Outside the Guide Books in KRAKOW, Poland: Learning about The Krakus Mound on the internet was exciting because I love ancient monuments that keep one outdoors while exploring.
Wednesday September 12
We enjoyed breakfast at an outdoor restaurant on the main square. And then took a taxi to the Krakus Mound, thought to be the legendary resting place of the city’s founder, King Krakus. It was a warm, sunny day for our walk back, stopping along the way. This was the plan I prepared:
"St. Benedict’s Fort: Built in the
19th century, this incredible redbrick monolith was named after the
nearby St. Benedict’s Church. After a failed attempt to turn it into
luxury apartments in the ’50s, the fortress now lies abandoned."
"Fort Benedict, the only surviving fortress of three that were built in Podgórze in the mid-19th century; in fact this is one of the few citadels of the ‘Maximillion Tower’ type surviving anywhere. An imposing brick monolith in the shape of a 16-sided polygon, today the fort stands abandoned with the city unable to decide what to do with it. Though you can certainly scramble through the fence to explore it up close, we’re sure you’ll find (like we did) that this fort is indeed impenetrable."
We stopped to visit the Temple Synagogue in the Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter of historic Krakow.
The synagogue was built in 1862 and continued to have regular services until 1968.
It survived the Nazi Occupation when it was used as a warehouse and horse stable.
Its gilded woodwork continues to be restored. The synagogue, which is now used for religious ceremonies and music performances, remains a centre for Jewish culture.
9:15 to 10:15: view mound
10:15 to 10:45: from Krakus walk to Fort Benedykt: 1.2 km = 17 min
10:45 – 11:15: view Fort and
Church
11:15 – 11:30: walk 600 m = 7 min to Saint Joseph Church
11:30 – 11:45: view Church: ul. Jana Zamoyskiego 2 | Podgorze, Krakow: fairy-tale church in the Podgórze
neighbourhood
KRAKUS MOUND
"The oldest structure in Kraków, Krakus Mound is
one of two prehistoric monumental mounds in the city and is also its highest
point, providing incredible panoramic views from its sixteen-metre high summit.
The site of pagan ritual for centuries, the mound retains an ancient, evocative
atmosphere. With incredible views of the city, Krakus Mound
lies at the centre of one of Kraków's least explored and most captivating areas
and should be visited by anyone looking to take a rewarding detour from the
beaten path."
"The result of great human effort and innovative
engineering, Krakus Mound has long been a source of legend and mystery.
Connected with the popular story of Kraków's mythical founder, King Krak or Krakus, the mound is said to have been constructed in honour of his
death when noblemen and peasants filled their sleeves with sand and dirt, bringing
it to this site in order to create an artificial mountain that would rule over
the rest of the landscape. In the interwar period, extensive archaeological
studies were undertaken to try to date the mound and verify if there was truth
to the legend that Krak was buried beneath it. Though no trace of a grave was
found, artefacts from the 8th century were uncovered, and it was determined
that a massive 300-year-old oak, likely cut down in the 11th century when St. Benedict's Church was built nearby, once stood atop
the mound. There is general agreement today that the mound was created by a
Slavonic colony sometime between the latter half of the 7th century and the
early 10th century, though other hypotheses credit the structure to the Celts."
"Once a popular site for pagan worship, the
ancient and miniscule St. Benedict’s Church was built here in the 11th century
specifically to put a frowny face on such practices. One of the city’s
oldest churches, it is certainly the smallest, and after years of
restorations it is finally open to the public on Saturdays only from 11:00
- 13:00."
"Fort Benedict, the only surviving fortress of three that were built in Podgórze in the mid-19th century; in fact this is one of the few citadels of the ‘Maximillion Tower’ type surviving anywhere. An imposing brick monolith in the shape of a 16-sided polygon, today the fort stands abandoned with the city unable to decide what to do with it. Though you can certainly scramble through the fence to explore it up close, we’re sure you’ll find (like we did) that this fort is indeed impenetrable."
“fairy-tale”
Saint Joseph Church, ul. Zana Zamoyskiego 2
in
the Podgorze neighborhood
a drink at Eszeweria a very trendy, hip little hole-in-the-wall bar with plenty of nooks. "The entrance is very inconspicuous – don’t be fooled by
it. The interior will surprise you."
We stopped to visit the Temple Synagogue in the Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter of historic Krakow.
The synagogue was built in 1862 and continued to have regular services until 1968.
In the evening we walked to Starka Restaurant for an outstanding meal before retiring to our hotel.
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Jean Karsavina tells us that the Poles cannot do without their soup. . . . a favorite is barszcz czysty, a clear beet soup . . .” for either “an ordinary family meal” or “and elegant dinner party.”
(Woman’s
Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, Vol. 17)
BARSZCZ ZIMNY (Cold
Borsch)
1 pound beef with bone
10 cups cold water
¾ cup diced mixed raw vegetables
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
6 large shrimp or 12 small ones (optional: you can just chop some of the beef to
add to the chilled soup)
½ pound young beets with greens
1 cup beet pickle juice
2 or 3 hardboiled eggs, sliced or
quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 small fresh cucumber or dill
pickle, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons salt
¼ tsp pepper
·
Put
water and beef in stock pot. Bring to a
boil and skim.
·
Reduce
heat and simmer for one hour.
·
Add
diced vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper, and bayleaf. Simmer another 30 minutes to an hour (until
beef is done).
·
Add
shrimp and cook for 5 minutes until done.
Remove, peel, and put into a soup bowl.
·
Scrape
or peel the beets. Cook until tender in
small amount of water with ¼ cup of the pickle juice. Add to the soup bowl.
·
Chop
the greens and add to the soup bowl.
·
Add
eggs, dill, and cucumber or dill pickle to the Dutch oven.
·
Strain
soup stock and degrease. (Serve meat as
a separate course or in sandwiches.)
·
Whisk
flour into sour cream, add to the stock, with the rest of the pickle juice, and
bring to a boil.
·
Pour
into the soup bowl over the other ingredients.
·
Adjust
seasoning.
·
Cool
and serve.
