Kraków and Zakopane in July

The second trip to Kraków last year was longer. It was mainly about seeing the Wawel castle, the Princes Czartoryski Museum and Harry Styles’ show. But I also saw many different places which are totally recommended like Mehoffer’s house (the painter and Stanisław Wyspiański’s friend about whom I mentioned in the previous post), Romantic Malczewski temporary exposition (also a painter!) and Town Hall.

Now you can watch the video that I made right after (I mean a month later) coming home from this trip. I also mention there about my previous trips to this city, places around Cracow and I’m trying to be funny…

Now I must show you some photos (I took 533 photos so it’s quite a challenge to choose just few…) from the Wawel castle. I hope you will love it as much as I did and it will encourage you to see it with your own eyes.

This is Jan Sobieski, his French wife Maria Kazimiera and their children. The first academic paper that I wrote was about his love language form letters to his wife. Now I kinda feel obsessed about them…

It’s time to show you few photos from the outside. I love architecture and this renaissance castle is the greatest in Poland. Not only because it’s a royal home, a very important symbolic place for Poles but also because its artistic value is undeniable. Just look at this!

I’ve never noticed these different Roman and Gothic styles mixed together in the facade of the cathedral. When I stood right there and looked up… I could see it… And take a photo!

If you want to see the Cathedral, Royal Tombs, Sigismund Bell and the Cathedral Museum… I highly recommend it. I was there in 2020 but taking photos is forbidden… When I say it’s really worth it… You must believe me…

The exposition called Wawel Recovered is about visions of rebuilding the castle about 100 years ago. You can also see there many projects of the hill… Stanisław Wyspiański’s work is one of my favs. I guess it doesn’t surprise you anymore.

There is is the oldest part of the castle to see as well. It was one of the most fascinating places that I’ve seen in my life! The exposition is called The Lost Wawel. The Church of Saint Gereon is also worth seeing.

You can see Szczerbiec there. The legendary coronation sword. The armor belonged to one of kings… He was a teenager then…

And you can find it all in the Crown Treasury and Armory. Let me know if you’d like to see the royal garden and all those Summer Seasonal Routs (Dragon’s Den, tower etc). I was there in 2020 and I bet nothing has changed since then…

Now other places in Kraków that I visited in those three days. The second the most important place where you just gotta go is the Princes Czartoryski Museum. You can see there such paintings like Landscape with the Good Samaritan – Rembrandt or Lady with an Ermine – Leonardo da Vinci. If it doesn’t encourage you… I don’t know what can!

But honestly… It’s also a really beautiful palace full of art!

Another place that I can recommend is National Museum in Kraków which is placed in many different buildings. I went to the main building to see the exposition Romantic Malczewski. I thought it’s a nice way to celebrate finishing writing the master’s thesis about dialogues with romanticism in next literary epoques. Check out the official website of the museum to find out what may be the most interesting for to you see.

The last place that I can recommend is Józef Mehoffer’s house. This is quite a little palace! Just take a look at those rooms and the garden planted by the painter himself. And by the way… He was a close friend to Stanisław Wyspiański and he even was born in this house… But later this place was bought from his family by Mehoffer when Stanisław was no longer alive…

As you can see… Wyspiański and Mehoffer were not only painters but also designers of stained glass.

As I said above… Mehoffer was a painter… And it shows! For example in his garden!

The last place to show today is the Town Hall. I mainly recommend it for those views:

I wouldn’t see any of these places if Harry Styles didn’t decide to come there for the concert… So, I must add here one symbolic photo. You can read more about this event in one of previous posts.

Zakopane

In Zakopane I’ve spent only one day going there by bus from Kraków early in the morning and going back when sun was setting. I took there 280 photos and I loved it so much that I’m planning to go there again during the spring break. Five days nowhere but Zakopane and Tatra Mountains… It’s gonna be amazing! But at first I gotta find a job and earn for it…

Then in July I decided to see the mountain view from the best possible viewing point called Gubałówka early in the morning and visit few museums then. I’m glad that I did because I could avoid crowds this way and my trip turned out to be really pleasing. That’s what I recommend when you go to popular places – plan wisely at first and choose paths others wouldn’t choose.

Who said you can’t go sunbathing on the beach in mountains? And enjoy the view at the same time? And eat your ice cream or drink a cold drink in the meantime…

The second place I went to was… Harenda. It was hard to get there because I couldn’t find the right bus… But I found it in the end and that peaceful beautiful land with the far sheep & bells sound in the air felt like a fairy tale…

I went there because I wanted to see Jan Kasprowicz’s house. I heard about it during my literary studies and I promised myself to go there one day… Only poets can understand the spirit of this place…

And now the next place. I decided to see… Musician’s place. Karol Szymanowski, the composer’s house. This is how nice it was in the way there.

One of my absolute favs is The Museum of the Zakopane Style. I need to go back to this city and see all buildings that were designed in this architectonic style. It’s absolutely one of my favs (I mean I also love baroque and it was my first love). So, when you’re coming to Zakopane, don’t forget to visit this museum. It’s a must-see!

Few words about Stanisław Witkiewicz now. The man who created this architectonic style but was also a painter and was even writing books. I’ve read one and it made me want to go to Zakopane even more, I’m not gonna lie.

The highest hill of Tatra Mountains? Giewont.

The most popular street of Zakopane is called Krupówki. There were more people when I was crossing this street in my way to Szymanowski’s house. When I was there… Well, it was almost empty!

And the last place – the park in the middle of the city called Równia Krupowa. I recommend it for rest.

So, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this super long post, and you will come back in two days for the last part.

Greetings!

A.A.