The late Ben Thompson , the architectural mastermind behind Faneuil Hall Marketplace , once remarked that the most modern thing about Boston is that the ``past touches us daily." That interplay between old and new also shapes and enriches daily life in Kraków (though it may be hubris to compare Boston's brief urban history with Kraków's much deeper roots).
The banks of the Vistula River had been inhabited for five centuries when Kraków became the capital of the Polish kingdom in the 11th century. Main Market Square, one of the largest in medieval Europe, was laid out in 1257, and despite centuries of warfare and shifting imperial domination, the city escaped destruction, leaving its medieval street plan and march of architectural styles largely intact.
In a notable exception, the stone walls that girdled the old city were torn down in the early 19th century. A few sections were spared, including the circa 1307 Florianska Gate and a length of wall where artists display canvases against the rough stones. Dignitaries heading to the royal castle on Wawel Hill entered the city through the gate, and it still makes a ceremonial portal to the heart of the old city.
The human scale of Kraków's ancient streets makes them ideal for walkers, though strolling is probably the better pace for absorbing the details of modern life played out against a historic backdrop. At almost every street corner vendors offer chewy bagels to fuel the journey.
From Florianska Gate, the street of the same name leads past shops, restaurants, and hotels that occupy the stately former homes of wealthy burghers. It reaches Main Market Square near St. Mary's. Begun in 1355 but not completed for about 150 years, the church was designed to rival the Royal Cathedral on Wawel Hill, where kings were crowned and luminaries buried.
