More features:

• Szopki Krakowska

  One of Kraków’s most unique and singular Christmas  traditions is the popular creation of ‘szopki....

• Czesław Miłosz

  Czesław Miłosz (1911-2004) has come to be regarded as the finest Polish writer of the 20th century, his work influencing generations of natives and foreigners alike....

• Jagiellonian University

  It might be hard to believe but the young reprobates you see staggering out of Kraków’s student bars actually represent Poland’s educational elite....

• Lenin in Kraków

  While Kraków’s regal associations are common knowledge, it’s easy to remain ignorant of its connections with communism, and specifically Comrade Lenin who for two years called the city home....

• Abandoned Kraków

  No visitor can leave Krakow without being struck by its beauty. Almost overwhelming at times it’s a city of pristine townhouses and cobbled alleys....

• The Maluch

  Like the Czech Škoda and the East German Trabant, the Polish Maluch has served several purposes during its lifetime; a Godsend for families behind the Iron Curtain, source of amusement for smirking foreigners and now, as a cult icon for nostalgists....

• Polish Name Days (Imieniny)

  In Poland, name days (imieniny) are widely celebrated and have traditionally been given a greater importance than birthday celebrations, particularly as one gets on in years....

• Witkacy

  
  Eccentric, flamboyant and tragic, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz - remembered as ‘Witkacy’ (1885-1939) – was one of Poland’s premier avant-garde icons....

• The Zbruch Idol

  If you’re admiring Wawel Castle, you might notice the strange, battered sculpture in front of it at Plac Bernardyński (C-5)....

• Dishing Up History

  Undamaged by the Nazi cyclone, Kraków’s Old Town is one of the few town centres in Poland which remains in its original form, and as such represents a breathing history lesson....

• The Vistula/Wisła

  The legendsThe villagers had limited options. The dragon beneath a nearby hill was waiting to consume their sheep and the last of their daughters....

• Polish Vodka

  Proven masters of make-do with the potato as their primary resource, the Poles have been producing and drinking vodka since the early Middle Ages, distilling their skill into some of the best vodka blends available in the world, many of which date back centuries....

• What's in a Name?

  The word Kraków originates from Krak (or Krakus), the fabled ruler of the Vistulan tribes, who according to legend founded the city sometime around 700AD and who, among a great many other possible things, valiantly led an army against the Gaulles in Carinthia....