By 2005, Poland was no longer a new destination for me. I had visited the country several times since my first trips in the early 1990s and had become familiar with its cities, people and distinctive atmosphere. This return offered an opportunity to revisit familiar places while also seeing how much had changed.
Poland had joined the European Union the previous year and was moving confidently into a new era. Streets and buildings were being restored, transport and visitor facilities were improving, and the country felt increasingly connected with the rest of Europe. Yet its history, traditions and individual character remained clearly visible.
These photographs record another stage in my continuing acquaintance with Poland: not the impressions of a first-time visitor, but observations made on returning to a country that had already become both familiar and rewarding
Visitors explore the magnificent Italian Renaissance courtyard of Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków in 2005. Its three tiers of elegant arcades, slender columns and balustraded galleries were created during the early 16th-century rebuilding of the castle under King Sigismund I the Old.
The towers, chapels and copper-clad domes of Wawel Cathedral rise above the castle gardens in 2005. Particularly striking is the gold-clad dome of the Renaissance Sigismund Chapel, regarded as one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture north of the Alps.
Wawel Cathedral rises beyond the colourful gardens of Wawel Hill in 2005. Its Gothic brickwork and varied towers are complemented by later Renaissance chapels, including the distinctive gold-clad dome of the Sigismund Chapel.
Framed by mature trees and colourful flower beds, the towers and Gothic brickwork of Wawel Cathedral rise above the buildings of the royal complex. This peaceful view across the castle gardens was photographed in 2005.
Sunlight falls through a succession of arches in a cobbled passage at Wawel Royal Castle, Krak Braz? The contrasting brickwork, rough medieval stone wall and elegant Renaissance arcade reveal the many phases of construction preserved within the historic complex, photographed in 2005.
The great brick-built St Mary’s Basilica rises above the rooftops of Kraków’s Old Town in 2005. Its two unequal towers are a distinctive feature of the city skyline; from the taller tower, the traditional Hejnał Mariacki trumpet call is sounded every hour.
The chapels along the southern side of Wawel Cathedral display a remarkable mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Dominating the scene is the gilded dome of the 16th-century Sigismund Chapel, one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Poland, photographed in 2005.
Archaeological foundations trace the outlines of long-vanished buildings in the outer courtyard of Wawel Castle, including churches demolished when the Austrians converted the hill into a military citadel. The red-brick buildings beyond formed part of the later barracks complex, photographed in 2005.
The long, dark-brick range of the former Austrian military hospital stands behind a quiet lawn in Wawel Castle’s outer courtyard, photographed in 2005. Built during Wawel Hill’s use as an Austrian military citadel, it was later adapted for the castle administration.
The copper-crowned Sigismund Tower of Wawel Cathedral rises above the entrance to Wawel Hill, with the mounted figure of Polish national hero Tadeusz Kościuszko silhouetted beside it. The tower houses the celebrated Sigismund Bell, first rung in 1521, photographed in 2005.
Tadeusz Kościuszko, hero of the struggles for Polish and American independence, is portrayed on horseback against the medieval brickwork of Wawel Cathedral. This 2005 photograph shows the monument’s bronze surface with its distinctive green-blue weathered patina.
Tadeusz Kościuszko raises his hat in salute from his commanding position above the entrance to Wawel Hill. The weathered bronze monument honours the Polish and American military leader and champion of national independence, photographed in 2005.
Erected in 1990, the wooden Katyń Cross commemorates the Polish victims of Soviet repression, particularly those murdered by the NKVD in the Katyń massacres of 1940. The dates “1940–1990” mark both the atrocity and the year in which this public memorial was established, photographed in 2005.
Summer café terraces and colourful flower displays enliven Kraków’s Main Market Square in 2005. Beyond stands Café Europejska, established as the Europejska Patisserie in 1929 and known for its elegant, 1930s-inspired interior and long tradition of serving pastries, coffee and Polish-European cuisine. An RMF FM marquee suggests that a public event was taking place in the square.
Colourful flower stalls brighten Kraków’s Main Market Square beneath vivid yellow RMF FM parasols in 2005. Buckets of sunflowers and mixed blooms fill the foreground, while café terraces and one of the square’s traditional horse-drawn carriages can be seen beyond.
Pedestrians cross the Rynek Główny past two of Kraków’s historic establishments in 2005. Café Europejska, at number 35, dates from 1929, while the neighbouring Hawełka continues a celebrated culinary tradition established by restaurateur Antoni Hawełka in the 19th century. Their flower-filled terraces add colour to the busy square.
A carriage waits for passengers beside the brick walls of St Mary’s Basilica in Kraków’s busy Main Market Square in 2005. The smart white vehicle, brass lamps and red decorations reflect the long-established dorożka tradition, with horse-drawn sightseeing tours remaining a familiar feature of the Rynek Główny.
The unequal towers of St Mary’s Basilica rise above the bustle of Kraków’s Main Market Square in 2005, framed by a traditional street lantern and a vivid foreground of red geraniums. The taller tower, crowned by its elaborate Gothic spire, is the setting for the hourly Hejnał Mariacki trumpet call.
The richly ornamented Juliusz Słowacki Theatre rises behind formal flower beds in 2005. Designed by Jan Zawiejski and opened in 1893 as Kraków’s Municipal Theatre, the building bears the inscription Kraków narodowej sztuce—“Kraków for the national arts.” The bust of celebrated comic playwright Aleksander Fredro recalls that the theatre was originally intended to bear his name.
Street performer, Rynek Główny, Kraków, 2005. A performer dressed as a prehistoric “wild man,” complete with animal skins, shaggy hair and wooden staff, poses above the crowds outside Księgarnia Hetmańska at No. 17. Café tables, Żywiec parasols and passing pedestrians capture the lively summer atmosphere of Kraków’s main square.
St Mary’s Basilica, Rynek Główny, Kraków, 2005. The imposing brick-Gothic west front is distinguished by its unequal towers: the taller Hejnał Tower, from which Kraków’s famous trumpet call is sounded each hour, and the lower bell tower. The Baroque entrance porch and busy market stalls below add colour and scale to one of the city’s most recognable landmarks.
St Mary’s Basilica and Plac Mariacki, Kraków, 2005. The photograph looks east along the southern side of the basilica, showing its red-brick Gothic walls, tall traceried windows and richly carved side entrance. Pedestrians, cyclists and small electric sightseeing vehicles animate the square on a bright summer afternoon.
Ulica Mikołajska, Kraków, 2005. Looking east towards the Planty and the Hotel Wyspiański, this busy Old Town street is lined with historic townhouses, cafés, travel agencies and the Hotel Wit Stwosz on the left. Delivery vans, parked cars and pedestrians capture an everyday Kraków scene just a few minutes’ walk from Rynek Główny.
Carpenters’ Tower (Baszta Stolarzy), Kraków, 2005. Viewed from the Planty, this massive brick Gothic tower formed part of Kraków’s medieval city walls near St Florian’s Gate. It was traditionally maintained and defended by the carpenters’ and rope-makers’ guilds and is one of only three complete defensive towers to survive the nineteenth-century demolition of the fortifications.
Open-air art gallery beside St Florian’s Gate, Kraków, 2005. Paintings, prints and woodcarvings cover the surviving medieval city wall along ul. Pijarska, where local artists traditionally display their work for sale. Prominent among the colourful views and still lifes is a portrait commemorating Polish-born Pope John Paul II, who had died earlier that year, bearing his motto Totus Tuus and the dates 1978–2005.
Entrance to the Collegium Maius, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, 2005. The pointed Gothic gateway leads into the arcaded courtyard of the university’s oldest surviving building, largely dating from the late fifteenth century. Once home to lecture rooms and professors’ lodgings—and associated with former student Nicolaus Copernicus—it now houses the Jagiellonian University Museum. The dome of St Anne’s Church rises behind it.
**Hotel Francuski, ul. Pijarska, Kraków, 2005.** The ornate entrance of this historic Old Town hotel appears behind a visiting coach, with the flags of its then-operator, the Orbis hotel group, hanging above the doorway. Opened in 1912 near St Florian’s Gate, the Francuski has long been one of Kraków’s best-known traditional hotels.
Czartoryski Museum bridge, ul. Pijarska, Kraków, 2005. This picturesque Neo-Gothic enclosed footbridge crosses the narrow street, linking the Czartoryski Palace with the museum buildings housed in Kraków’s former municipal Arsenal. Beyond it, paintings for sale cover the surviving medieval wall beside St Florian’s Gate.
The Papal Window, Archbishop’s Palace, Kraków, 2005. White gladioli stand in the window from which Pope John Paul II addressed crowds during his visits to Kraków. The former archbishop had lived in the palace before his election as pope and continued to stay there on his return visits. Photographed only months after his death in April 2005, the flowers form a simple and poignant memorial.
Corner of ul. Grodzka and plac Dominikański, Kraków, 2005. Pedestrians gather beside the pink Antoni Suski tenement, named for the merchant who commissioned the building. Above its corner entrance, a small figure of the Virgin Mary stands within an ornate niche. The busy scene lies on Grodzka, one of Kraków’s oldest streets and part of the historic Royal Route to Wawel Castle.
Statues of the Apostles outside the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, ul. Grodzka, Kraków, 2005. Weathered stone figures rise above the churchyard balustrade, each carrying an attribute traditionally associated with his identity or martyrdom. The dramatic late-Baroque statues were created in the early eighteenth century by the workshop of sculptor Dawid Heel and form one of of the church’s most distinctive features.
Eastern façade of Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków, 2005. Rising above the brick fortification wall are the Jordan Tower on the left and the Danish Tower on the right. Between them projects the pale stone Gothic pavilion known as the Kurza Stopka—the “Hen’s Foot”—part of the medieval royal apartments later incorporated into the Renaissance palace.
**St Mary’s Basilica, Rynek Główny, Kraków, 2005.** Crowds browse souvenir and postcard stalls beside the basilica’s elaborate Baroque porch, added to its medieval brick façade in the eighteenth century. The bustling pavement scene captures the everyday mixture of worshippers, residents and visitors at the heart of Kraków’s Old Town.
Plac Mariacki beside St Mary’s Basilica, Kraków, 2005. The evening sun casts long shadows across the cobbles and illuminates the historic townhouses opposite the basilica’s Gothic southern wall. Pedestrians and a cyclist cross the square while a row of small electric sightseeing vehicles waits for passengers, capturing a quieter moment just beyond the bustle of Rynek Główny.
Southern side of St Mary’s Basilica, Plac Mariacki, Kraków, 2005. Late-afternoon light falls across the cobbled square beneath the basilica’s immense brick Gothic walls. Pedestrians linger beside the church as two electric sightseeing vehicles carry visitors towards nearby Mikołajska Street—a characteristic Old Town scene from the period.