After a five hour bus ride we arrived at our next destination, Krakow, Poland. Once we arrived, we walked through the Old Town of Krakow to get to the restaurant for lunch. Our short walk through the Old Town showed us the drastic differences between Krakow and the city we just visited, Warsaw. While Warsaw has more skyscrapers, Krakow has a preserved medieval charm. Lunch gave us the opportunity to converse with three Polish students who had joined us from the nearby town of Gliwice – and who are part of the PTPI Gliwice Chapter. We discussed the various cultures and differences and discussed our interests.
After finishing lunch we walked to Wawel Hill on which the Royal Castle is located. The tapestries and sculptures in the castle dated back to the 17th Century. The tapestries were created off three major themes: mythology, the Bible and nature. The castle was designed by two Italian architects and it took 12 years to build. The castle served as Nazi headquarters during World War II. Afterwards we went to St. Mary’s Basilica in the main market square of Krakow. The Basilica serves as the highest point in all of Krakow. They blow the bugle every hour and have one of the largest bells in the world. The alter is opened and closed every day and depicts the three wise men, the resurrection and the twelve apostles with the Virgin Mary. The stained glass window is one of the oldest in Europe, as Krakow was spared during the bombings of WWII.
As the day wound down, we were given the chance to explore Old Town in Krakow and shop for souvenirs. After an enchanting visit in the Old Town, we got together in small delegation meetings to prepare for tomorrow’s start of our two day study tour of Auschwitz.
-By Carolyn Hill
After finishing lunch we walked to Wawel Hill on which the Royal Castle is located. The tapestries and sculptures in the castle dated back to the 17th Century. The tapestries were created off three major themes: mythology, the Bible and nature. The castle was designed by two Italian architects and it took 12 years to build. The castle served as Nazi headquarters during World War II. Afterwards we went to St. Mary’s Basilica in the main market square of Krakow. The Basilica serves as the highest point in all of Krakow. They blow the bugle every hour and have one of the largest bells in the world. The alter is opened and closed every day and depicts the three wise men, the resurrection and the twelve apostles with the Virgin Mary. The stained glass window is one of the oldest in Europe, as Krakow was spared during the bombings of WWII.
As the day wound down, we were given the chance to explore Old Town in Krakow and shop for souvenirs. After an enchanting visit in the Old Town, we got together in small delegation meetings to prepare for tomorrow’s start of our two day study tour of Auschwitz.
-By Carolyn Hill
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