The legend behind Krakow’s trumpet call

Kraków is a city filled with stunning architecture and legends, some of which have become the symbol of the city today such as the trumpet call played from the highest tower of Saint Mary’s Church in Kraków.?? ?

Like so many places in this charming city, the St Mary church is shrouded in mystery and legend. One of the well-known legends is the iconic trumpet call which is played every hour on the hour, four times in succession in each of the four cardinal directions, by a trumpeter on the highest tower of the ancient church. Although the earliest written mention of the appears of the trumpet dates from 1392, the most popular legend about the trumpet call comes from a story in the 13th century which tells a brave city guard who saved Kraków from a Tatar invasion.

Centuries ago, the high church tower served as a watchtower where a trumpeter stood guard and played the trumpet call at sunrise and sunset to give the signal to open and close the city gates or to warn the townspeople of fire or invasion. In 1241, when Mongol troops were approaching the gates of Kraków, a watchful guard noticed the enemy and blew the trumpet immediately, so that the gates were shut before they arrived. In the middle of the melody, a Tatar arrow pierced his throat and broke the alarm, but the city was saved. To commemorate the event, every day the trumpeter played the same melody from the four sides of the tower, and the tune always breaks in mid-note where the brave guardsman finished many centuries ago.

Today, the melody is not merely known to almost every Pole, but it was famous in the world after it was played by almost 2,000 trumpeters from all over the world and listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 2000. Lately, Kraków is looking for a new trumpeter to join a seven-person team and continue the 600-year-old tradition. Have you ever heard of the live trumpet call from the most beautiful market square of Kraków? I wonder how you feel about this living legend.?

If you haven‘t been to Kraków, you are welcome to join our ? 3days Krakow city break? to explore and enjoy the charm of the city.?

/by

Visit Krakow in winter

Although Krakow is beautiful at any time of year, it features a mysterious allure in winter, where you can experience more warm and tender sides of the city. The cold weather gives the tourist the chance to enjoy slowly each step of the journey, look closely at the magnificent architecture from the Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque eras, warm up with a cup of steaming mulled wine or hot beer, and Indulge in various tasty local specialties. Another advantage of visiting during winter is that you can avoid the summer crowds and the high season prices, moreover, in addition to must-see attractions, there are more special spots that one can visit only in winter.

The glittering old town in Krakow

The beautiful Main Market Square of Krakow has been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the huge Christmas tree in front of Cloth Hall, standing tall at the heart of the market square and next to the beautiful blue angel decors. the fancy Christmas lights and winter illuminations transformed Krakow into a winter wonderland.

Annual Nativity Scene Exhibition

In order to preserve the tradition of the nativity scene (Polish: szopka), the first Kraków Nativity Scenes Competition was organized in 1937 and every year since except during the war. Each year the most intricate and interesting szopki will be collected by the Kraków Museum where visitors can feast eyes on these artworks. Besides, there are 40 beautiful szopkas placed at different squares, parks, showcases, restaurants, hotels and shopping centers for display until the end of February. As the first Intangible Cultural Heritage in Poland, the Nativity Scene exhibition is really worth a visit.

Winter image of Krakow

Image a perfectly preserved medieval city featuring majestic buildings and beautiful squares covered in snow, birds fly around the square, horse carriages across its winding cobblestones streets, and you are in this fairy-tale town.

There are plenty of fantastic attractions in Krakow you can discover by joining our ? 3days Krakow city break.?

Photo: Jacek Ogiela

/by

The 10 newly renovated churches in the Wielkopolska region

After four years of restoration work, 10 historical wooden churches in the Wielkopolska region of Poland have been restored to their former glory. That includes the oldest known preserved wooden church in Poland dating back to 1368, The St. Michael the Archangel church in Domachów. The church is covered with a steep two-ridged wood shingle roof with a quadrangular tower crowned with a steel bulbous tent with a lantern. When you walk into the church, you will marvel at its colorful interiors and plenty of historic relics, such as an exquisitely decorated rococo main altar dating back to 1775, baroque side altars from approximately 1700, a spectacular pulpit, and numerous sculptures. 

All the 10 newly renovated churches are situated around Poznań and come to life. They will become part of the ‘Tourist Trail of Wooden Churches of Wielkopolska’ and enrich the sight-seeing route. Poland boasts many historic wooden churches that possess a unique charm. Next time you visit Poland don’t miss out on these impressive wooden churches.

photo: parafia-domachowo.pl

/by

The Best Polish Present Ideas for Christmas

There are only 3 days left until Christmas! ? Have you picked out all the gifts? ?  Buying the perfect Christmas gift can be challenging but finding the distinctive Polish goods for Christmas gifts is not that hard. There are some good Christmas gift ideas that may inspire you.

?  A piece of Baltic amber jewellery can be a beautiful and special gift for ladies. So-called the Gold of the North, this warm-coloured stone has been known for ages as the Polish gold and is still popular and admired by people with taste.

? For gentlemen, there are many kinds of Polish vodkas to satisfy every taste. Among the most popular and special of them is Żubrówka (Bison Grass Vodka) which contains a bison grass blade in every bottle that makes it infused with naturally sourced ingredients from the Polish forest.

?  Polish sweets are a truly universal gift idea that is suitable for many festivals especially when it comes to Christmas, and you will be spoilt for choice. For example, the delicious Polish gingerbread(Piernik), Polish tree cake(Sękacz), soft chocolate-covered candy(Ptasie Mleczko) as well as polish specialties like wild mushrooms, polish golden honey, smoked cheese(Oscypek) and so on.

No matter what gift you have chosen, your love and best wishes are the most precious ones! ✨✨?✨✨

Photo: Polish Tourism Organisation

/by

Toruń Gingerbread

Polish Gingerbread, called Pierniki, is one of the sweetest Christmas traditions in Poland. It is a spiced cookie served around the world during the holidays, one can buy it in any city in Poland. But the most famous and popular of these is Toruń gingerbread, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Thanks to its excellent location, the city brought together high-quality soil, fine wheat, honey, and exotic spices from far-away countries, which explains why the superbly tasting gingerbread was born precisely here. Besides its good taste, Toruń gingerbread is also famous for the traditional baking method which contributes to its various peculiar shapes. During the Christmas holiday, Poles would also bake many small ginger cookies served as Christmas-tree decorations.

Today, the Living Museum of Gingerbread is proudly situated in the center of Toruń’s medieval and historic Old Town and was voted the destination of Google Map’s Golden Pin this year. As the first interactive museum in Europe, visitors can discover how gingerbread was baked in Medieval Times and even try to bake one in traditional wooden molds on their own.

Have you tried Toruń gingerbread? Not only the gingerbread, but the city also boasts numerous preserved medieval structures representing the magnificent achievements of brick Gothic architecture in Europe. You can find vast Gothic cathedrals, imposing Gothic Old City Town Hall, ruins of the very first in Poland Teutonic Knights’ Castle, St Mary’s Church with high ceiling and stained glass windows, St James’ Church with Gothic murals and spectacular stellar vaults, many Gothic townsmen’s houses and the long defensive city walls with Gothic gates and turrets. It is also the place where the famous Nicolaus Copernicus was born, and right next to the Museum it’s the living museum of gingerbread.

Today, Toruń is the most Gothic urban complex in Poland and attracts1.5 million tourists to visit each year. This magnificent walled Gothic town should definitely on your travel bucket list!?

Photo: Polish Tourism Organisation

/by

The largest Gothic altarpiece in the world

After several years of renovation work, the altarpiece of Veit Stoss in St. Mary’s Basilica in Kraków has been restored to its former glory. As the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, it definitely worth a visit.?

The altarpiece of Veit Stoss is located behind the High altar of St. Mary’s Basilica and was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss who lived and worked in Krakow for over 20 years. It is about 13 m high and 11 m wide and consists of 200 fine limewood sculptures treated with color and gold foil. The central part, with huge lifelike statues of the saints, depicts the Dormition of Mary, who is gently falling asleep surrounded by all 12 of the Apostles. Looking upwards one sees the Ascension of Our Lady and Lord. And at the very top, there is Madonna’s Heavenly Coronation by the Trinity. The side panels show the six scenes of the Joys of Mary. At the lower part of the altarpiece, there is the genealogical tree of Mary from the house of David.

The Veit Stoss altarpiece is one of the most outstanding works of late Gothic sculpting art in Europe as well as one of the most important pieces of art in Poland. Thanks to years of hard work by the Interacademic Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Art, the restoration work is coming to a close, and visitors will be able to admire the refurbished Wit Stwosz, which is now closer to the colors of the construction from the late 15th century.

In addition to the altarpiece owned by St. Mary’s Basilica, It features magnificent stained-glass windows dating from the late 14th century and the blue star vaulting with exquisite interiors, which captivate all who visit here. The church is open to visitors every day when no Mass is being conducted. Don’t miss this amazing place while you visit the Main Market Square in Kraków.

There are plenty of fantastic attractions in Krakow you can discover by joining our 3days Krakow city break.?

?  https://www.visitpoland.com/tours/cracow-city-break?

Photo krakow4u.pl

/by

The magic of Podkarpackie Region

? The third edition of the Tourism Blogging Championship in Poland winners has announced!? The first place went to Karolina Miller and Piotr Andruszko, who introduced a magical world of Podkarpackie Province and stood out from 63 bloggers from all over the country. 

Podkarpackie voivodeship is located in Southern-East Poland sparing its borders with Ukraine and Slovakia. It is one of the greenest regions of Poland, boasts pristine meadows and lush forests including 10 landscape parks, 17 protected landscape areas, and 71 nature reserves. Apart from many scenic tourist trails and cycling routes of varying levels of difficulty, the traditional wooden architecture and numerous castles and palaces also attract many tourists and make it one of the most popular tourist areas in Poland.

?  What would this fairy-tale world have looked like through their eyes? 

?  Click on the link below, Let’s follow in the winner’s footsteps to explore this fairy-tale world. 

?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr-CcSWSLd8

Photo: Rudeiczarne – Travel Blog

/by

Poznan won 3rd place in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets 2021

? Congratulations! The city of Poznan won 3rd place in the competition of European Best Christmas Markets 2021!

For the second year in a row, Poznan Christmas Market has been rated as one of the TOP 10 BEST Christmas Markets in Europe, there is no doubt that Poznan has become a rising star that attracts increasingly people to explore the beauty of its winter wonderland.

Every year there are many wonderful activities and attractions waiting for people to come along since the first Poznan Bethlehem was held in Poznan in 2012. When Christmas comes, the city is lit up by numerous dazzling Christmas lights that bring the festival to life, the streets are full of the delicious smell of mulled wine and roasted sausages, and the sounds of carols and laughter. Although the Market has been canceled this year, you can still feel the magical atmosphere of Christmas in Poznan!

Photo: Poznan.travel

/by

The traditional Polish drinks for cold evenings

As cold winter evening comes to Poland, there are many ways to keep warm while you are outside. And among the various ways to stay warm, alcohol is the most tempting way. 

? HOT BEER (Polish: Grzane Piwo)

Have you tried HOT BEER in Poland? It’s not just the heated beer, but it’s also infused with spices and flavours like honey, cinnamon, and cloves. You can buy it in almost every restaurant and bar across Poland. It’s a perfect drink and a must-try beverage for tourists to enjoy during the cold Polish winter evenings,  especially at Christmas.❄️?✨

? HOT MULLED WINE (Polish: Grzaniec)

If you prefer to have some sweet drinks then you should definitely try the hot mulled wine, which is as popular as hot beer in Poland and very common in the Christmas market. You can buy it from the wooden stands or the barrel-shaped booths at the market, or enjoy it in a cozy restaurant where the mulled wine is generally served in the painted pottery cups. Moreover, you can also buy ready spice mixes to make your own mulled wine at home or even buy ready mulled wine that only has to be heated up.

Don’t miss out on these traditional Polish drinks next time you visit Poland!

Photos: porchdrinking.com

/by

Winter in Warsaw 2021

?✨✨As Christmas is on the way, the night of Warsaw has started to glow with illumination! From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

From last weekend until mid-February, the Christmas lights and winter illuminations will stay on to turn Warsaw into a winter wonderland. The Royal Route and the Castle Square have been lit up by the dazzling Christmas lights display. Travelers and residents can admire the largest Christmas tree in Warsaw, standing tall at the heart of Castle Square, sparkled with lights.✨?✨

Although this year’s light decorations are less than in the previous years, the main attractions become more concentrated and easy to visit, include:

?The 27-meter-high Christmas tree on Castle Square;
?The “balloon seller” and the “Warsaw barrel organ” on Castle Square;
✨54 m long “light tunnel”, “chess pieces”, and “chessboard” in the square of ks. Jan Twardowski;
?“Horse tram” at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus;
?“Carousel”, “gazebo for lovers”, and a “greeting card” in Hoover Square.
The magic of Christmas has returned to Warsaw and the show is about to begin! Are you ready?

Photo: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa/Facebook

/by