|
Town Hall Tower in Krakow.
The city of Krakow has its own leaning tower.
In fact, the 70-meter-tall Town Hall Tower at Krakow’s
central Grand Square
(Rynek Glowny) leans just 55 centimeters. Yet the reason is
unusual – in 1703 a strong wind has caused its tilt.
The massive Gothic tower had been built of stone and brick
by the end of the 13th century. It got its first mechanical clock in
1524.
Several fires weakened Krakow's Town Hall Tower during the
ensuing 150 years, so its west wall has been supported since
1680 by a mammoth buttress reaching up to the third floor.
In 1685 the Town Hall Tower was heightened for 6.5 meters.
Its present baroque roof dates back to 1686.
The tower once adjoined Krakow's splendid 13th-century
Gothic Town Hall that was pulled down in the 1820s.
Vast cellars under the Town Hall Tower used to contain the
city dungeon with a torture chamber as well as a popular
beerhouse. Now the tower's basements deep underground have
been turned into a cafe and a theater.
Visitors ready to climb the tower up its 100-steps narrow
and steep staircase can enjoy the panoramic view from the
top. They may also see the exhibition of the City of Krakow Historical Museum
pertaining to the history of the municipality.
Ground floor of the Town Hall Tower used to contains a
tourist information office now moved to the nearby Cloth Hall.
Two stone lions in front of the entrance were brought from a
country house in Plawowice in the 1960s.
|
|
Grand Square
Krakow’s central Grand Square, the largest plaza of
medieval Europe and one of the world’s finest with its
spectacular landmarks, has remained the hub of the city since
the 13th century. Krakow residents and visitors come here to
meet each other, to do business, to shop, and to enjoy
themselves.
Basilica of the
Virgin Mary's
The immense Gothic church, Krakow's principal temple
since the 13th century, shelters the world's greatest Gothic
sculpture among its many excellent works of art.
Cloth Hall
The world's oldest shopping mall has been in business
for 700 years. The present Renaissance edifice dates from 1555.
The Crown
Royal giant headdress tops the city of Krakow since
1666
Signal Trump
Hourly musical show in the sky dates from the Middle
Ages
A Stroll Round the
Grand Square
|
