PL. Krokuva / Kraków

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New fountain on the market square

















New pedestrian bridge was officialy opened:













examples of revitalization

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[surskis18]

What is the purpose of those hills and what is the name of monastery? Are they nearby Krakow?

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What is the purpose of those hills and what is the name of monastery? Are they nearby Krakow?

These are artificial hills, the biggeest one is Kosciuszko Mound.

Kościuszko Mound (Kopiec Kościuszki) in Kraków, Poland, erected by Cracovians in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko, is an artificial mound modeled after Kraków's prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. A serpentine path leads to the top, approx. 326 metres (1,070 ft) above sea level, with a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city. It was completed in November 1823. The location selected for the monument was the natural Blessed Bronisława Hill (Polish: Wzgórze bł. Bronisławy), also known as Sikornik, situated in the western part of Kraków's Zwierzyniec District. It is one of Kraków's four mounds.

The construction was financed by donations from Poles living in all territories of Poland under foreign occupation. For three years beginning in 1820, people of all ages and class voluntarily constructed the Mound to the height of 34 metres (112 ft). Work was supervised by a Committee for the Construction of the Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument. At the base of the Mound the Founding Act was deposited in a glass and marble case. At the top, a granite boulder, brought from the Tatra Mountains was placed, bearing the inscription “Kościuszce” (To Kościuszko). Inside the mound urns were buried with soil from the Polish and American battlefields where Kościuszko fought.

Between 1850 – 1854 the Austrian authorities built a brick citadel around the Mound and began using it as a strategic lookout. As compensation for an earlier historical church that had been demolished, a neo-Gothic chapel of Blessed Bronisława was also built. However, the Austrian fortifications, including the gateway and the south-western rampart and entrenchment were eventually dismantled following World War II, between 1945 and 1956.

Next to the Mound there is a museum devoted to Kościuszko, that displays artifacts and mementoes of his life and achievements. In 1997, heavy rains eroded the Mound, thus threatening its existence. It went through a restoration process from 1999 till 2003 in which state-of-the-art technology and modern materials were used. The Mound was equipped with a drainage system and a new waterproofing membrane.

Kościuszko Mound inspired Count Paul Strzelecki, Polish patriot and Australian explorer, to name the highest mountain in Australia Mount Kosciuszko, because of its perceived resemblance to the Kościuszko Mound in Kraków.

There are also 3 smaller mounds in Kraków:

1) Krakusa Mound
2) Piłsudski Mound
3) Wanda Mound.

They all were erected to commemorate someone.

[DocentX]

What is the purpose of those hills and what is the name of monastery? Are they nearby Krakow?

From some article :



Krakow’s two prehistoric landmarks, the Mound of Krak (Kopiec Kraka) and the Mound of Wanda (Kopiec Wandy) have always mystified historians. Scholars maintain they were either the 7th-century monumental tombs or fortifications or pagan temples.

The pair of man-made barrows some fifty feet high (16.7 m and 14.6 m respectively) upon natural elevations 5,5 miles apart were easily seen from afar. And together with two natural Krakow hills they constitute a gigantic astronomical calendar. From the westernmost Sikornik mountain one can observe the sunrise exactly over the Wawel Hill on the spring equinox as well as on the autumnal one, and over the Mound of Krak on November 1, i.e. the Celtic New Year’s Day. While watched from the Mound of Krak, the sun rises over the Mound of Wanda on the eve of the second biggest feast of Celts, May 1.

Curiously, in the early 19th century a monument to Tadeusz Kosciuszko was erected atop the Sikornik mountain in the form of a 34-meter mound (Kopiec Kosciuszki). And still further to the west, on the Sowiniec hill, there is yet another Krakow mound, the 36-meter-high Kopiec Pilsudskiego which dates from the late 1930s and commemorates Marshal Pilsudski.

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more of Krakow:














some more and less known Krakow's churches:

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part of Krakow's northern bypass under constr :








Krakow's Fast Tram - new part under constr :












New tram stops in the city center of Krakow :








Bombardier Wins Contract for 24 Low-floor FLEXITY Classic Trams in Krakow

Janusz Kucmin, Chief Country Representative of Bombardier Transportation in Poland"We are proud that MPK has decided to order trams from Bombardier for the fourth time already. With this order, the FLEXITY Classic low-floor tram fleet owned by MPK Krakow, will be increased to 74 vehicles."

The new FLEXITY Classic vehicles are 32 meters long trams with a width of 2.4 meters and offer a capacity for 229 passengers. Five wide double-door and two single-door entrances ensure a rapid passenger flow, multi-purpose areas provide space for pushchairs and wheel-chair users. Air-conditioning in the passenger compartment, as well as a passenger information system provide high travel comfort.

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http://www.krakow4u.pl/ miesto enciklopedija

[DocentX]

New Museum of Contemporary Art was opened on the site of Oskar Schindler's factory:



















It's a second museum on the site of Oskar Schindler's factory. Some time ago permanent and modern exhibition called "Krakow: Occupation 1939-1945" was opened.

More here:

Oskar Schindler's Krakow factory becomes a museum



Steven Spielberg made Oskar Schindler's name immortal as the man who saved over a thousand Jewish lives in World War II. In Krakow, a museum and memorial recently opened in Schindler's former factory.

An industrial complex in Krakow is hardly the usual place to find hordes of tourists. However in this part of the city, tourist buses line the streets - and it's all because this is the location of Oskar Schindler's factory.

The American film director Steven Spielberg made the factory famous in 1993 when he filmed parts of his Oscar-winning film "Schindler's List" at the factory. The story follows Schindler as he tries to save his Jewish workforce from Nazi persecution and the concentration camps.

Until recently, people had to peer through the locked gates to get a look at the factory. But as of this summer, the building is now open to all visitors.

The Krakow authorities have converted the factory into a museum, which is currently housing an exhibition called "Krakow: Occupation 1939-1945," examining life during Nazi rule.

The exhibition shows the history of Oskar Schindler himself, and his workers. Curator Monika Bednarek said while Schindler is the "main protagonist" of the exhibition, "he's not the only one."

The exhibition also charts the Nazi occupation as a whole, and puts the fate of the Jewish workers in Schindler's factory into context.

Schindler's place in history

Oskar Schindler lived from 1908 to 1974, and was the son of an industrialist. In 1939, after the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany, Schindler acquired an enamel factory which had previously been in Jewish hands.

The factory produced tin ware and later shells and detonators for the war effort. Schindler directly benefitted from the so-called 'Ayranization' of Jewish factories and businesses, and as the war progressed he made a fortune on the black market.

Despite his Nazi membership, Schindler became increasingly concerned about the cruel fate of his Jewish workforce. He added 1,200 workers to his famous list, labeling them 'essential' to the war effort. By doing so, he saved them from certain death at a Nazi concentration camp.

After the war, Schindler's enamel factory became state-owned and was converted for use by a telecommunications company. In 2002 it was abandoned, only to be bought by the city council three years later. "The council decided to turn it into a museum," said Bednarek. With the help of EU funding, the building was renovated.

Modern exhibits entice young visitors

The exhibition begins in the Krakow of the 1930s with a range of photos - such as women walking in the city and Jews on the way to the synagogue.

"First of all we see the history before the war, so we can understand what happened during the war," explained Bendarek.

Then the exhibits chart the outbreak of war, as German soldiers marched through Poland on September 6, 1939. There's even a reconstruction of the Jewish ghetto.

With the help of touch-screen displays, life-size murals and multimedia exhibits, the history of the period is brought to life. The curators hope these types of techniques will help appeal to younger visitors.

"With this technology we can reach young people," said Grzegorz Jezowski, who helped put together the exhibition. "It makes it more attractive for them."

A memorial to Oskar Schindler

Schindler himself only features quite briefly in the exhibition. His story is told through photos, original documents and furniture from the factory.

In the middle of one room is a giant transparent cube, filled with tin pots, bowls and plates that were produced in Schindler's factory. The instillation is meant to represent the history of the entrepreneur and his workers. In the center hang the names of around 1,200 Jewish workers whose lives were saved by Schindler.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6202211,00.html

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New Year's Eve

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Is it possible to see high Tatras from there? Isn't it fake?
Anyway these panoramas are amazing.

[DocentX]

Is it possible to see high Tatras from there? Isn't it fake?
Anyway these panoramas are amazing.

It's not fake - when the air is clear it's possible.













bonus pic:

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next...

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New Underground Train Station















Kraków Balice airport - new terminal - construction will start soon





Museum of Polish Home Army









'Czartoryskich' Museum - modernization



The Czartoryskich Museum (Muzeum Ksiazat Czartoryskich), which dates back to 1801, is the oldest museum in Poland. The museum can boast the country’s most valuable collections of art, ancient handicrafts, and memorabilia connected with historical figures. Its best know exhibit is Leonardo da Vinci’s famous ‘Lady with an Ermine'.



Wisła Kraków stadium







Congress center







Alma Tower





Some examples of new office buildings:































New Hotels











Some apartment buildings :