Rick Steves' Europe
Travel Bites 906: Krakow, Poland’s Historic Capital
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Poland’s political and historic capital is also its cultural and intellectual center.
Poland’s political and historic capital is also its cultural and intellectual center, with a massive main square, delightful old town, St. Mary’s church, and chess-in-the-park vibe.
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Rick Steves' Europe
Travel Bites 906: Krakow, Poland’s Historic Capital
Clip | 5m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
Poland’s political and historic capital is also its cultural and intellectual center, with a massive main square, delightful old town, St. Mary’s church, and chess-in-the-park vibe.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[vibrant music] Poland's political capital may have moved to Warsaw centuries ago, but Kraków remains the historic, cultural, and intellectual capital-- a proud symbol of the Polish national identity.
Krakow is ideally set on the Vistula River.
We'll explore one of Europe's most crowd-pleasing squares, marvel at medieval glory, visit Wawel Hill-- a site sacred to Poles since the 11th century-- learn how to make a classic Polish dish or at least try, and then eat what we cook.
We'll remember the Holocaust at a concentration camp memorial.
And with a guide, we'll take a nostalgic Communist-era joyride.
Finally, we'll cap our visit with a twilight stroll.
Medieval Poland was prominent on Europe's map.
In the late 1700s, it disappeared, partitioned by its powerful neighbors.
And it didn't reappear until after World War I. Then, after World War II, it was part of Communist Eastern Europe.
And today with the Iron Curtain long gone, it's a leading country in Central Europe.
We're visiting Poland's historic and cultural capital, Kraków, and side-tripping to Auschwitz.
Kraków or as locals say, Kra-koff, was a crossroads, a trading center that boomed back in the 11th century.
Today, it's a sprawling city of a million with a delightful old town.
And everything converges on the majestic and massive Main Market Square.
It's hard not to be drawn to this square.
It bustles with life, enticing cafes, families out for a stroll, fairy tale carriages, a youthful energy, and it seems half the tourists in Poland.
[uplifting music] St.
Mary's Church stands tall over it all.
Its spire doubles as the town watchtower.
[creaking] [bell tolls] At the top of each hour, literally 24/7, a fireman with a trumpet comes to the window and plays a tune-- [trumpet ditty] --to announce all is well.
A tune that suddenly dies, recalling a legend in which a watchman's throat was pierced by an enemy arrow.
[trumpet ditty stops abruptly] [applause] [bell tolls] Inside St.
Mary's, each midday is a medieval moment.
A nun swings open the door's much-adored altarpiece.
[sentimental music] This exquisite gothic triptych, with hinged panels, was carved in the late 1400s by Veit Stoss.
One of the most impressive medieval wood carvings in Europe, it depicts the Virgin Mary's ascent to Heaven with a motion rare in gothic art.
The square's centerpiece is the Cloth Hall.
[folk music] Once a marketplace for cloth merchants, today it's home to souvenir stalls.
Vendors sell gifty crafts from all over Poland.
Like painted wooden plates from mountain forests.
Colorful embroidery, delicately hand-stitched.
Hand-painted pottery from Silesia.
And amber jewelry from the Baltic Coast for your favorite travel partner.
Kraków's old town is compact and easy to navigate.
The vibe is relaxed as modern and medieval mix it up.
In the 13th century, after their city was destroyed by invaders from the East, Cracovians rebuilt it with a near-perfect grid plan.
Today, it's pedestrian-friendly and thriving.
[jovial piano music] They also encircled their city with a wall featuring classic ramparts and towers.
The big, round, freestanding fort is a barbican, which provided extra protection at the main gate.
Later the wall was mostly torn down, leaving just a few evocative remnants.
[piano music with orchestration] The moat was filled in and a fine park was created in its place.
This circular green belt, called the Ploty, is popular with today's Cracovians.
And if you need a break from all the tourists, you can bike or hike around the Ploty and along the riverbank.
It's a charming local scene-- fun-loving boaters, lazy picnics, but beware the dragon!
[whooshing] Oh, and if you think you're good at chess, challenge one of these guys.
[chatter in polish] The riverside path is inviting.
And so is the playful rigging on its delightful pedestrian bridge.
For more information, visit ricksteves.com.
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NewTravel Bites 971: Passeggiata and Rome After Dark
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Clip | 3m 59s | Join Romans for the beloved evening passeggiata. (3m 59s)
NewTravel Bites 970: Jewish Rome and Monti
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Clip | 5m 6s | Rome’s ancient Jewish community shares its extraordinary story of endurance and resilience. (5m 6s)
NewTravel Bites 969: Rome's Colorful Trastevere Neighborhood
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Clip | 4m 23s | Across the river, Trastevere invites travelers into intimate lanes. (4m 23s)
NewTravel Bites 967: St. Peter’s and Vatican City
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Clip | 4m 45s | Cross into the world’s smallest country to explore magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica. (4m 45s)
NewTravel Bites 966: Borghese Gallery’s Baroque Masters
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Clip | 3m 2s | Rome’s fabulously wealthy patrons transformed collecting and commissioning art into dazzling display (3m 2s)
NewTravel Bites 965: Art in Rome’s Churches
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Clip | 2m 45s | Step into Rome’s often unassuming churches to discover masterpieces in their original settings. (2m 45s)
NewTravel Bites 964: Rome’s Back Street Riches and Piazzas
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Clip | 4m 4s | Rome’s public spaces transform an ordinary morning stroll into a memorable sightseeing adventure. (4m 4s)
NewTravel Bites 963: Testaccio: A Roman Food Tour
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Clip | 5m 40s | In earthy Testaccio, a lively food tour through a neighborhood market provides a delicious taste. (5m 40s)
NewTravel Bites 962: Catacombs and Early Christianity
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Clip | 5m 29s | A bike ride along the ancient Appian Way leads underground into Rome’s catacombs. (5m 29s)
NewTravel Bites 961: Pantheon: Rome’s Perfect Temple
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Clip | 1m 33s | The best-preserved temple of ancient Rome showcases engineering genius. (1m 33s)
NewTravel Bites 960: Imperial Rome in Art
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Clip | 3m 18s | Trajan’s Forum, the Circus Maximus, and Rome’s National Museum reveal the empire at its peak. (3m 18s)
NewTravel Bites 959: Colosseum and Caracalla Baths
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Clip | 3m 28s | Rome’s colossal engineering comes alive at the iconic Colosseum. (3m 28s)
NewTravel Bites 958: Eating Like a Roman
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Clip | 2m 23s | A convivial Roman meal celebrates seasonal ingredients and regional specialties. (2m 23s)
NewTravel Bites 957: Capitoline Hill’s Ancient Treasures
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Clip | 3m | Rome’s historic Capitoline Hill brings ancient Rome vividly to life. (3m)
NewTravel Bites 956: Its Birth Story
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Clip | 4m 4s | Tracing the story of Rome in a nutshell. (4m 4s)
NewTravel Bites 955: Paris: A floodlit tour
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Clip | 2m 10s | The fabled “City of Light” is also the city of flood light. (2m 10s)
NewTravel Bites 954: Paris’ Other Great Museums
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Clip | 5m 35s | After Versailles, the Louvre, and the Orsay, Paris’ less famous museums are also worth a visit. (5m 35s)
NewTravel Bites 953: Versailles, Europe’s Palace of Palaces
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Clip | 3m 40s | This ultimate royal palace is Louis XIV’s lavish explosion of baroque bling. (3m 40s)
NewTravel Bites 952: The Orsay Gallery
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Clip | 3m 8s | The paintings of the Orsay take you from 1848 to 1914. (3m 8s)
NewTravel Bites 951: Paris's Louvre Museum
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Clip | 5m 38s | The Louvre—with masterpieces from Ancient Greek to Renaissance and Romantic—is a must to visit. (5m 38s)
NewTravel Bites 950: Paris: Boulevards, Les Invalides, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees
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Clip | 5m 38s | Grand boulevards like the Champs-Élysées connect great sights with edible memories. (5m 38s)
NewTravel Bites 949: Paris: Haussmann buildings and grand boulevards
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Clip | 1m 37s | The elegance of Paris is no accident. Broad boulevards, grand monuments, people-friendly greenbelts. (1m 37s)
NewTravel Bites 948: Eating French Cliches at a Parisian Bistro
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Clip | 3m 55s | Grab a seat for lunch to enjoy a kir, French onion soup, escargot, croque madam, steak tartare. (3m 55s)
NewTravel Bites 947: Paris’ Marais neighborhood
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Clip | 4m 6s | The Marais is a hub of Parisian history and culture—with its Jewish Quarter, and Bastille prison,. (4m 6s)
NewTravel Bites 946: Shopping for Dinner on Paris’ Rue Cler
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Clip | 4m 6s | Paris’ most inviting market street is Rue Cler. (4m 6s)
NewTravel Bites 945: Two Grand Parisian Churches: Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle
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Clip | 2m 28s | Paris’ two most popular churches are the beloved Notre-Dame and the exquisite Sainte-Chapelle. (2m 28s)
NewTravel Bites 944: The Eiffel Tower
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Clip | 2m 15s | Paris’ Eiffel Tower, a muscular symbol of France’s Industrial Age, has been entertaining since 1889. (2m 15s)
NewTravel Bites 943: Paris’ River Seine
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Clip | 4m 35s | The Seine River defines Paris’ Right and Left Bank. (4m 35s)
NewTravel Bites 942: The Regeneration of London’s Industrial Heritage
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Clip | 6m 23s | London’s once abandoned industrial corners have morphed into popular people and culture zones. (6m 23s)
NewTravel Bites 941: The British Library
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Clip | 2m | London hosts the national archive with 12 million books and one Treasures Room. (2m)
NewTravel Bites 940: A Proper Afternoon Tea
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Clip | 2m 6s | Afternoon tea is a great British tradition and London does it with style. (2m 6s)
NewTravel Bites 939: London’s East End Food Tour
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Clip | 4m 40s | London’s happening East End survives and thrives just beyond a tsunami of skyscrapers. (4m 40s)
NewTravel Bites 938: London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
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Clip | 4m 34s | “Albertopolis” is the corner of London built by and celebrating the vision of Prince Albert. (4m 34s)
NewTravel Bites 937: The Tower of London
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Clip | 2m | The Tower of London entertains and inspires. (2m)
NewTravel Bites 936: St Paul's Cathedral, London’s Pride
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Clip | 2m 37s | St. Paul’s Cathedral is architect Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, the greatest dome in Britain. (2m 37s)
NewTravel Bites 935: The City of London
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Clip | 3m 34s | London’s historic core is called “The City.” (3m 34s)
NewTravel Bites 934: Britain’s National Portrait Gallery
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Clip | 2m 35s | The National Portrait Gallery is the perfect place. (2m 35s)
NewTravel Bites 933: London’s Westminster and Whitehall, Home of Britain’s Government
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Clip | 8m 40s | The core of royal London. (8m 40s)
NewTravel Bites 932: Istanbul's Grand Main Drag, Istiklal Caddesi
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Clip | 4m 38s | The best way to feel the pulse of urban Istanbul is to explore its teeming main boulevard. (4m 38s)
NewTravel Bites 931: Whirling Dervishes
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Clip | 2m 24s | Mystic Sufi monks whirl themselves into a meditative trance as they embrace the poet Rumi’s wisdom. (2m 24s)
NewTravel Bites 930: Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar
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Clip | 3m 27s | Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar remains enchanting, perplexing visitors with its maze-like network of lanes. (3m 27s)
NewTravel Bites 929: Istanbul, the Great Port on the Bosphorus
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Clip | 5m 53s | Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus Strait that separates Europe and Asia. (5m 53s)
NewTravel Bites 928: Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace
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Clip | 5m 14s | Here we find the storybook image of the Ottomans—sultans, eunuchs, harems. (5m 14s)
NewTravel Bites 927: Hagia Sophia, the Great Church of Constantinople
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Clip | 3m 6s | This magnificent church-turned-mosque offers the visitor an opportunity to be inspired. (3m 6s)
NewTravel Bites 926: Islamic Art, Ramadan, and the Blue
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Clip | 4m 57s | Istanbul offers a chance to better understand Islam. (4m 57s)
NewTravel Bites 925: A Turkish Bath in Ottoman Splendor
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Clip | 3m 9s | The splendor of Istanbul’s Ottoman Empire is best experienced in a hammam. (3m 9s)
NewTravel Bites 924: Istanbul when it was Constantinople
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Clip | 4m 36s | For thousands of years, this place, where East meets West, has been a crossroads of civilizations. (4m 36s)
NewTravel Bites 923: A Leisurely Day on a Burgundian Canal
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Clip | 5m 39s | A crack-of-dawn trip to the bakery before breakfast on our barge. (5m 39s)
NewTravel Bites 922: Burgundy: Wine, Vineyard, and Chateau
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Clip | 3m 3s | France’s famed Côte d’Or, or “Golden Slopes,” is all about fine wine. (3m 3s)
NewTravel Bites 921: Barging: A Barge Cruise in Burgundy
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Clip | 6m 3s | France’s Burgundy, with its inviting canals and iconic vineyards. (6m 3s)
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