Abandoned Kraków

Krakow’s ever growing number of pristine, renovated townhouses and cleaned up or repaired cobbled streets and squares might give the impression that it is a city exclusively of postcard picture opportunities. But fans of communist architectural genius need not panic. Of course there’s the Socialist Realist city of Nowa Huta close by, but there’s also three equally amazing abandoned oddities within the city limits. First off there’s the Skeletor (szkieletor) tower rising above Rondo Mogilskie (K-2). This 22 storey structure is rated the tallest building in the city, and is a remarkable reminder of the follies of communism. The 91 metre tower, which has never been occupied, was originally designed in 1968 to serve as a congress hall and office block and work commenced in 1975, with local authorities pressuring architects to make it as tall as possible. Another eight floors were hastily added to the original blueprint, with a TV studio, hotel and panoramic terrace all part of the master plan. Alas, Poland’s economic crisis hit soon after and all work on it was abandoned in 1979, never to be resumed. Today the monster stands fenced off from the public, a ghostly reminder of the golden dawn promised by the nation’s leaders. Acquired by GD&K and Verity Developments it’s increasingly likely that the coming year we'll begin to see it finally transformed into something glittery.

Next up on your tour of forgotten Krakow is what was once the Forum Hotel, described in issue 1 of Krakow In Your Pocket back in 1999, as ‘a legacy of the era of Soviet hospitality’. You’ll know why when you visit. Essentially a concrete oblong set on sticks construction on this beauty began in 1978, with the ribbon cutting taking place 11 years later. Even still when it was unveiled in 1989 it came to be regarded as one of the most futuristic buildings in Krakow. Awarded four stars the hotel featured perks unknown in 80s Krakow; air-conditioned rooms, an outdoor electronic clock with temperature displays, swimming pool, mini golf and casino. Bond would have loved snooping round these corridors. Having passed from the Orbis brand to the Sofitel in 2001 the hotel was closed at the end of 2002, apparently because of a construction fault that led to frequent flooding of the basements. Today the vacant building is owned by the Wawel-Imos group, and though its future is uncertain it sometimes finds itself rented out to function as Poland’s longest billboard.

Finally, there’s the Liban Quarry, right by the Kraków– Krzemionki train station. Originally established in 1873 as a lime quarry by Liban & Ehrenpreis the area was utilized by the Nazis as a labour camp for Poles, with the Płaszow camp lying adjacent. After the war it saw heavy industrialization, and you’ll still see great big rusting hulks of industrial leftovers lying around. Although the quarry closed in 1990 that didn’t signal the death of Liban. It’s extremely popular with rock climbers, and payment of an annual fee of 5-8zl is enough to gain entry. But it’s for its associations with Spielberg that it is most famous for. This is where much of Schindler’s List was filmed in 1993, with half a million dollars invested into recreating Płaszow camp. Amazingly traces of the film set remain visible, including barbed wire fences and gates, and a visit here is a haunting trip through times past.