The Main Market Square [Rynek Glowny], dates back from 1257, and was one of the largest squares in Medieval Europe. It is the social heart of Krakow today and is surrounded by historic buildings, museums and magnificent churches. Flower sellers, ice-cream vendors, students, pigeons and musicians all fill the square.
In the centre of the square is the splendid medieval Cloth Hall, a covered aracde with a soaring vaulted interior where the merchants once sold their produce; today it is filled with lively market stalls. The upstairs art gallery is home to a number of 19th century Polish paintings and sculptures. Along the outside walls of the building are elegant cafes, the most famous of these being Noworolski, which was the centre of Krakow social life before the war, with Lenin a well-known regular. The cafe has now regained its reputation as the prime cake and coffee venue of the city.
The most striking church on the square is St. Mary's, an impressive twin-spire Gothic structure. Every hour a mournful bugle sounds from the tallest church spire in memory of the lone watchman, who warned of an invasion with his trumpet, but was cut off mid-note by a Turkish arrow in the throat. Within is the famous carved wooden altar, a majestic piece of Gothic art.
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