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Royal Way is the historical name of the old road leading from the main city gate – St. Florian's Gate toward the Wawel Hill. It starts at the Barbican in the northern part of the Old Town and follows Florianska Street, Grodzka Street, Kanonicza Street, and ends at the foot of Wawel. Following the Royal Way you can see al the musts of the Old Town.

The Barbican

The Krakow's Barbican (Barbakan) is one of the most unique examples of the medieval military architecture in Europe. It was erected in 1499 as the additional defensive system. It was connected with St. Florian Gate, that used to be the main entrance to the city. This gothic building crowned with beautiful tiny towers was surrounded by a moat 3,40 m deep and had the walls up to 3 m thick! The wooden bridge has been reconstructed – any time Krakow felt endangered the bridge could be burnt. Thanks to it there was no access to the main city gate. In summer the Barbican is a scene for the variuos performances, concerts or opera.

The Fortifications

Medieval Krakow was a walled city, surrounded by the defensive walls with 46 towers and a moat with water. The fortifications were built in the end of 13th c., after the raids of the Tatars and were defending the city till 1655 when Krakow was conquered by Swedish. The city walls were destroyed in 1810 – only the remains in the North of the Old Town were left. On the place were the fortifications were, today there is a park Planty (4 km long) surrounding all the Old Town. It gives a good idea of size of medieval Krakow. Following the Planty Park you can walk around the Old Town, discovering numerous memorials and fountains on the way. It is a good place to take a rest.

St. Florian's Gate

St. Florian's Gate (Brama Florianska) takes its name from the Patron saint of Krakow – St. Florian, who saved Krakow many times from the fires. No wonder that he has become the patron saint of the fire brigades! The relief of the Saint decorates the Gate (from Florianska Street). St. Florian is always shown with a bucket of water and the burning church. St. Florian's Gate used to be the main city gate – big enough for the royal corteges or merchants with the huge carts. It was bulid in the turn of the 13th c. Inside the gate there is a tiny chapel with the icon of Our Lady – all the travelers who reached the city used to say thanksgiving here for their safe journey, as travelling in the Middle Ages was extremely dangerous.

Inside the walls there is an exhibition presenting the history of Krakow's fortifications. Opened: 15th April-1st October 10.30 AM – 6.00 PM.

Florianska Street

Florianska, with its numerous butiques, pubs and restaurants is the most famous street in the Old Town. Each house has a long courtyard that usually hides the art galleries, cafes or antiquity shops. Almost all the houses date back to the Middle Ages, but most of them were rebuilt later in different styles. We can sill admire some beautiful old details, e.g gothic door frames or renaissance ceilings in the tenements (see the 16th c. portaille of Hotel Pod Roza). Don't forget to drop into famous cafe Jama Michalika! In the turn of the 19th c. it was the meeting place for the Krakow's artists. We can still get the spirit of this place and admire the artists' signatures on the walls!

Follow Royal Way: Florianska, then go straight on through the Main Square to reach Grodzka Street and then Plac Wszystkich Swietych, where we visit the Franciscans Church.

The Franciscans Church & Monastery

The Franciscans Church & Monastery (still active!) is one of the oldest the most important churches in Krakow. It was erected in the 13th c., rebuilt after the fire in 1855. In this church some members of the first royal dynasty Piast were buried, among them Boleslaw Wstydliwy (Boleslaw the Bashfold), who contributed to the Great Charter of the City in 1257 (see his tomb plaque in the presbytery, on the right). This church is famous for the beautiful Art Nouveau wall paintings (by Tadeusz Popiel in the nave and Stanislaw Wyspianski in the presbytery). Stanislaw Wyspianski, one of the most famous Polish artists (died 1907) designed the breathtaking stained glass window in the fasade of the church. It illustrates God creating the world and is entitled God the Father – Let it be! This church was the favourite church of John Paul II – the small plaque in one of the banches commemorates it. Don't forget to visit the ambulatory with the gallery of portraits of Krakow's bishops.

Leave the church through the western door to see the Episcopal Palace. The church is still in use so you can drop into it any time – usually there is no service between 9.00 and 4.00 PM, except for Sundays and holidays.

The Episcopal Palace

The seat of Krakow's bishops has become one of the most important places on the John Paul II's Route. Karol Wojtyla resided here being the cardinal of Krakow. He was staying here several times as the Pope as well  – he used to greet the pilgrims through the window above the main gate, where today his portrait is. On the various anniversaries connected with the Pope, hundreds pilgrims come here with flowers nad candles to commemorate him. The Palace was erected in the 14th c, but rebuilt in the baroque style in the 17th c. Till today it is the main seat of Krakow's bishop.

Go back to Grodzka Street to follow the Royal Way or follow the Park to go straight to the Wawel Hill.

Grodzka Street

Grodzka Street is the part of the Royal Way, usually crowded with tourists walking toward the Wawel Hill. In this street you can find lots of butiques and charming restaurants. See also the emblem of the tenement house no 32 with the beautiful lion – it is the oldest such emblem in Krakow (14th c.). Drop also into the courtyard of Collegium Iuridicum building, erected as one of the collages building of the Jagiellonian University in the 15th c. Here you can see the picturesque 17th c. cortile and the contemporary sculpture by Igor Mitoraj.

SS. Peter and Paul's Church

After the Jesuits had been invited to Krakow by the king Zygmunt III Waza in the end of the 16th c., they started erecting this church, inviting the architects straight from Italy. No wonder, that the fasade of the church reminds the first Jesuits' church in Rome Il Gesu. There were lots of artists working here (Giovanni de Rosis, Gianmaria Bernardoni) till they finished the church in 1635. On the fasade you can admire impressive coat of arm of the royal Waza dynasty, who founded the church. Below there are two statues of SS. Wladyslaw & Zygmunt (relating to the names of the Waza kings) and the statues of the Jesuits' Saints. Inside the church pay attention to the magnificent organs dating back to 1734 (by Kacper Bazanka).

In the SS. Peter and Paul's Church lots of concerts are organized. In summer almost every evening there is a musical event there.

St. Andrew's Church

Krakow is definitely the city of churches. Standing on Grodzka Street, having SS. Peter and Paul's church on your left you can see the beautiful romanesque church of St. Andrew. Behind it there is the white building of the St. Klara's convent, and then on the left the Barque fasade of St. Martin's Church. A bit further on the left one can see the brick gothic church of St. Gill's (12thc.) and in the very end... the Bernardines' Church... No wonder, that Krakow used to be called Rome of Northern Europe in the past! St. Andrew's church is one of the oldest in Krakow and has beautiful romanesque silhouette crowned with two towers. It was erected in the 11th c. The tiny interior surprises with its baroque decoration (stucco decoration by Baltasare Fontana). Pay attention to the very interesting pulpit in a shape of a boat, the symbol of Gospel.

Kanonicza Street

It is definitely the most picturesque street in the Krakow's Old Town. Since the 14th c. it was inhabited by the canons from the Cathedral Canons Council, who were founding here the magnificent palaces. The palaces present different architectural styles and were rebuilt several times. Especially worth seeing is the Bishop Erazm Ciolek Palace no 17 (16th c.), housing the branch of the National Museum of Krakow (for the details see: museums). Just behind it (no 19) there is the House Of St. Stanislaw (today the Archidiocese Museum), where between 1953-58 John Paul II was staying. In Kanonicza no 21 there is the Deanery House, rebuilt in the 16th c. Here you can admire the beautiful manneristic gate and the picturesque cortile with the statue of the Bishop Stanislaw.

You have reached the end of the Royal Way. Take a rest in one of the cafes in Kanonicza Street, before climbing up the Wawel Hill!