Page 118 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

116  KR AK OW AREA B Y AREA

In 1910 Michalik extended and
redecorated the premises to
designs by Franciszek Mączyński.
The main room received a glass
ceiling. Karol Frycz designed the
interior decoration, furniture
and most of the stained glass
in the Art Nouveau style.
The café is still an inviting place
where customers can go back in
time and enjoy the atmosphere
of the fin de siècle, as well as see
enduring folk shows.

The impressive exterior of the Barbican zMatejko House
kBarbican lJama Michalika Dom Matejki
Barbakan Café ul. Floriańska 41. Map 2 D4 (6 E1).
Jama Michalika Tel 12 433 59 60. v 2, 4, 7, 14, 24.
ul. Basztowa. Map 2 D3 (6 E1). @ 124, 152, 304, 502. Open 10am–
v 2, 4, 7, 14, 24. @ 124, 152, ul. Floriańska 45. Map 2 D4 (6 E1). 6pm Tue–Sat, 10am–4pm Sun.
304, 502. Open Apr–Oct: 10:30am– Tel 12 422 15 61. v 2, 4, 7, 14, 24. & free on Sun. 8 ∑ mnk.pl
6pm daily. & @ 124, 152, 304, 502. Open 9am–
10pm Mon–Thu & Sun, 9am–11pm The artist Jan Matejko was
The Barbican, a round bastion, Fri & Sat. & born here in 1838, and in 1873
was constructed in 1498–99 after returned to live with his family.
King Jan Olbracht was defeated In 1895 Jan Michalik opened He rebuilt the house and added
by the Turks in Bukowina, and a patisserie near the Market a new façade designed by
further Turkish incursions were Square. It became very popular Tomasz Pryliński in the Neo-
feared. It shows the changes that with students of the Fine Arts Baroque style. After Matejko
had been introduced to military School who called the place died in 1893 the house was
architecture as a result of the jama (grotto) for its lack of transformed into a museum and
rapid development of artillery. windows. Poets, writers and opened to the public five years
This relatively low structure artists soon joined them and later. The statue of a hussar on
projecting from the city walls in 1905 established the cabaret horseback, on the ground floor,
with a considerable overhang Zielony Balonik (The Green was part of Leon Wyczółkowski’s
enabled the defenders to fire Balloon) here. The performances, design for the Matejko Monu-
with precision at the enemy based on texts by Tadeusz Boy- ment. The private rooms on
from the loop-holes, positioned Żeleński, soon attracted a large the first floor have remained
at different levels. The Barbican audience. Satirical Christmas unchanged, while the second
was originally surrounded by a puppet shows, with mario- floor is used for a display of the
moat and linked to St Florian’s nettes by Ludwik Puget and artist’s works, which include
Gate by a corridor. It is the best Jan Szczepkowski, became cartoons for the murals that are
preserved barbican in Europe. particularly popular. in the Church of St Mary. His
studio on the third floor is full
of the props and curiosities he
collected. Pieces of old armour
and instruments of torture exca-
vated on the site of the old Town
Hall are of particular interest.

xFloriańska Street
Ulica Floriańska
Map 1 C4, 2 D4 (6 D2–E1, 2).
v 2, 4, 7, 14, 24. @ 124, 152,
304, 502.
This street, leading from
St Florian’s Gate to the Market
Square, formed part of the
Royal Route which became
fully established after the court
The interior of the Jama Michalika Café moved from Krakow to Warsaw.