Discover the Magical Market Square of Krakow: the Heart of a Historic City Full of Attractions

The Market Square is the heart of Kraków's Old Town, founded in 1257. It is a regular, square square square, located at the intersection of 11 streets. It is 200 metres by 200 metres in shape and was planned according to a chequered layout, typical of cities founded under the Magdeburg Law.

Through the Main Square passes the Royal Road, the main thoroughfare of Krakow in the Middle Ages, leading from the Floriańska Gate through the Old Town and the Okół as far as Wawel Royal Castle. On the eastern side of the square is St Mary's Square, surrounding St Mary's Church.

On the Market Square, in its southern part, there is a small church of St. Adalbert, and at the north-eastern corner stands the imposing Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as St. Mary's Church, which has been the main parish church of Krakow since 1223. Both of these churches, originally in Romanesque style, were built before the foundation of the city of Krakow.

Krakow's Main Market Square has a rich history dating back to the 13th century. It is the largest square in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, covering an area of 4 hectares, and is also one of the largest in Europe. However, there are larger squares in Poland, such as those in Olecko (over 5.5 hectares) and Latowicz (about 4.3 hectares), and the squares in Tarnogród and Wrocław are somewhat smaller.

It is a place full of monuments, among which it is worth mentioning St. Mary's Church, Clothworkers, St Adalbert's Church and the Town Hall Tower, which is a remnant of the Town Hall that was demolished in 1820.

History

The Market Square, the central square of Krakow, was founded in 1257 on the initiative of Duke Boleslaw the Chaste. Its square shape of just over 200 metres was determined by the aldermen Gedko Stilvoyta, Jakub from Nysa and Dytmar from Wrocław, who used a regular surveyor's grid. The main aim was to provide adequate space for local residents and merchants travelling on trade routes.

The Main Square was originally owned by the sovereign, but in 1358 Casimir the Great gave most of the facilities on it to the city. The square was first mentioned around 1300 and goes by various names such as Market, Ring, Circulus or Forum. In later times it became known as the Main Square.

Krakow's Market Square was a place of intense commercial activity, and the numerous merchants' stalls that once filled it remain only in the form of the Cloth Hall. Today, it is not only the focal point of the city, but also an important part of its history and heritage.

From the early 14th to the 18th century, the different areas of the Market had their own names, related to the nature of the trading activities carried out there. The northern part, also known as the "Chicken Market" or "Kurniczy Rynek", most probably covered the area from Slawkowska Street to Florianska Street. In the north-west corner, between the Cloth Hall and Szczepańska Street, was the 'Salt Market', mentioned as early as 1343. On the other hand, there was a 'Coal Market' between the Town Hall and Wiślna and Bracka Streets.

The area from Bracka Street to Grodzka Street was known as the "Lead Market", also called "Lead Court". In the area between St Adalbert's Church and the outlet of Sienna Street, opposite the Grey House, was the 'Jewish Market', sometimes called the 'Jewish Market'. It is likely that opposite the exit of Bracka Street, next to the southern wall of the Cloth Hall, where the Prussian homage took place in 1525, there was a place known as "Na Goldzie", later called "na majestacie" or "theatrum".

In addition to the areas mentioned, historical documents also mention places whose exact location is now difficult to determine, such as the "Fish Market", the "Bread Market", the "Coopers Market" and the "Cancer Market". In former times, the name "Ring" was derived from the street that surrounded the square. Three parallel streets emerged from each side of the market, with the exception of Grodzka Street, which probably existed before the market was officially established.

The four main streets - St. John's, Sienna, Bracka and Szewska - intersected in the middle, dividing the market into four administrative quarters: Slawkowski, Butcher's, Grodzki and Pottery. This layout was a remnant of ancient Roman practice, where towns were delimited based on two intersecting axes.

In the second half of the 13th century, the first brick buildings were constructed, including the Cloth Hall, which was adjacent to the Rich Stalls to the east. The Rich Stalls were used for trading luxury goods and had a similar form to the Cloth Hall, with 64 trading chambers. In the 14th century, most of the tenements were built, as well as the town hall with the notary's house. The Great Scales, also known as the Lead Scales, were placed between the Cloth Hall and St. Adalbert's Church, while the Small Scales, known as the Wax Scales, were located on the eastern side of the Rich Stalls.

Around the middle of the 14th century, the Cloth Hall took on its characteristic form, which, with some changes, still survives today. The line of stalls was enclosed on the south and north sides by the post-shops, i.e. places where cloth was measured. The northern part was later called Syndykka. Surrounding the walled commercial buildings were wooden stalls, called butcheries, which were used by various craftsmen and merchants.

The Main Market Square concentrated many of Krakow's historic residences from the Middle Ages, such as the Margrabska Tenement House, the Pod Krzysztofory Palace, the Zbaraski Palace and the Grey House, as well as magnificent palaces associated with the municipal and royal authorities, such as the Hetmańska Tenement House and the Montelupich Tenement House.

The first cobbled streets in the Market Square appeared in the second half of the 14th century. In 1373, a regulation was issued ordering the owners of adjacent tenements to keep the streets clean. In the 16th and early 17th centuries, the architectural decoration of most of the buildings in the Main Square was rebuilt and changed, with the exception of St. Mary's Church.

The largest building outside the church was the Cracow Town Hall, which was extended with a granary. Near the corners of the Market Square there were wooden rivulets, i.e. water tanks, fed by a water supply system called rurmus, which has been confirmed by archaeological research. From the middle of the 16th century, the ground-floor rooms in the tenements were converted into shops, warehouses and cantors.

In the magnate's palaces, especially in the Grey House, premises were rented mainly by Jewish merchants, which led to the establishment of the Jewish Market at the exit of Sienna Street in the 17th century. The tenements and palaces in the Market Square also housed the first modern institutions, such as the bank exchange offices in the Pod Kruk tenement or the post office in the Montelupich tenement.

During the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, the Market Square, especially the part of the square known as "Na Goldzie", was the venue for ceremonial entrances of rulers, the paying of homage to kings, triumphs and parades. It was here that many grand ceremonies and important historical events in the history of the First Republic took place.

For example, on 10 April 1525, Prince Albrecht Hohenzollern of Prussia paid his fief homage to King Sigismund the Old of Poland on this square. Also, the military oath of allegiance to the Constitution of 3 May took place in this square in 1791. On 24 March 1794, the Supreme Commander of the National Armed Forces Tadeusz Kościuszko took the oath to the nation, inaugurating the uprising. The Market Square also remembers the moment of the entry of Prince Józef Poniatowski and the seizure of the entourage by the Polish army in 1809, as well as the balls held in the Cloth Hall in honour of Napoleon.

This market lies on the Royal Road, leading from the Barbican to Wawel Castle, where the ceremonial entries of the King and foreign delegations took place.

He also witnessed military events such as the 1846 Krakow Revolution and the events of the Spring of Nations in 1848.

The Main Square was also the site of public executions, often combined with torture. For example, the beheading of Andrzej Wierzynek, grandson of Nicholas, was carried out there. Knives were used to cut the condemned, and today the same knife hangs in the aisle of the Cloth Hall.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, several impressive palaces were built in the late Baroque style, such as the Spiš Palace, and reconstructions were carried out on several older buildings, including the Hetman's Tenement, the Margrabskaya Tenement, Pod Evangelistami and the Grey Tenement.

In accordance with a Senate decision, the Town Hall was demolished between 1817 and 1820, leaving only its tower. Around 1830, the first stands for fiacres, often mistakenly called carriages, appeared in the Main Square. At this time, most of the tenements passed into the hands of the new merchant families that began to dominate Krakow. Also some of the palaces were bought by new aristocratic families, such as the Potockis of the Pilawa coat of arms, who acquired the "Pod Baranami" Palace.

In 1882, the Austrian authorities initiated the numbering of tenement houses in Krakow, also in the Market Square area, and divided the frontages into so-called lines:

• Line A-B: the frontage between Floriańska and Slawkowska Streets.
• Line C-D: The frontage between Szczepańska and St Anne's Streets.
• Line E-F: frontage between Wislna and Grodzka Streets.
• Line G-H: The frontage between Grodzka Street and St Mary's Square.

Also in 1882, Krakow's first narrow-gauge horse-drawn tramway line was launched, which ran through the Market Square. In the following years the Market Square became a key transport hub of the city, where the routes of several tramway lines crossed. In 1951, despite the opposition of experts, the authorities decided to remove the tracks from the Market Square.

This process progressed gradually. On 27 June 1952, the last tram of normal gauge passed through Market Square, and the narrow-gauge trams were finally phased out on 13 February 1953, with the removal of the tracks. The tracks were dismantled a few years later, and in the meantime a horse-drawn tram attraction was in operation.

In 1898, a monument to Adam Mickiewicz was erected in the Market Square. In 1929-1932, on frontage A-B, the building of the "Feniks" Insurance Company was erected according to a design by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, which aroused some controversy.

In 1940, the German occupiers changed the name of the Main Square to Adolf-Hitler Platz. After the end of the Second World War, on 18 January 1945, the original name was restored (as were all streets and squares in Krakow whose names had been changed by the occupiers).

On 4 January 1979, the Market Square was closed to traffic.

Contemporary attractions on the main square 

Krakow has a wide range of attractions to satisfy both history buffs and modern entertainment enthusiasts. We have listed some of the attractions that are located in the centre of Krakow below.

House of Attractions

Address: Grodzka 2/14/48, Floriańska 6

House of Attractions is a place that offers something of interest for everyone. Among the 15 attractions available are 3 different mazes, 2 types of VR games, as well as a Museum of Living Butterflieswhich will particularly appeal to the youngest visitors and those with an interest in nature. Whatever the weather - whether it's a sunny or rainy day - it's a great way to spend time in a pleasant atmosphere and take unforgettable photos.

Plus, for lovers of challenge and adventure, House of Attractions offers unique experiences that combine fun and learning with, for example, VR technology, guaranteeing unforgettable moments for the whole family. Highly recommended the best mirror maze in Krakow!

Exit Room

Address: Floriańska 18

Exit Room is the transfer of 'escape the room' adventure games to the real world. It is designed for groups of 2-5 people, and the objective set for participants is to get out of the room in which they have been locked before 60 minutes have passed.

The game requires cleverness, logical thinking and cooperation - only by doing so will it be possible to solve all the puzzles and get out of the room. Exit Room is a great idea both for spending free time with friends or family and for creative team building for companies.

Lost Souls Alley

Address: Floriańska 6

Lost Souls Alley is a place full of fear, emotion and excitement that you experience together with your group members. The passage forces the group to work together and often make sacrifices, which is great for integrating people, and the shared emotions provide hours of conversation and memories. Lost Souls Alley is also a great idea for school trips, corporate and team-building events, hen/bachelorette parties or a surprise birthday party.

AxeNation

Address: 46 Grodzka Street

Axenation is an axe-throwing club, thus offering unusual and exciting entertainment for those looking for new experiences and challenges. At the club you can experience a unique combination of sport, fun and adrenaline, while learning to throw axes under the expert supervision of instructors.

The atmosphere at Axenation is full of enthusiasm and positive energy, making every visit an unforgettable experience. The club offers a variety of activities for people of all ages and levels, making it ideal for beginners and experienced throwers alike.

With its professional staff and safe environment, Axenation provides not only fun but also the opportunity to learn new skills and improve your axe throwing technique. It's a great way to spend time with friends, family or colleagues and is sure to provide plenty of excitement and great memories.

Cracow Poster Gallery

Address: Stolarska 8

Poster Gallery in Krakow, founded in 1985 by Krzysztof Dydo, remained within the structure of DESA until 1994. Since 1994, it has operated as a private gallery owned by Krzysztof Dydo and Ewa Pabis. It is the only gallery in Poland specialising exclusively in the promotion and sale of Polish posters, a meeting place for both artists and all those interested in Polish art posters. In addition to preparing exhibitions, printing catalogues, posters and postcards with poster reproductions, the gallery cooperates in the organisation and organises various thematic poster competitions itself.

The gallery offers its customers almost 2,500 poster titles by nearly 200 Polish graphic artists, painters and designers, so if you have time, a visit to this museum is a must.

Parties and events

The market is the venue for regular meetings and events, including summer festivals, concerts, fairs and shows:

• International Meeting of Military Bands (June)
• Finals of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (January)
• Procession of participants in the International Street Theatre Festival (7-9 July) 
• Court Dance Festival under Town Hall Tower (August)
• Annual New Year's Eve party - the biggest ball in the country (December)
• Christmas market (December)
• Easter markets (March to April)
• Cepeliada Fair (August)
• The enthronement of the King of the Chimes (June)
• Inauguration of the Students' Days (13-19 May)
• Start and finish, or part of the Cracovia Marathon route (April)
• Final of the Lajkonik parade (April)
• Nativity scene competition, which dates back to 1937 (December-February)
• Parade of Dragons - organised since 2000 by the Groteska Puppet, Mask and Actor Theatre (at the beginning of June)
• Antiques fair (every Sunday from 9 a.m., e.g. in the Market Hall)

In summary, Krakow's Market Square is the heart of the city, which beats not only with its distant history but also with its contemporary life and culture. Its rich history, picturesque architecture and numerous attractions make it an extraordinary place that attracts tourists from all over the world. The Main Market Square is constantly evolving, while retaining its unique atmosphere and charm. For the inhabitants of Krakow, it is a place of daily existence, and for visitors - a symbol of the vibrant cultural capital of Poland. Regardless of the time of year or the hour of the day, the Main Square always offers something special for everyone who visits this magical place.