As the holidays have died down, Krakow continues to come to life. People run to and from work and students from the Jagiellonian University flood the streets. In a day, Krakow turned from a hot-spot for tourists into a beacon of art and academia. Tourists can still be seen roving through the city, as the most common language heard throughout the streets are Russian, American, British, and German. As the city has put away its event decorations and concert stage, its true beauty shines. Now the cathedrals and towers can be seen in all their magnificence without the splendor of crowd control gates and stages. Now the tourists can be easily gleaned in their giant groups as they walk from spot to spot, listening to tour guides describe each monument in its historical significance.
It seems odd that as a tourist, one can spend weeks in a city filled with historical emblems, museums, cathedrals, churches and castles and yet in all that time, not see a single one of these sights. Surprisingly enough, this is exactly how I spent my first two weeks in Krakow. Walking around the city is like walking through an endless museum. Each time, the streets appear as different as the people. The languages are ever changing. Over the course of the month, the city's colors and moods change daily with the weather and new faces. Perhaps this is an accumulation of my own growing comprehension of the surroundings. Even though the New Year and Christmas are over, the nightlife is brimming with youth on a daily basis. Even in the dead of winter (albeit a very warm one) tourists are endlessly filling the city center.
Amidst so much history are the romantic local stories. When arriving in Poland, it never occurred to me that I would be entering a city of so much gallantry and old-fashioned romance. Not only do the men here hold doors for ladies, but also always escort them home, ensuring the safety of their romantic partners and friends. This trip sometimes seems difficult in its apparent loneliness, yet these moments are fleeting as the visions fill the gaps. People are a sight to behold – romance glows in every corner of the main Market Square - Rynek Glowny - as couples stand kissing in the middle of crowds, streets and passersby. Young men await their ladies with long-stemmed roses near historic statues.
In Krakow's historical and most preserved center, every piece of architecture is filled with history and stories. The cobblestones on the streets and giant wooden gate-like doors scream “We were there, we saw it all; we are here, we see all; we will be here, and we will witness all.” St. Andrew’s church is perhaps one of the strongest spokesmen of such a credo. Built between 1079 A.D. and 1098 A.D., this holy ground and fortress has withstood the 1241 A.D. and 1259 A. D. Tatar invasions, Krakow’s fires, the partition of Poland, and the great wars of the 20th Century. It stands as a beacon of preservation and protection, having already carried out this role several times in Krakow’s history. It’s no wonder that there is an inherent pride in anyone who lives here. “Krakowians” breathe of survival, preservation, and noble grandeur.
Criticism or distaste are only spoken of in reference to “Socialist Realism”, an artistic manner of speaking when describing the hideous aftereffects of the Soviet Union's architectural stamps on the city. One Pole described the Soviet Regime’s pointed intention of making this beautiful city ugly by building smokestacks and “kitsch” buildings – something between a fascist and a communist mold of architecture.
