Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Rynek Glowny, Krakow

Posted by James Turnbull, Thursday, 19th January 2006

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The 10-acre Rynek Glowny (Grand Square) has been the hub of Krakow since the 13th century and today is a popular destination for tourists and locals to go shopping or hang out in the cafes, bars and clubs (you can even see the many yellow umbrellas of a cafe in our thumbnail shot).

The square’s tourist attractions include the leaning Town Hall Tower (in the South west corner), St Mary’ church (in the North east) and “Cloth Hall” in the centre. Cloth Hall is the world’s oldest shopping centre, having been in business some 700 years.

Thanks: Leslaw Frydel

22 Responses to 'Rynek Glowny, Krakow'

  1. richardo says:

    Ah yes, been there recently, very nice. The church in the north east of the square is where a trumpeter comes and does an hourly fanfare and there are loads of people selling paintings round the cloth hall.

  2. richardo says:

    you see the street the shadow of the really tall tower goes into? theres a shop down there called athletes foot that sells shoes. Hehehe. And also a McDonalds that sells a whole meal for about £1.50

    heres some photos I took when I was there:

    http://img498.imageshack.us/img498/6428/dscn30144up.jpg

    and the tower itself:

    http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1949/dscn30127ix.jpg

  3. James says:

    I’m from Australia, and there is a whole chain of shops called The Athletes foot. My mates girlfriend even works at one!
    Why is the athletes foot so funny?

  4. richardo says:

    Why is the athletes foot so funny?

    Its an infection of the foot isnt it?

  5. Anna says:

    The Athlete’s Foot is present in over 40 countries…wherever you come from you need to get out more!

  6. zmaster says:

    Geez folks, calm down. Apparantly the mega-corporate-shoe business isn’t quite as established in Richardo’s part of the world. Good for him.

    Anna, living in the realm of the “Athelete’s Foot” doesn’t make you somehow more worldly than those living outside of it. Probably the contrary.

    Sorry to hear that McDonald’s is tainting such a nice historic location.

  7. richardo says:

    We dont really have Athletes Foot in East of England..in fact there are only 3 shops in UK and they are all north england and wales. So sorry, but its still a funny name for us inbreds down south!

  8. James says:

    We don’t have any “Athlete’s Foot” shops in Scotland either. When my wife and I first saw one in New York we thought it was pretty hilarious, why on earth would you name a shoe shop after a fungal foot infection?

  9. Hmm… I’m not a native speaker, but Athlete (according to dict.org) means:

    Athlete \Ath”lete\, n.
    1. (Antiq.) One who contended for a prize in the public games
    of ancient Greece or Rome.
    [1913 Webster]

    2. Any one trained to contend in exercises requiring great
    physical agility and strength; one who has great activity
    and strength; a champion.
    [1913 Webster]

    3. One fitted for, or skilled in, intellectual contests; as,
    athletes of debate.
    [1913 Webster]

    Not a fungal foot infection… WTF?

  10. Berend says:

    More information on athlete’s foot – the fungal infection:
    http://www.medicinenet.com/athletes_foot/article.htm

    More information on athlete’s foot – the athletic footware store:
    http://www.theathletesfoot.com/

  11. James says:

    Åšmieszne,

    Using the same source… Athlete’s Foot.

    n : fungal infection of the feet [syn: tinea pedis]

  12. And now, it *is* clear …and funny as well :-)

    It reminds me a case of a car called Mitsubishi Pajero (In Spain AFAIR, Pajero means: to jerk off). They had to change the name…

  13. Derek says:

    These “yellow umbrellas” are the umbrellas of the florist stalls ;) The umbrellas of the cafes are located at the borders (smaller ones).
    BTW – McDonald maybe doesn’t enrich the cultural life of the Cracovians BUT it’s indispensible at 2 a.m. ;)

  14. Natalia says:

    great. just wonderfull. you see the most beautiful city in Poland, and the only thing that you’re talking about is Athlete’s Foot shop, and Mc Donalds chain. No comments.

  15. Animateusz says:

    This is sightseeing Natalia :) They liked the shop.

  16. Natalia says:

    mhm… i thought sightseeing is visiting places like museum, church, park or things like that.. well, i was wrong :P

  17. Animateusz says:

    What *I* call sightseeing is entering dark alleys and turning left when all the tourists go right. But that’s probably only me :)

  18. Natalia says:

    no…it’s not only you. What you say could also be sightseeing.. I just don’t understand people who during sightseeing are fasciated by some shops (like Athlete’s Foot).. But it’s my personal opinion. :)

  19. animateusz says:

    Then find some dark alleys you like in Wroclaw through Google maps and I’ll take my bike and make some photos from ground :>

    Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth

  20. Bob says:

    You can easily find on the map the old castle (Wawel) complex from when Krakow was the capital of Poland. Turn on “hybrid” and click the south arrow on the map three times. In the center screen to the east of the bend in the Vistula river, you will see the street “Wawel” running along the north fortress wall that encircles the castle, cathedral and other buildings.

  21. thadeusz says:

    poor view! it was taken from a FALCONS eye view from high altitude!

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