GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CRACOW
Cracow, the former capital of Poland, was established at the junction of trade routes. Cracow in named after a tribal ruler called Krakus. According to its legend, Krakus established a fortified castle on the left bank of the Vistula River. The oldest description of Cracow was written by a traveler and tradesman named Ibn Jakub in 965. A bishopric was established in Cracow in 1000. In 1083, during the reign of the Piat Dynasty, the royal capital was transferred from Gniezno to Cracow. For over five centuries, until the capital was moved to Warsaw in 1596, all Polish Kings were crowned and laid to rest here. In 1241 Cracow was destroyed after the Tatars invasion. During the reconstruction a chessboard arrangements of the streets and the main market was traced out. The main market is the largest existing medieval square in Europe.

In 1364 King Casmir the Great founded the University - the first one in Poland, the second in central Europe. Later this university was supported by Queen Jadwiga and King Wladyslaw Jagiello and was named Jagiellonian University after him. The end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were periods of splendid development of Cracow. It was the capital of one of the largest countries of Europe. The Swedish invasion in the mid - 17th century started the gradual decline of the city which was completed by the partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century. In 1794 a national rising under Tadeusz Kosciuszko began in Cracow. Following the third partition in 1795, Cracow was occupied by Austria. At the beginning of the 19th century the city was a part of the Duchy of Warsaw, and from 1815 became an independent Cracow Republic until 1846 (when it was incorporated into Austria again).

The city regained freedom and independence in 1918. During the Nazi occupation and liberation of the city in 1945 Cracow was saved from destruction. Recently UNESCO recognized the Old City of Cracow as "The World's Heritage".

Nowadays, together with Warsaw, Cracow is considered to be a very popular tourist destination for visitors keen on history, art and culture. This marvelous town and its people are happy to host guests from all around the world.

Cracow is often host to international seminars and conferences. As an example of its importance we should mention that in the year 2000 Cracow was "The Cultural Capital of Europe".

Moreover it is an excellent place to start different excursions to places of interest located nearby. Among them there are venues that are very known, like Wieliczka Salt Mine, the former concentration camp in Auschwitz - Birkenau, raft down Dunajec gorge, the highest Polish mountains south of Zokopane, Pieskowa Skala castle or John Paul II Museum in his place of birth in Wadowice.