I am very pleased that you stop by.  

Last may, we visited Krakow, in Poland.  Poland is bounded by Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Germany. Krakow is in the southeastern portion of Poland near the Czech and Slovak borders. Pope John Paul II remains a genuine source of pride for all Poles, and is beloved in a way more profound than cynics in the west can understand. While Poland was left in a heap of rubble after the WWII, Krakow escaped the wholesale destruction. Today it is home to some 2.3 million registered artworks and significant historical sites. In the town center is the gothic St. Mary's Cathedral, and nearby the church of St. Peter and Paul. A few meters away, is the Wawel Castle, home to all the Kings of Poland.

Inside the complexity of this castle, is the Wawel Cathedral, the scene of the crowning of almost every Polish Kings and Queens throughout its history. Considered the most important single building in Poland, Wawel extraordinary Cathedral has at its center  the imposing tomb of the former Bishop of Krakow, St. Stanislaw (1030-1079).

The largest death camp in the Third Reich where between 1.1 million and 1.5 million jews were exterminated was in the town of Oswiecim. The Auschwitz 1 and Birkenau is about 75 km west of Krakow. Here you will see the gruesome way how those jews were executed.

The Wieliczka Mine (Salt Mine), a listed UNESCO monument created by nature some 15 million of years ago, features nine floors, ranging from 64 to 327 meters down. Here you will see the 17th century St Anthony's chapel and the huge chapel of St. Kinga, which is completely decorated with salt.

Jasna Gora, Shrine of Our lady of Czestochowa, is one of the most beautiful places of worship. It is the shrine of The Miraculous Painting of Our Lady, The Black Madonna. Legend says that the image of the Mother of God was painted by St. Luke, the evangelist on the board of the table from the House of Nazareth. First the Holy Icon was kept in Jerusalem, then in Constatinople, and finally to Poland. In 1430 the image was struck by robbers who have slashed the face of the Black Madonna. For centuries the Painting of Our Lady has been known for many miracles which made Jasna Gora a pilgrimage site for people from all over Europe.

Here you will see some collections of pictures about Krakow, and hope that you will have the opportunity to visit this place. You may find peace of mind to follow the footstep of Karol Wojtyla, who became the youngest pope of the century.

    This page was last updated on 09/22/07.

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