Page 59 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

KR AK OW THROUGH THE Y EAR  57

Average Monthly Temperature Temperature Chart
Average maximum and
°C °F minimum temperatures
25 80 are show here. July and
20 70 August are the hottest
months with the temp-
15 60
erature often exceeding
10 50 20°C, sometimes
5 40 even reaching 30°C.
0 30 Temperatures can
–5 20 plummet in winter
–10 10 but on average linger
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec around freezing.

films by students from art
schools and film schools
from all over the world.
Winter
Krakow under a blanket of
snow is a wonderful sight,
but winter also brings misty
and bitingly cold days.
Every year on the first
Thursday of December a
competition for the best
Christmas crib (szopka) takes
place by the Mickiewicz Spectacular display of fireworks on New Year’s Eve
Monument in Market Square.
The winning cribs are later December February
displayed at the Museum of Christmas Eve (Wigilia) “Fat Thursday“ (Tłusty czwartek)
Krakow in Krzysztofory Palace. (24 Dec). The evening begins (last Thu before Lent). Everybody
The tradition of making with a meat-free meal. eats doughnuts. The Gazeta
Christmas cribs, unique to Midnight Masses are said w Krakowie, the local supple-
Krakow, can be traced back and the Zygmunt Bell rings ment to the Gazeta
to medieval Christmas plays. at Wawel. Wyborcza, rates the
Nativity scenes at churches Christmas (Święto bakeries to help people
are also worth visiting. The Bożego Narodzenia) choose the best
one outside the Franciscan (25 and 26 Dec). doughnuts in Krakow.
Church, with real people and Christmas Day and the Shrovetide (Ostatki),
animals, is best known. It day after are public (last Sat and Tue of
can be seen only on Christmas holidays. Masses are the Carnival season, before
Eve and Christmas Day. celebrated in Ash Wednesday). This sh Wednesday). This sh Wednesday
A A
Stalls selling handmade all churches. Christmas is a time of parties
Christmas decorations and New Year’s Eve decoration before Lent.
traditional delicacies fill the (Sylwester) (31 Dec). A
Market Square during the crowd, several thousand Public Holidays
Christmas Fair. strong, gathers in Market
Square to see in the New Year. New Year’s Day (1 Jan)
The Wielopolski Palace, the Epiphany (6 Jan)
seat of local government, is Easter Monday (Mar/Apr)
the venue for one of the Labour Day (1 May)
grandest balls in Poland. Constitution Day (3 May)
Distinguished guests arrive Whit Sunday (7 weeks
from all over the world, and after Easter)
the proceeds go to charity. Corpus Christi (Thu, usually
around 8 weeks after Easter)
January Assumption (15 Aug)
New Year’s Day (Nowy Rok) All Saints’ Day (1 Nov)
(1 Jan). Public holiday. Independence Day (11 Nov)
Carol singers in traditional costume in A month of balls and Christmas (25 & 26 Dec)
Floriańska Street at Christmas time parties begins on this day.
The Father Bernatek bridge over the Vistula River