The city of Kraków has been the capital of Poland at some point in the past, as well as the central seat of power for the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.
One of the most prominent things in Kraków is Wawel.
Wawel is a complex of structures including the Royal Castle and the Cathedral, parts of which are about a thousand years old.
The complex as a whole was constructed over centuries and is located on the bank of the Vistula River.
Laying eyes on Wawel immediately reminded me of Prague Castle, which is also a similar kind of ancient complex with a Castle and Cathedral.
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The city of Krákow itself has had a very long history, and has seen her fair share of violence and destruction. It's astonishing to me that Wawel has been able to survive some of the most destructive forces in the world.
Like Prague, it appears to have escaped the extensive bombings during WW2 for instance.
One thing that hits you straight away when arriving in Kraków is the melancholy of the place - especially in the old town. It carries a kind of sad aura, while being very beautiful.
There's a feeling you get that something very bad happened here some time ago, yet being so charming and beautifully vintage.
A place this old has usually been the seat of power for many governments. Each no doubt thinking they were the greatest and ultimate authority of the land.
Be they king, emperor, khan or tsar, however, Wawel has outlived them all. They are gone, and she is here. With any luck, she will outlive us all way into the future.
Even the fabric of the structures themselves is testament to this. There are buildings from different eras of history. There's wood from the 9th century, glass from last year and everything in between.
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Thank you for reading.
A Palnet original