Kraków

Kraków, which is more often referred to by its Polish name, Cracow, is Poland's second-largest city and one of the country's oldest cities. The city, which can be found in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is located on the Vistula River, was founded in the seventh century. Kraków has a long history of being one of the most important centres of intellectual, economic, cultural, and artistic activity in Poland. It served as the capital of Poland until 1596, when it was replaced by Warsaw. Its Old Town, which includes the Wawel Royal Castle, was the very first location to be designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

From its beginnings as a Stone Age town, the city has developed into Poland's second-most significant metropolis. It started out as a little settlement atop Wawel Hill, but by 965 it was already known to be an important commercial hub in the middle of Europe. Kraków's position as a significant national intellectual and artistic centre was reestablished during the 20th century as a result of the founding of new educational institutions and cultural institutions beginning with the Second Polish Republic in 1918 and continuing into the 21st century. There are around 8 million people who live within a radius of 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the city's central square. The city itself has a population of approximately 780,000 people.

Following Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War II, the newly constituted Krakau District (also known as the Kraków District) was selected to serve as the seat of Germany's General Government. The Jewish population of the city was herded into what became known as the Kraków Ghetto, which was a walled-off zone. From there, they were transported to Nazi concentration camps and death camps like Paaszów and Auschwitz, both of which were located nearby. Nevertheless, the city was spared from serious devastation and bombardment throughout the conflict.

Karol Wojtya, the archbishop of Kraków, was promoted to the papacy in 1978 and became Pope John Paul II. He was the first pope elected from a country other than Italy in 455 years. Along with Quito, the whole Old Town and historic centre of Kraków was designated by UNESCO as the organization's first World Heritage Site in that same year. According to the findings of the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Kraków is considered to be a global city that has a "high sufficiency" score. Its extensive cultural heritage spans the Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods of architecture, and includes sites such as Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Royal Castle on the banks of the Vistula, St. Mary's Basilica, Saints Peter and Paul Church, and Rynek Góówny, which is the largest mediaeval market square in Europe. Jagiellonian University is one of the oldest universities in the world and has long been regarded as Poland's most prestigious institution of higher learning. It is located in Kraków, Poland's second largest city.

The year 2000 saw Kraków honoured with the title of European Capital of Culture. The designation of Kraków as a UNESCO City of Literature was granted to the city in 2013. In July of 2016, the city played home to the World Youth Day celebration.