This is Cracow..., a UNESCO site

This is...

Cracow

By Sabela de la Viña Criado and Adriana Anca Pico

1. Introduction

index

2. Cracow, UNESCO site

3. Map

4. Activities

5. Conclusions

6. Thanks

INTRODUCTION

Cracow, UNESCO site (Poland)

Krakow, UNESCO site

Cracow is the second largest city in Poland, with a population of nearly 770,000 inhabitants. It is located in southern Poland by the river Vistula.Its Old Town was granted the recognition of Patrimony of Humanity in 1978 at the same time Wieliczka Salt Mine was granted it as well. Its architectural design, which includes Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements very well preserved through different centuries, have gained it the UNESCO grant. The city is beautifully crowned by Wawel castle, which you can see in the photograph.

Warsaw

MAP of poland

Cracow is quite close to Slovakia, in the south of Poland.The school we visited was in Bierun, about 100 kms from Krakow. We stayed at Tychy, by Paprocany lake. Tychy is quite a large city near Bierun.

Tychy

Bierun

Cracow

4. ACTIVITIES: PLACES we visited

Rynek Glowny

Rynek Glowny is the heart of Cracow Old Town. It is a lively place where you can admire the largest medieval market square in Europe. The large building with the arcade is the place where you can buy souvenirs from local craftsmen, putting into practice circular economy to help sustainability. The system they use to show visitors the city is also sustainable as they have tours on horse-drawn carriages.

Bazylica Mariacka

This beautiful church in Polish Gothic architecture is located at Rynek Glowny. It dates back to the 14th century.A trumpet is played every hour to commemorate a 13th c. trumpeter who was sounding an alarm to inform of a Mongol attack when he was killed.

Wawel Castle courtyard

Courtyard at the Royal Palace at Wawel Castle. The complex also includes Wawel Cathedral.

OPERA HOUSE

Wawel Castle

Our group near the Opera House.

Wawel Castle is on top of a hill. It is a fortified architectural complex, which includes many different buildings in different styles with a huge national and cultural importance.

4. ACTivities: tasks we carried out

Active listening to explanations

Photograph contest

We learnt about the history and culture of Cracow by listening to the explanations the Polish teachers gave us in order to design posts for the blog.In the photo, we are near the Barbican in Florianska street.

The Polish teachers designed an activity where, in international teams, we had to look for a few places in Rynek Glowny and we had to take selfies in those places. There was a winning team. It was fun and we noticed many details.

vs

Some of the participants

5. Conclusions

1. Why did we do these activities? Why are UNESCO places included in the list of World Heritage so important?

We did these activities to learn more about culture and history, and to strengthen our connection with other Erasmus+ participants. Visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites like the historic center of Cracow, where we went sightseeing in the city center, or Wieliczka Salt mine where interesting activities which helped us understand we have to preserve history and cultural heritage for future generations because they show us what life was like in the past.We also went to an experimental garden where we had fun and learned about physics.

Park at Wieliczka Salt mine

2. How were they carried out?

The activities were carried out with the help of the members of the Erasmus + project, both teachers and students. The teachers explained us the main features of the city and the tasks we had to carry out in the photograph contest.We also had activities and talks between students and teachers from different countries, to learn from each other, and from different cultures. In the international teams for the contest we had to help each other and reach agreements.

Rynek Glowny at night

3. Why is this relevant to the project?

This is relevant because it supports one of the main goals of Erasmus+: international cooperation and cultural exchange together with fostering European citizenship.Visiting Cracow allowed us to build intercultural relationships, learn about Polish history and culture, and reflect on identity and historical memory. This not only increases students’ interest but also motivates us to be more aware and respectful of world cultural heritage.

Here we are with the Swedish group

4. What have we learned from the activities?

We learned a lot about the history of Cracow and how the events of the past have shaped the city's identity. These activities also taught us about cooperation and cultural respect in an international context, improving our English communication skills. We also understood the importance of protecting historic sites and the role UNESCO plays in preserving world heritage.

The Opera House at night

We wish to thank:

Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke in Pixabayfor their beautiful map of Poland that we have used. Wikipedia, which has helped us with providing a little useful information.

ERAsmus+ project ZERO WAsteies canido, ferrol December 2024

The project Zero Waste is co-finaced by the EU. The opinions and points of view shown are the sole responsibility of its authors and of IES Canido and do not reflect those of the EU nor the the ones of SEPIE. Neither the EU nor the National Agency SEPIE can be made resposible for them.

Thanks!