Krakow is a metropolis of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, in the historic country of Lesser Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, at the narrowest point of the so-called Krakow Gate, which connects the Sandoměřská Basin with the Auschwitz Basin. In 2017, Krakow had 766,739 inhabitants (the second largest Polish city by population). The area of the city is 326.85 km².
The oldest part of the town is located on the fortified Wawel hill. It was one of the most important fortifications in the Vislan tribal principality. This was ruled by the Great Moravian Empire during the reign of Prince Svatopluk. The first mention of Krakow (as an important trade fort) dates back to 966, when the city was ruled by Czech Prince Boleslav I,
Krakow is considered the capital of Polish culture. Among others, the Nobel Prize winner for literature Wisława Szymborska lived there, as well as the holder of the same prize Czesław Miłosz or the well-known author Stanisław Lem. It is one of the most important tourist, cultural and historical centers in Europe. Compared to the Warsaw metropolis, Krakow is visited by far more tourists (3-4 million). The compact area of the old town, together with the historical buildings, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.
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