Kraków is Poland’s second-largest city, with around 811,000 people, and one of the country’s oldest and most historically important urban centres. Settlement around Wawel Hill dates back well over a thousand years, while Kraków received its formal city charter in 1257 and served as the capital of Poland until the late 16th century. The exceptionally well-preserved historic centre includes the enormous Rynek Główny market square, St Mary’s Basilica, the medieval Cloth Hall and Wawel Royal Castle, while nearby Kazimierz preserves important Jewish and Christian heritage. Kraków escaped the level of wartime destruction suffered by many other Polish cities, leaving much of its historic architecture intact, and its Old Town was included on UNESCO’s first World Heritage List in 1978. The city is also an important university centre, with Jagiellonian University founded in 1364. Kraków has a substantial underground metal scene and is particularly associated with black metal bands Mgła, formed here in 2000, and Kriegsmaschine, formed in 2002.

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