Town Hall Tower in the Market Square in Krakow

Town Hall Tower in Krakow

The brick tower standing in the market square is a remnant of the old town hall building, which housed the city council, office, and even a granary. In the tower's basement was the scariest place in Krakow - a prison and a torture chamber. You can still see the executioners' tools in the nearby museum - House of Jan Matejko. Initially, the town hall was wooden, but the wooden structure was destroyed by fire. The tower is 70 meters high and... it is not perfectly vertical! It is sometimes called Krakow's Leaning Tower because it is tilted 55 cm from the vertical - much less than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but still! The entrance to the tower is guarded by two lions.

Town Hall Tower - Visiting

You can visit the tower, and on Mondays, entry is free. So if you are from Krakow or staying in the city of kings for a bit longer - be sure to check it out! There are 110 stone steps to the top of the tower - they are narrow, steep, and uneven. Passing by others can be difficult and even a bit dangerous - there is a chain for support. You need to be very careful with younger children (there are moments without a railing where a child could fall!), but for older kids, it will be a real adventure!

Mechanism of the Town Hall Clock

In the past, tower clocks were much more important than today - they set the rhythm of city life because few people could afford their own watch. For this reason, they were placed on towers to be visible from many points. On the top floor, you will find the mechanism of the town hall clock. From the windows, there is a panorama of Krakow.

We exit the room through low doors - they reminded us a bit of the entrances to Hobbit houses:

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Author: Adelina
Publish Date: 2022-04-25