MAIN MARKET PLACE (RYNEK GŁOWNY)

Located in the heart of the old city, the point of convergence of all the tourist arteries, this vast quadrilateral of 200 meters on each side is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Dating back to 1257, it is a rare example of a preserved medieval urban layout (if we exclude the many shanties, stores, cemeteries and other facilities that were jumbled together in the square and have since been destroyed). In the summer, an incredible crowd enjoys the numerous café terraces, which compete for the spotlight, and the street animations. In winter, life goes on and the crowds gather for its superb Christmas market or the various ceremonies that punctuate the city's calendar. 47 houses now frame the square, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, they were remodeled in the mid-19th century in a neoclassical style that ensures an architectural homogeneity to the whole. Most of the buildings that encircle the square have their own history. No. 6, "the gray house", housed the first elected king of Poland, Henry of Valois. No. 7, called the Montelupi Palace, became the first post office of Poland under King Sigismund. At No. 9 the Gothic Bonerowska Palace was the home of the painter Stanislas Wispański. At no. 20 the Potocki Palace with its loggia-lined courtyard is a model of classical Krakow architecture, as is the 16th-century Pod Baranami Palace at no. 27, which today houses a cultural center.