The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland or Polish Jura, is part of the Jurassic System of south–central Poland, stretching between the cities of Kraków, Częstochowa and Wieluń. The Polish Jura borders the Lesser Polish Upland to the north and east, the foothills of the Western Carpathians to the south and Silesian Upland to the west. The Polish Jura consists of a hilly landscape with Jurassic limestone rocks, cliffs, valleys and vast limestone formations, featuring some 220 caves. The relief of the upland developed since the Paleogene, under climatic conditions changing considerably. Its main component is a peneplain, crowned by monadnocks, rocky masses that resisted erosion, generated as hard rock on Late Jurassic buildup surrounded by less resistant bedded limestone of the same age. The Polish Jura is visited by roughly 400,000 visitors a year. Part of it belongs to the Ojców National Park, the smallest of Poland's twenty national parks, ranking among the most attractive recreational areas of the country. #awesomepic#camping#naturalwonders#culturalattractions#lakes

Kościuszko Mound is an artificial mound in Kraków, Poland. It was erected by Cracovians in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko, and modeled after Kraków's prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. A serpentine path leads to the top, approximately 326 metres (1,070 ft) above sea level, with a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city. It was completed in November 1823. The location selected for the monument was the natural Blessed Bronisława Hill (Polish: Wzgórze bł. Bronisławy), also known as Sikornik, situated in the western part of Kraków's Zwierzyniec District. Kościuszko Mound is one of Kraków's four memorial mounds, consisting of two prehistoric mounds, Krakus Mound and Wanda Mound, and two modern ones, Piłsudski Mound and Kościuszko Mound. #awesomepic#historicculture#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions

The Old Synagogue was an Orthodox Jewish synagogue situated in the Kazimierz district of Kraków, Poland. In Yiddish it was referred to as the Alta Shul. It is the oldest synagogue building still standing in Poland, and one of the most precious landmarks of Jewish architecture in Europe. Until the German invasion of Poland in 1939, it was one of the most important synagogues in the city as well as the main religious, social, and organizational centre of the Kraków Jewish community. The Synagogue was built in 1407 or 1492; the date of building varies with several sources. The original building was rebuilt in 1570 under the watchful eye of an Italian architect Mateo Gucci. The rebuilding included the attic wall with loopholes, windows placed far above ground level, and thick, masonry walls with heavy buttressing to withstand siege, all features borrowed from military architecture. #awesomepic#historicculture#bestislandtraveltowns#culturalattractions

Wawel Castle or commonly known as Wawel Castle is one of the tourist attractions in Krakow and a Polish landmark. Wawel Castle stands from a water building during the British colonial era. The hallmark of this castle is its architecture in the form of a decorative structure that is made permanently. Wawel Hill has been in use as a settlement since the 7th century, and became the headquarters of the Polish nobles at that time. Tourists who visit this castle can climb wawel hill and then enter the ground through the gate. Visitors can also see the view of the Vistula River. This building is very architectural and has neat works of art. very suitable for connoisseurs of beautiful buildings that also store history in the past. #historicculture#loveflowers#museumquest#themepark

Ojców National Park is a national park in Kraków County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, established in 1956. It takes its name from the village of Ojców, where it also has its headquarters. Chopin visited Ojców in 1829. Karst topography of soluble bedrock characterizes the park, which in addition to two river (the Prądnik and Saspówka) valleys contains numerous limestone cliffs, ravines, and over 400 caves. The largest of these, Łokietek's Cave (said to have sheltered King Władysław I Łokietek, for whom it was named), is 320 meters (1,050 ft) deep. The area is also noted for its rock formations, the most famous being Hercules' Club, a 25-meter (82 ft)-high limestone column. #awesomepic#historicculture#beautifulsunsets#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions#camping#hiking#nationalpark

Planty is one of the largest city parks in Kraków, Poland. It encircles the Stare Miasto, where the Medieval city walls used to stand until the early 19th century. The historic Old Town is not to be confused with the Administrative District No. 1 Stare Miasto extending further east. The park has an area of 21,000 square meters (5.2 acres) and a length of 4 kilometers (2.5 mi). It consists of a chain of thirty smaller gardens designed in varied styles and adorned with numerous monuments and fountains. There are over twenty statues of noble historical figures in the park – monuments of Nicolaus Copernicus, Jan Matejko, queen Jadwiga and king Wladyslaw II Jagiello, just to name a few. There are also several plaques in the park commemorating, among others, Jan Dlugosz and Stanislaw Wyspianski. #awesomepic#historicculture#loveflowers#beautifulsunsets#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a mine that has been in operation since the 13th century. This mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world that is still operating today. This mine has a depth of up to 327 meters with a length of more than 300 km. Although it has been operating since the 13th century, this mine has finally stopped its mining activities since 1996, but the salt production process of the Wieliczka mine only stopped in 2007. The Polish government then turned this mine into a museum and tourist spot. This salt mine is an attractive tourist destination in Poland, about 800 thousand tourists visit this mine every year. #historicculture

Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is a former metal item factory in Kraków. It now hosts two museums: the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków, on the former workshops, and a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków, situated at ul. ul. Lipowa 4 (4 Lipowa Street) in the district of Zabłocie in the administrative building of the former enamel factory known as Oskar Schindler's Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik (DEF), as seen in the film Schindler's List. Operating here before DEF was the first Malopolska factory of enamelware and metal products limited liability company, instituted in March 1937. #awesomepic#historicculture#beautifulsunsets#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions

The Kraków Cloth Hall, in Lesser Poland, dates to the Renaissance and is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town, which since 1978 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was once a major centre of international trade. Travelling merchants met there to discuss business and to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, the hall was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the east – spices, silk, leather and wax – while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine. In the immediate vicinity of the hall, the Great Weigh House and the Small Weigh House existed until the 19th century. Other, similar cloth halls have existed in other Polish as well as other European cities such as in Ypres, Belgium; Braunschweig, and in Leeds, England. #awesomepic#café#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions