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The Royal Route in Krakow

     
  Royal Route

The Royal Route used to be the path that Royal processions and funerals took. Even after Warsaw became the capital in the 16th Century, kings were nearly always coronated in Krakow.

The route starts at the Barbican, passes through St.Florian's Gate (Florianska Gate), down Florianska Street, through Rynek Glowny and then down Grodzka Street to Wawel castle.

Centuries ago, Krakow was circled by a series of moats and city walls but sadly these have disappeared over time. The Planty parkland now traces the line of the medieval walls


     Florianska Gate in Krakow

The Barbikan was a defensive fortress and originally Krakow had two of them incorporated into the city's walls. The one that remains is superbly preserved and evokes the spirit of Krakow's medieval heritage. Some of the walls in the Barbican are 3 metres thick !

A covered passageway used to link the this fortress to St Florian's Gate. Forty seven towers originally punctuated the city walls but only four of these survived with St Florian's Gate being at the centre. This was the original gateway to the ancient city and the starting point of royal processions.
                                                                                                  Barbikan in Krakow
                                                                                                   taken by TomaszD

 

Today, you can still see remnants of the original walls by the side of St Florian's Gate (although artists tend to obstruct your view by hanging their paintings on the wall).

 

 

 

 


 The wall surrounding Florianska Gate in Krakow
now adorned with paintings by Krakowian artists