Market Square- the heart of the City

Main Market Square – the largest medieval square in Europe of the area of about 40,000 square metres, laid out in the year 1257.

The incorporation charter involved also street demarcating, establishing the City Council, creating new buildings and incorporating older structures into the city planning. This is why we have the feeling that the Mariacki church and church of St. Adalbert are located sort of sideways towards the square.

From the Middle Ages until today only the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the Town Hall tower and a small Church of St. Adalbert are standing to this day in the Market Square.

Centuries back, also buildings of the city Greater and Smaller Weight Houses and Cloth Shearing House, Town Hall, Odwach and city granary stood here.

In the old days, state, national and patriotic ceremonies, such as Prussian Homage or the oath by Tadeusz Kościuszko took place here. Nowadays, the Main Market Square is called the Saloon of Europe, for being gladly visited both by Cracovians and by tourists from all over the World.