Kraków - Stare Miasto

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Cracow's Historic Centre


State Party = POL
Type = Cultural
Criteria = IV
ID = 29
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 1978
Session = 2nd
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/29

Stare Miasto ( _en. Old Town) is the central, historic district of Kraków, Poland.Ingrid Gustafson, [http://books.google.ca/books?id=d48cOs21Vk4C&pg=PA444&dq=%22Royal+Road%22+Krakow&sig=ACfU3U0ItMb8jVer6P9no9IkD7XdPGecAw Let's Go: Eastern Europe] Published by Macmillan, page 444. Let's Go Publications, 2008.] It is the most prominent example of an Old Town in the country, Kraków being the royal capital prior to Sigismund III Vasa's relocating of the court to Warsaw. Stare Miasto was added in 1978 to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as "Cracow's Historic Centre").

The fortifications around the Old Town were erected over the course of two centuries. The medieval Krakow was surrounded by a 1.9 mile (3 km) defensive wall complete with 46 towers and seven main entrances leading through them. The current architectural plan of Stare Miasto—the 13th-century merchants' town—was drawn up following the Tatar invasions of 1259 and 1287.Andrew Beattie, Landmark Publishing, Tim Pepper, [http://books.google.ca/books?id=lbtj5ZuyPncC&pg=PA28&dq=%22Stare+Miasto,+the+Old+Town,+whose+plan+was+drawn+up+following+the+Tartar+invasion%22&sig=ACfU3U3aN82B_9J9w1rjugUt3etWqaf1ww Stare Miasto, the Old Town, Krakow] Published by Hunter Publishing, Inc] It features the centrally located Rynek Główny, or Main Square, the largest medieval town square of any European city. [http://books.google.ca/books?id=iffiuomwGi0C&pg=PA537&dq=%22the++biggest++square++in++medieval++europe%22&sig=ACfU3U3VLw6daQ6gds33ooCGHZm1mRiOOQ Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door] . [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:ze5gKoeO54wJ:www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0409/rick_steves_eartern_europe_in_transition.shtml+%22The+biggest+square+in+medieval+Europe%22&hl=en&gl=ca&strip=1 Supplementary:"the biggest square in medieval Europe."] ] There is a number of historic landmarks in its vincinity, such as St. Mary's Basilica ("Kościół Mariacki"), Church of St. Wojciech (St. Adalbert's), Church of St. Barbara, as well as other national treasures. At the center of the plaza, surrounded by "kamienice" (row houses) and noble residences, stands the Renaissance cloth hall Sukiennice (currently housing gift shops, restaurants and merchant stalls) with the National Gallery of Art upstairs. It is flanked by the Town Hall Tower ("Wieża ratuszowa").

The whole district is bisected by the Royal Way, the coronation route traversed by the Kings of Poland. The Route begins at the Church of St. Florian 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.

In the 19th century most of the Old Town fortifications were demolished. The moat encircling the walls was filled in and turned into a green belt known as Planty Park.

References

See also

* Culture of Kraków
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