Main Square, Kraków
Large public space in the Old Town of Kraków, Poland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Main Square (Polish: Rynek Główny [ˈrɨnɛk ˈɡwuvnɨ]) of the Old Town of Kraków, Lesser Poland, is the principal urban space located at the center of the city. It dates back to the 13th century, and at 3.79 ha (9.4 acres) is sometimes called the largest medieval town square in Europe,[1][2] but Charles Square in Prague is two times larger.[3][4] The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) lists the square as the best public space in Europe due to its lively street life,[5] and it was a major factor in the inclusion of Kraków as one of the top off-the-beaten-path destinations in the world in 2016.[6]
Native name | Rynek Główny (Polish) |
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Namesake | Rynek |
Type | Medieval market square |
Maintained by | Kraków City Council |
Location | Stare Miasto, Kraków, Poland |
Coordinates | 50°3′42″N 19°56′14″E |
The Main Square is a square space surrounded by historic townhouses (kamienice) and churches. The center of the square is dominated by the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. On one side of the cloth hall is the Town Hall Tower (Wieża ratuszowa), on the other the 11th century Church of St. Adalbert and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Rising above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary's Basilica (Kościół Mariacki). Kraków Main Square does not have a town hall, because it has not survived to the present day.