Hotel Cracovia na liście zabytków. Majchrowski chce chronić krakowski modernizm. Warto ? ( DYSKUTUJ ) -- Kraków -- Naszemiasto.pl ''. Krakow.naszemiasto.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Małopolski Regionalny Program Operacyjny, Budowa Małopolskiego Ogrodu Sztuki w Krakowie. Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego. ^ Jump up to : Agnieszka Wiewióra ( 2008 ). `` Kraków okiem ' tischnerowskim ' ''. Informacje ogólne ( in Polish and English ). Wyższa Szkoła Europejska im. ks. Józefa Tischnera. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012. Jump up ^ Marek Strzala, `` The green belt of Kraków Planty ''. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ Henryk Jordan 's Park. Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Grodzka.net. `` The park, which was initiated by Jordan, was the first of this type in Poland and in Europe. The initiator himself got so engaged in realising his idea that he largely financed its construction and personally brought the most modern sport facilities from Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. '' -- Krakow4you.com, 2008. Jump up ^ `` History, philosophy and photographs ''. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Ryszard Burek ( editor ), Encyklopedia Krakowa, 2000, ISBN 83 - 01 - 13325 - 2. Jump up ^ Dane przestrzenne z Centralnego Rejestru Form Ochrony Przyrody. Generalna Dyrekcja Ochrony Srodowiska, Poland. Retrieved 4 October 2012. Jump up ^ Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej ( Bulletin of Public Information ), `` Radni Miasta Krakowa V kadencji ( Kraków City Councillors of the 5th term ) ''. 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Raport o stanie miasta, 2001. `` BEZPIECZEŃSTWO PUBLICZNE ''. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Boroughs of Kraków ''. krakow-info.com. Retrieved 24 July 2009. Jump up ^ Rick Steves, `` Poland Rediscovered :. '' Published in Rick Steves ' Eastern Europe, 2005 edition. `` Krakow, Auschwitz and Warsaw ''. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Jump up ^ Global Portal of Diplomats at eDiplomat.com. Notes on Poland including recreation, entertainment, social and religious life, `` Krakow ''. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ Kurtz, Michael J. ( 2006 ). America and the return of Nazi contraband. Cambridge University Press. p. 25. Jump up ^ O.J 's Music, Trumpet Page : including music notations and sound samples in MP3 and Midi version. `` Hejnal Mariacki -- The Kraków Bugle Call ''. Retrieved 14 September 2007. Jump up ^ The oldest mention of Kraków hejnał dates back to 1392 ( see : Katarzyna Górska. `` Legenda o Hejnale Mariackim ''. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011. ) ``... though there is probably no direct link ( wrote Chris Hann ) between this bugle call and a historical event in 1241, this does not detract from its meaning for Polish people today '' ( see : Chris Hann. `` Discovering Social Anthropology in Galicia ''. Retrieved 19 December 2007. ). Jump up ^ MZBD -- Miejski Zarzd Baz Danych -- Kraków. `` StatKraK : : Kraków. :. Liczby... Miasto... Mieszkańcy ''. Msip2.um.krakow.pl. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Original Kraków City Hall bylaw Nr XXI / 143 / 91 ( unpublished ) introduced on 27 March 1991 ; current municipal borders established according to City bylaw Nr XVI / 192 / 95 for 19 April 1995. Source : `` Gazeta Urzędowa Miasta Krakowa Nr 10, poz. 84 ''. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2007. ^ Jump up to : Kraków Real Estate Market, 2005. ( in Polish ) / ( in English ) ^ Jump up to : Economics, Magiczny Kraków Jump up ^ `` Capgemini offices in Poland ''. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` About Sabre Holdings ''. sabre-holdings.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ The Global Future of Outsourcing. PBS Wide Angle, WNET.ORG, 13 September 2005. Jump up ^ `` Krakow IT Companies / FrontPage ''. Krakowit.pbworks.com. 11 January 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Level of unemployment in Poland by region, 31 May 2007. `` Current statistics ''. Retrieved 14 September 2007. Jump up ^ UNCATD 's World Investment Report 2011. Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, 26 July 2011. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Biuro Informacji Publicznej ( Office of Public Information ). `` Budżet Miasta Krakowa na rok 2011 ''. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Biuro Informacji Publicznej, Kraków ( Office of Public Information, Kraków ). `` Biuletyn Statystyczny Miasta Krakowa ''. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` Knowledge and Innovation Community EIT, at ''. Europa ( web portal ). 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010. Jump up ^ KIC InnoEnergy. Designated Knowledge and Innovation Community, 16 December 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2009. Archived 22 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Marek Strzala, `` Krakow. Varied Means of Transportation ''. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ Muzeum Inżynierii Miejskiej, Działalność. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) Magiczny Kraków, city 's official website. `` International railway connections from Kraków ''. Archived from the original on 26 June 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ http://www.krakowairport.pl/en/airport,c94/news,c120/101-travel-ideas-more-than-5-8-million-passengers-in-2017,a2790.html Jump up ^ `` Lotnisko w Pyrzowicach '' on www.e-krakow.com ( in Polish ) Jump up ^ `` BikeU ''. bikeu.pl. ^ Jump up to : `` Microsoft Word - 13_DZIA. 05. doc '' ( PDF ) ( in Polish ). Retrieved 9 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` GUS -- Główny Urząd Statystyczny -- Stan i struktura ludności oraz ruch naturalny w przekroju terytorialnym. Stan w dniu 31 XII 2010 r '' ( in Polish ). Stat.gov.pl. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Pawel Kras ( 2012 ). `` Kraków. Introduction ''. Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved 2 December 2012. Jump up ^ Derek Keene ( 2008 ). England and Poland : Medieval Metropolises Compared. Britain and Poland - Lithuania : Contact and Comparison from the Middle Ages to 1795 by Richard Unger and Jakub Basista. BRILL. p. 154. ISBN 9004166238. Retrieved 2 December 2012. 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( in Polish ) Jump up ^ `` Meetings : : Jehovah 's Witnesses ''. jw.org. Archived from the original on 2015 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Katowice Poland District of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints ''. ldschurchtemples.com. Jump up ^ Adam Dylewski, Where the Tailor Was a Poet... website created under the aegis of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw ; chief editor : Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywinski. Editorial assistance : Dr. Anna Marta Szczepan - Wojnarska, and Kaja Wieczorek from Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw Jump up ^ Devorah Hakohen, Immigrants in Turmoil : Mass Immigration to Israel and Its Repercussions... Syracuse University Press, 2003 -- 325 pages. Page 70. ISBN 0 - 8156 - 2969 - 9 Jump up ^ Arieh J. Kochavi, Post-Holocaust Politics : Britain, the United States & Jewish Refugees, 1945 -- 1948. Page 15. The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0 - 8078 - 2620 - 0 Accessed 20 June 2011. 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Jump up ^ `` Akademia Pedagogiczna w Krakowie, homepage ''. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Akademia Rolnicza, homepage ''. Archived from the original on 8 May 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna, homepage. Historical outline ''. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Papieska Akademia Teologiczna, homepage in English ''. Archived from the original on 22 April 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` European Capital of Culture in Poland again ''. opinia.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` Basic info for foreigners in Krakow ''. krakow-info.com. Retrieved 19 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` Krakow Landmarks Historical monuments in Krakow ''. krakow-info.com. Retrieved 19 July 2009. Jump up ^ Ministry of Culture ( 2013 - 09 - 13 ). `` Otwarcie Europeum -- Ośrodek Kultury Europejskiej nowego oddziału Muzeum Narodowego w Krakowie '' ( Centre of European Culture, new branch of National Museum opened ). Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego. Retrieved 10 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Krakow -- Specialty Museums ''. krakow-info.com. Cite error : Invalid < ref > tag ; name `` Wyspiański '' defined multiple times with different content ( see the help page ). Cite error : Invalid < ref > tag ; name `` Wyspiański '' defined multiple times with different content ( see the help page ). Jump up ^ Emeryk Hutten Czapski Museum Jump up ^ `` Szlak turystyczny po podziemiach Rynku Głównego w Krakowie ''. podziemiarynku.com. Jump up ^ Announcements on the Museum webpage Archived 29 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Gajewska, Edyta. `` Małopolska Cultural Heritage Days ''. The Warsaw Voice online. Retrieved 23 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` Stary Teatr w Krakowie, homepage in Polish ''. Retrieved 12 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Krakow Philharmonic ''. Filharmonia Krakowska. 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2009. Jump up ^ Municipality Of Kraków Press Office, `` Calendar of Annual Events, 2007 ''. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ `` Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy ''. krakowfilmfestival.pl. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2009. Jump up ^ www.evl.pl, evolution,. `` Opera Krakowska ''. opera.krakow.pl. Jump up ^ `` Opera Rara -- Kraków -- 8 December 2011 ''. Operarara.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ Misteria Paschalia festival, trademark of Kraków as the city of early music. Homepage. Jump up ^ `` History -- Cracow Music Academy ''. Amuz.krakow.pl. Retrieved 11 December 2011. Jump up ^ `` Home -- Filharmonia Krakowska im. Karola Szymanowskiego ''. filharmonia.krakow.pl. Jump up ^ `` Rekordowy rok dla krakowskiej turystyki ''. 2016 - 12 - 01. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 17. ^ Jump up to : Ewa Łosińska ( 27 November 2009 ). `` Turyści nie oszczędzali na Krakowie ''. Kraków `` Podróże ( in Polish ). Rzeczpospolita OnLine. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2012. Jump up ^ Witold Bartoszewicz ( 2010 ). `` Klasyfikacja obiektów noclegowych '' ( in Polish ). Instytut Turystyki. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Krakow Day Trips ''. Retrieved 12 October 2007. Jump up ^ Starwood, `` Explore Krakow ''. `` Top 10 things to do in Kraków ''. Archived from the original on 29 November 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ Top city - break destinations 2014 by Which.co.uk. Jump up ^ Kraków as the European City of Sport at Krakow.pl. Jump up ^ `` Krakow Sport Information Guide ''. Cracow Life. Retrieved 19 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` General info, history and successes ''. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 15 September 2007. Jump up ^ ( in Polish ) List of oldest Polish sports clubs featured in a newspaper retrospective. Zbigniew Chmielewski ( 2003 ). `` Obok Czarnych znak Pogoni ''. Polityka. 2414 ( 33 ). Retrieved 22 July 2009. Jump up ^ Editorial ( 2 September 2012 ). `` Wiślackie Kalendarium : pierwsze mistrzostwo, pierwszy puchar ''. Stowarzyszenie Kibiców Wisły Kraków. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` Święta Wojna ( The Holy War ) ''. Wisla Kraków -- Cracovia Kraków. Footballderbies.com. 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` History of `` Cracovia Marathon '' ``. Urząd Miasta Krakowa. Archived from the original on 27 June 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Jump up ^ Andrzej Chwalba. Krakow w latach 1939 -- 1945 ( Cracow, 1939 -- 1945 ). Dzieje Krakowa tom 5. Cracow : Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2002. ( In Polish. ) `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 09 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` Kraków -- Miasta Partnerskie '' ( Kraków -- Partnership Cities ). Miejska Platforma Internetowa Magiczny Kraków ( in Polish ). Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Kraków -- Miasta Bliźniacze '' ( Kraków -- Twin Cities ). Miejska Platforma Internetowa Magiczny Kraków ( in Polish ). Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Kraków -- Honorowe Miasta Bliźniacze '' ( Kraków -- Honorary Twin Cities ). Miejska Platforma Internetowa Magiczny Kraków ( in Polish ). Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bratislava City -- Twin Towns ''. 2003 -- 2008 Bratislava-City.sk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` A Message from the Peace Commission : Information on Cambridge 's Sister Cities, '' 15 February 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 12. Also in : Richard Thompson, `` Looking to strengthen family ties with ' sister cities ', '' Boston Globe, 12 October 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Ciudades Hermanas ( Sister Cities ) '' ( in Spanish ). Municipalidad del Cusco. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2009. Jump up ^ `` Edinburgh -- Twin and Partner Cities ''. 2008 The City of Edinburgh Council, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ Scotland. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2008. Jump up ^ `` Twin and Partner Cities ''. City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2009. Jump up ^ `` Frankfurt - Partner Cities ''. Stadt Frankfurt am Main ). 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2008. Jump up ^ `` Сайт Грозный Виртуальный при перепечатке материалов в онлайн проектах ''. Grozny Official Website. Retrieved 1 November 2008. ( in Russian ) Jump up ^ `` Sister Cities, Public Relations ''. Guadalajara municipal government. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013. Jump up ^ `` Leipzig -- International Relations ''. 2009 Leipzig City Council, Office for European and International Affairs. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` Milano -- Città Gemellate ''. 2008 Municipality of Milan ( Comune di Milano ). Retrieved 5 December 2008. Jump up ^ `` Rochester 's Sister Cities ''. City of Rochester. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Kraków otwarty na świat ''. krakow.pl. Retrieved 19 July 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Foreign co-operation ''. Retrieved 1 November 2007. from the municipality official website Jump up ^ `` Intercity and International Cooperation of the City of Zagreb ''. 2006 -- 2009 City of Zagreb. Retrieved 23 June 2009. References Simpson, Scott ; Zukowska, Helena ( 15 April 2008 ). Travellers Kraków, 3rd : Guides to Destinations Worldwide ( Fourth ed. ). Peterborough, United Kingdom : Thomas Cook Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84157 - 901 - 6. Retrieved 11 March 2010. Jane Hardy, Al Rainnie, Restructuring Krakow : Desperately Seeking Capitalism. Published 1996 by Mansell Publishing, 285 pages. Business, economics, finance. ISBN 0 - 7201 - 2231 - 7. Edward Hartwig, Kraków, with Jerzy Broszkiewicz ( contributor ). Published 1980, by Sport i Turystyka, 239 pages. ISBN 83 - 217 - 2321 - 7. Bolesław T. Łaszewski, Kraków : karta z dziejów dwudziestolecia. Published 1985, by Bicentennial Pub. Corp. ( original from the University of Michigan ), 132 pages. ISBN 0 - 912757 - 08 - 6 Joanna Markin, Bogumiła Gnypowa, Kraków : The Guide. Published 1996 by Pascal Publishing, 342 pages. ISBN 83 - 87037 - 28 - 1. Tim Pepper, Andrew Beattie, Krakow. Published 2007 by Hunter Pub Inc., 160 pages. ISBN 1 - 84306 - 308 - 5. The book includes description of public art galleries and museums. Scott Simpson, Krakow. Published 2003 by Thomas Cook, 192 pages. Transport, geography, sightseeing, history, and culture. Includes weblinks CD. ISBN 1 - 84157 - 187 - 3. Dorota Wąsik, Emma Roper - Evans, Krakow. Published 2002 by Somerset. Cultural guidebook series, 160 pages. ISBN 963 - 00 - 5930 - 4. Richard Watkins, Best of Kraków, Published 2006, by Lonely Planet, 64 pages, complemented by fold - out maps. ISBN 1 - 74104 - 822 - 2. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kraków. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kraków. Look up Kraków in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikisource has the text of the 1921 Collier 's Encyclopedia article Cracow. Essential Kraków -- Tourism information about Kraków Protect Kraków Heritage Campaign krakowmiasto.pl ( in Polish ) Jewish Community in Kraków on Virtual Shtetl Kraków, Poland at JewishGen Map : Kraków Heritage Under Threat Kraków Jewish guide and genealogy in Poland Tourism and culture in Kraków ( overview ) at Krakow4you.net English Guide to Krakow The Snapshots My Way ( The Colors of Nowa Huta. Options : The Nowa Huta -- Walks, Churches, Meadows, Parks etc. ) Kraków -- gallery, news, map Municipal spatial information system -- GIS maps of Kraków ( in Polish ) Cultural heritage of Kraków ( in yellow on city map ) Kraków old map from 1785 year Beatniks and Beyond : An Alternative Guide to Kraków Things to do in Kraków Links to related articles Kraków Districts Stare Miasto ( I ) Grzegórzki ( II ) Prądnik Czerwony ( III ) Prądnik Biały ( IV ) Krowodrza ( V ) Bronowice ( VI ) Zwierzyniec ( VII ) Dębniki ( VIII ) Łagiewniki - Borek Fałęcki ( IX ) Swoszowice ( X ) Podgórze Duchackie ( XI ) Bieżanów - Prokocim ( XII ) Podgórze ( XIII ) Czyżyny ( XIV ) Mistrzejowice ( XV ) Bieńczyce ( XVI ) Wzgórza Krzesławickie ( XVII ) Nowa Huta ( XVIII ) Neighborhoods : Wawel Kleparz Kazimierz Bielany Attractions Wawel Kazimierz National Museum Sigismund Bell Sukiennice Basilica of Saint Mary Museums Wawel Castle Czartoryski Museum Dworek Jana Matejki w Krzesławicach Historical Museum of Kraków Manggha Museum of Insurances in Kraków Muzeum Archeologiczne w Krakowie Muzeum Archidiecezjalne w Krakowie Muzeum Czynu Niepodległościowego Muzeum Czynu Zbrojnego Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Seweryna Udzieli w Krakowie Muzeum Geologiczne Instytutu Nauk Geologicznych PAN w Krakowie Muzeum Historii Fotografii w Krakowie Muzeum Inżynierii Miejskiej w Krakowie Muzeum Katedralne im. Jana Pawła II na Wawelu National Museum, Kraków Polish Aviation Museum Sukiennice Museum Armia Krajowa Museum in Kraków Other History of Kraków Timeline Historical capitals of Poland Gniezno ( 10th century -- 1038 ) Poznań ( 10th century -- 1038 ) Kraków ( 1038 - 1079 ) Płock ( 1079 - 1138 ) Kraków ( 1138 - 1290 ) Poznań ( 1290 - 1296 ) Kraków ( 1296 - 1795 ) Warsaw ( 1596 - 1795 ) Warsaw ( since 1918 ) Capitals of the Duchy of Warsaw Warsaw ( 1807 - 1815 ) De facto capitals Łowicz ( 1572 - 1573 ) Lublin ( 1944 - 1945 ) Łódź ( 1945 - 1947 ) Principal cities of Poland 1,000,000 + Warsaw 750,000 + Kraków 500,000 + Łódź Wrocław Poznań 200,000 + Gdańsk Szczecin Bydgoszcz Lublin Katowice Białystok Gdynia Częstochowa Radom Sosnowiec Toruń Kielce 100,000 + Gliwice Rzeszów Zabrze Olsztyn Bytom Bielsko - Biała Ruda Śląska Rybnik Tychy Dąbrowa Górnicza Gorzów Wielkopolski Płock Elbląg Opole Wałbrzych Zielona Góra Włocławek Tarnów Chorzów Koszalin Kalisz Legnica Counties of Lesser Poland Voivodeship City counties Kraków ( capital ) Nowy Sącz Tarnów Land counties Bochnia Brzesko Chrzanów Dąbrowa Gorlice Kraków Limanowa Miechów Myślenice Nowy Sącz Nowy Targ Olkusz Oświęcim Proszowice Sucha Tarnów Tatra Wadowice Wieliczka World Heritage Sites in Poland Auschwitz - Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp ( 1940 -- 1945 ) Białowieża Forest / Belovezhskaya Pushcha ( with Belarus ) Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork Centennial Hall, Wrocław Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica Cracow 's Historic Centre Kalwaria Zebrzydowska : the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park Medieval Town of Toruń Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski ( with Germany ) Old City of Zamość Tarnowskie Góry Lead - Silver - Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System Historic Centre of Warsaw Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines Wooden churches of Southern Lesser Poland Wooden tserkvas of the Carpathian region in Poland and Ukraine Kraków County Urban - rural gminas Gmina Krzeszowice Gmina Skała Gmina Skawina Gmina Słomniki Gmina Świątniki Górne Rural gminas Gmina Czernichów Gmina Igołomia - Wawrzeńczyce Gmina Iwanowice Gmina Jerzmanowice - Przeginia Gmina Kocmyrzów - Luborzyca Gmina Liszki Gmina Michałowice Gmina Mogilany Gmina Sułoszowa Gmina Wielka Wieś Gmina Zabierzów Gmina Zielonki Seat ( not part of the county ) Kraków European Capitals of Culture 1985 Athens 1986 Florence Amsterdam 1988 West Berlin Paris Glasgow 1991 Dublin Madrid Antwerp Lisbon 1995 Luxembourg City Copenhagen Thessaloniki 1998 Stockholm 1999 Weimar 2000 Reykjavík Bergen Helsinki Brussels Prague Kraków Santiago de Compostela Avignon Bologna 2001 Rotterdam Porto 2002 Bruges Salamanca 2003 Graz Plovdiv Genoa Lille 2005 Cork 2006 Patras 2007 Luxembourg City and Greater Region Sibiu 2008 Liverpool Stavanger 2009 Linz Vilnius Ruhr Istanbul Pécs 2011 Turku Tallinn 2012 Maribor Guimarães 2013 Košice Marseille 2014 Umeå Riga 2015 Mons Plzeň 2016 San Sebastián Wrocław 2017 Aarhus Paphos 2018 Valletta Leeuwarden 2019 Plovdiv Matera 2020 Rijeka Galway 2021 Timișoara Elefsina Novi Sad 2022 Kaunas Esch - sur - Alzette Members of the Hanseatic League by Quarter Chief cities shown in smallcaps. Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire shown in italics. Wendish Lübeck Anklam Demmin Greifswald Hamburg Kolberg ( Kołobrzeg ) Lüneburg Rostock Rügenwalde ( Darłowo ) Stettin ( Szczecin ) Stolp ( Słupsk ) Stockholm Stralsund Visby Wismar Saxon Brunswick Magdeburg Berlin Bremen Erfurt Frankfurt an der Oder Goslar Mühlhausen Nordhausen Baltic Danzig ( Gdańsk ) Breslau ( Wrocław ) Dorpat ( Tartu ) Elbing ( Elbląg ) Königsberg ( Kaliningrad ) Cracow ( Kraków ) Reval ( Tallinn ) Riga ( Rīga ) Thorn ( Toruń ) Westphalian Cologne Dortmund Deventer Groningen Kampen Münster Osnabrück Soest Kontore Principal Bryggen ( Bergen ) Hanzekantoor Bruges Antwerp Steelyard ( London ) Peterhof ( Novgorod ) Subsidiary Bishop 's Lynn Falsterbo Ipswich Kaunas Malmö Polotsk Pskov Other cities Bristol Boston Damme Leith Herford Hull Newcastle Stargard Yarmouth York Zutphen Zwolle Cologne and Dortmund were both capital of the Westphalian Quarter at different times. Antwerp gained importance once Bruges became inaccessible due to the silting of the Zwin channel. 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Question: when did krakow become the capital of poland
Answer: 1038