Where Dragons Breathe and Kings Still Reign
Krakow is one of those rare cities that survived centuries of invasion, occupation, and partition without losing its soul. While Warsaw was razed to rubble in 1944, Krakow emerged from World War II with its medieval core miraculously intact — its 40,000-square-meter Main Market Square, its Renaissance castle atop Wawel Hill, and its labyrinth of Gothic cellars all breathing the same air they did when Copernicus walked these streets.
Founded by legend by the dragon-slaying King Krakus, granted its charter in 1257, and Poland's capital until 1596, Krakow is at once a living museum and a fiercely modern university city.
"Krakow is the city where the past and present coexist in perfect harmony — a place where every stone has a story and every story has a soul." — Polish proverb