Easter in Cracovia 2022
I could use many adjetives and facts to describe Cracovia, second largest city in Poland, on the Vistula River, capital until the end of 16th century, home of S John Paul II as Archbishop, known in the movies for the Plaszow field in Schindler´s List, Unesco World Heritage but you can find all that and more in Google or books (better).
Is is also traditional, religious, you can get lost walking through its streets, it is welcoming with visitors and students. And this in the main reason we decided to go there this 2022 Easter. To visit our son Jose David who was spending some months with an Erasmus scholarship to finish his studies.
About ten days can look like a lot, but getting to know some iconic places in this part of Poland plus the many things that the city offers, and more in Holy Week where you can still feel the Faith in the churches, are just a few days.
Carolina spent almost two days in Cracovia before my arrival, but the first day together we visited quietly the Wawel Cathedral, but no the Castle as it was under restoration. Similar happened with the cave of the famous dragon, it opens only in summer. The rest of the day with a guided visit to the Jewish district of Kazimierz, the guide was a boy from Madrid but with more than ten years living and guiding in this part of Europe. The visit is free, but it is worth a generous tip. We finished in the Guetto Heroes square, there you can try to feel the selections of the Jews residents, in one wall of the left side the were shootings by the SS, The green house was the general quarter of the Jewish Resistance. Strolling these streets it is a living history lesson.
Saturday morning we rented a car, for three days…. to visit some important towns, this I hope will be in other post.
On Tuesday, we continued in the Main Square, we had an Airbnb apartment ten minutes walking from the center, so, it was easy to go for lunch and go on with the visit. Schindler´s Factory was at the afternoon, and from there crossing the Vistula and Kazimiers again we ended in St Adalberto´s Church,… 24 hours Adoration Chapel, we were there for the mass. I remember the small chapel crowded with people, without masks when in Spain we still needed them, it was the first time in two years a boy shake hands with me in the peace. It was an emotional moment.
Next day after a short walk in a wonderful sunny morning by the Vistula River, we took a bus to go to Wieliczka Salt Mine. In these mines was working S John Paul II. You can visit different levels, with chapels carved on the salt, like St Kinga´s Chapel and wonderful statues and engravings. This place is producing salt since the 13th century.
One of the days, we dedicated a visit to the sadly famous Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Extermination Camp. It is difficult to describe with words what you feel there, but let us pray God those things will not happen again.
Back to Krakow. St Mary´s Basilique, with his magnificent altar and the stained glasses. After strolling Florianska Street, Rynek, the view from the Clock Tower, short visit to the quiet New Jewish Cemetery. These where some of the places we visited on the 14th.
Almost ending our stay in Krakow, the day was rainy, the city wanted to farewell us in this way. We celebrated the Holy Friday at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy.
Next day we would leave to Spain, we spent so, the last hours in the best place to thank Jesus for the gift of this visit to Cracovia.
