PODGÓRZE

Podgórze is a district of Kraków situated on the southern bank of the Vistula River, at the foot of Lasota Hill .

At the beginning Podgórze was just a small settlement but after the First Partition of Poland the town’s progress was rushed by the Austria-Hungary Emperor Joseph II, who in 1784 established the Royal Free City of Podgórze . Till the beginning of XX c . Podgórze was administered as a separate town and was an undeniable industrial power. Only in 1915 it was incorporated into the city of Kraków as  one of its districts.
In the vicinity of Father Laetus Bernatek Footbridge, there is a square with a monument commemorating one of the most eminent mayors of Kraków Juliusz Leo, whose idea of the Great Kraków influenced Podgórze as well. His monument on this site  exactly symbolizes the merging of Podgórze and Kraków.

Podgórze is one of my favourite districts of Kraków either for sightseeing or  just strolling around . You will find there traces of legends about legendary ruler Krak ( Krak Mound) , traces of Jewish Ghetto   established here by Nazis  during the II WW ( Square of Heroes of Ghetto),  telling museums and monuments which draw us a  complete picture of  this former City of Podgórze.

I would be very happy to be your tour guide around this area of Kraków someday 🙂