Krakow has a great history and can be proud of it. City is located close to Vistula river. To understand the place better is good to find out more about the past and the roots of the city.

The name of Kraków is traditionally derived from Krakus , the legendary founder of Kraków and a ruler of the tribe of Lechitians A legend attributes its founding to the mythical ruler Krak , who built it above a cave occupied by a ravenous dragon, Smok Wawelski.

Once upon a time there was the dragon . He was so gluttonous that he was eating animals, birds and the more he was eating the more he wanted.When the reserves of food wasn’t enough he strated hunting at people. The most he liked eating beautiful maidens.
The king Krak ordered his servants and subordinates to kill the dragon. As a reward he promised wonderful prize.- half of his kingdom and his daughter as a wife. Many daredevil tried to kill the beast but without any success.
There were also shoemaster who was watching all these knights very carefully.
Fortunately he had a great idea . Because he knew that dragon likes to eat a lot he gave him sheep stuffed with suplhur and pitch He took such prepared animal and leave it in front of the dragon’s cave. Soon , the shoemaster didn’t have to wait for an effect. The dragon enticed by tasty smell of sheep came out of the cage quickly and ate his special meal at once. As soon as he ate it he felt terrible pain and the fire was coming out of his stomache. He started running to the river and drinking all the water greedily. His stomach was getting bigger and bigger and the.... he burst in one thousand pieces. In the city all the people were very happy and the hero-shoemaster has wedding with king’s daughter and he also received half of the kingdom and they lived long and happily.

This is how the legend look like. And what about facts ? Archaeological findings provide evidence that Wawel Hill was settled as far back as the early Stone Age.

Begining
The Polish state came into being around 966 AD, when duke , Mieszko 1st accepted Christianity . This step reinforced country’s prestige and power and prevent Germinans from riding the country under the cause of Christianization. Duke Mieszko had son (Boleslaw Chrobry) who became , the first king During reign of Boleslaw Chrobrego the first bishopric were brought into being. Around year 1000. Also the building of Katedra Wawelska was started In year 1076 in Katedra Wawelska Boleslaw Smialy was crowned on King of Poland. In 1241 – Tatars invaded the city and burned it. In 1257 - Kraków received municipal rights granted by Boleslaw Wstydliwy (1226-79).

Golden age
Krakow was capital of Poland from 1038-1596 has started many initiatives and influenced on changes during Golden Age. It has been a vibrant place for art, culture, trade, education.
The Krakow Academy has started its educational work in 1364.
The coronation of prince Wladyslaw Jagiello for the king of Poland takes place on Wawel in 1386 . King was was baptized in the church of the Franciscans. It was the begining of the 200-year-long reign of a new dynasty of Jagiellons on the Polish throne.
The 15th and 16th centuries were known as Poland's Zloty Wiek, the Golden Age.
In 1498 the construction of Barbakan was completed and only two years later in 1500 - The construction of the Renaissance castle started on Wawel.
In 1520, the most famous church bell in Poland, named Zygmunt after the name of the king -Sigismund I of Poland, was cast.
The Sigismund Chapel - the mausoleum of the Jagellonians in the Gothic Cathedral –is a masterpiece by Bartolommeo Berrecci. The Castle together with the Chapel has immense impact on Polish architecture. Sukiennice were the center of the town trade since 14th 1609 King Sigismund III Wasa leaves to take up residence in Warsaw.

18th and early 19th century
In 1702, the city was seized and devastated by the Swedish army again. In 1772 in was the first partition of Poland. the southern part of Little Poland was seized by the Austrian army. 1794 General Tadeusz Kosciuszko incites revolution After the third partition of Poland in 1795 Wawel is used as an Austrian barracks for almost a century City in the 18th and 19th centuries under the occupation of Russian, Habsburg and Prussian empires.

The 20 th century
Krakow regain independce thanks to growth of independence movements, in 1918 and still had played an important role with fast developing industry . After only 21 years of freedom the II World War started.

The Nazi German invaded Poland in September 1939 . Many professors of Jagiellonian University and city's intellectual elite were arrested and transported to the concentration camp in Sachsenhausen.
Krakow miraculously escaped destruction during the end of the World War II , only light attack was ordered on the city. After the war Krakow lost its privileged position but today however, it has restored and with its inhabitants is major academic and cultural with large number of univerisites , museums, galleries. In 2004 Poland joined the European Union.

Now Krakow is a place where everyone will find something interesting. You can fell past and present, tradition and modernity. What is amazing it create a special unique atmosphere. Here you can relax and enjoy your time. This is unforgetable expirience to watch old, monuments, galleries, people walking at the streets of Old Town and Kazimierz.
This only the little what we can offer- so come and see for yourself.