The 2nd largest city in Poland is Krakow, as well as one of the oldest. Sitting on the Vistula River, the Lesser Poland region city dates to the seventh century and until 1596, it was Poland’s official capital. The city is a leader in academic, artistic, cultural, and economics.
What was once a Stone Age settlement, starting off as a hamlet located on Wawell Hill, Krakow is now the country’s second most important city. Even in its beginnings, Krakow was a busy trading center for Central Europe. In 1918, the city saw new cultural venues and universities as the Second Polish Republic emerged.