Just 2 days after Christmas, Mark, Melissa and I took a train ride to the beautiful Polish city of…..Kraków! Often referred to as the "Jewel of Poland", this was our third trip to Kraków….but Melissa's first.
Mark was not feeling well but he came with us on the train and we were so glad! Though he didn't explore with Melissa and me…when it came time to eating he was right there with us!
Our first stop was the beautiful Rynek (main market square) area to find something to eat for lunch. Lucky for us…it was just a short walk from our hotel. Kraków was having its own Christmas market and so there were plenty of food choices outside.
It was cold and wet, but we ate outside like the locals….or maybe like the tourists. Mark left Melissa and me on our own and returned to the hotel to rest….while we explored Kraków for a few hours. The cold and the rain did not keep us….or other people away!
We are standing in front of the Cloth Hall…a beautiful Renaissance building where merchants sell a variety of beautiful Polish arts and wares, and the statue of Poland's national poet…Adam Mickiewicz.
Learning about Pan (Mr.) Mickiewicz…makes me wonder…does the U.S. have a national poet? Mickiewicz was Poland's greatest Romantic poet of the 19th century…and his writings are both popular and required reading for most Polish students today.
Kościół Mariacki - Church of St. Mary
This church is grand in size and decor…a beautiful Renissance church built by the citizens of Kraków…starting in 1355! I had never been in this church in my previous visits…so Melissa and I went inside.
It is well known for its wooden alter….and the art work is quite beautiful!
I especially liked the scenes showing the birth and life of Jesus Christ, carved and painted on a number of wooden tiles.
A small doll symbolizing the baby Jesus is near the alter. We learned this church is still an active Roman Catholic church today. Though dark and cold inside, the church was quite beautiful.
We saw an organ high against one wall...
...and the wooden alter from a distance.
Outside of the church in a small courtyard is this statue.
I could not understand its significance…but I liked it.
We loved walking through the large Rynek, and across the cobblestone streets.
One of the outdoor market stalls was selling "oscypki". We had no idea what oscypki were but the smells coming from the booth were so good! Melissa and I thought it would be some type of warm bread served with a berry jam.
We are ready to bite and anticipate something so delicious….
….but while our brains were expecting one thing, our taste buds experienced something completely different! We learned that "Oscypki" is smoked cheese made from salted sheep milk.
The cheese is made in the southern Polish area of the Tatra mountains and is handmade by the local farmers. This cheese treat is quite popular….little did Melissa and I realize that we were not eating a soft bread…but salted cheese with jam! Truthfully….on this first try we didn't care for it.
Kraków is known for its very unique nativity scenes…szopka krakrowska. Since 1937, there has been a competition by artists of all ages to create szopka krakowska..and this year was the 70th year of the competition.
During my first two visits in Kraków, I had seen these small creations in shops but had no idea what they were or their significance….although they did seem to resemble some type of ornate nativity. I had only seen them in Kraków…so I was pretty sure they were unique to this particular area of Poland.
During the first part of December artists display their creations at the base and around the statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the main statue in the middle of the market square. The nativities are displayed, then judged. After the judging, the nativities are then moved to the History Museum of Kraków and are on display for a few months.
Both amateur and professional artists use historical buildings of Kraków as the backdrop for their nativities….buildings such as St. Mary's Church or the Wawel Castle.
We noticed a number of common elements in each of these creations….the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph…and also historical and or literary characters such as…dragons, knights, kings and queens.
The nativities came in a variety of sizes and colors, and had many different types of ornamentation. I had so many questions as I walked around this exhibit….how long did they take to make, how old was the artist, what were the required elements in each nativity?
It was quite fun to find this exhibit of unique nativities that are created in Kraków each year! I think in order to find my answers…I will need to do some investigating of "szopka krakrowski"!
Beautiful Kraków at night….Melissa and I stepped into a small cafe and shared a delicious, warm apple dessert!
Mark joined us for dinner in a small restaurant in the Rynek area. It felt good to relax together but unfortunately the meal and restaurant were only fair.
We walked around at night, and though cold….
….we enjoyed being in beautiful Kraków in December.
Coming to Kraków during the winter and Christmas season was a fun new experience! We loved sharing this time with Melissa!
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