Down Into The Depths
If you get caught in a shower this week then never fear. Cracow has a subterranean surprise in the form of a newly opened museum beneath the market square.
City Mayor Jacek Majchrowski drew back the curtain on Cracow's latest permanent exhibit last Friday, amidst great fanfare. Besides plenty of hi-tech gadgetry, visitors will be amazed at the vastness of the space. Indeed, there are many legends about the tangled labyrinths beneath the plaza (one 17th century tale holds that a devil dressed in half-German, half-Spanish dress inhabits the gloom).
The reason why Cracow is so abundant in cellars is that these caverns were once the ground floors of houses. Street level has risen over three metres since medieval times, following the relaying of roads and the rebuilding of houses after fires.
The space that has been excavated beneath the square comprises parts of the former Cloth Hall, including the famed 'Rich Stalls', echoing the city's medieval prosperity. There are also sections of cobbled roads, a former graveyard and the remains of houses burnt during the Mongol invasion of 1241.
Visitors can interact with hi-tech wizardry, including visualisations of the Old Cracow and films bringing various aspects of times past to life. The entrance is through the north eastern section of the Cloth Hall.