4th Day - Friday (piontek)

Podgórze II

I'm not finished with Podgórze yet. So today we're going back across the Vistula River:

It won't be so peaceful today - that's my fear.

Across the 'Heroes of the Ghetto Square'..

..we go to Apteka Pod Orlem (Pharmacy Under the Eagle)

Unfortunately, I don't have time for explanations now. Please watch the movie 'Schindler's List' instead!

Instead, let's continue south, deep into Podgórze. Right behind this somewhat surreal scene..

..you are invited for coffee and cake in the brand new high-tech museum of Podgórze:

Now quickly into the museum. The Kawiarnia (Café) won't be open forever..

So it's about the district of Podgórze, circled in red here:

Podgórze comes from 'pod górze', roughly 'at the foot of the hill'.

There, in Podgórze, is the grave of King Krak, the founder of the city of Krakow. The grave is the Krak Hill with the Holy Tree on top - of course an oak tree:

Krak Hill

The residents built the hill by hand, about 1300 years ago. A team from Terra-X actually found remains of an oak tree in it... Well, I'm going to take a look myself!

Theory completed. Off to Krak Hill (orange arrow):

A quick turn around:

You can see the longest continuous graffiti in the world, over a hundred meters. However, I can't understand why it was created on a freeway ;-)

So let's continue to the hill!

Finally, the view opens up..

..then you're standing in front of Krak Hill and you're amazed:

You screw yourself up like right-turning lactic acid..

Finally, the skyline of Krakow (ha, ha, ha,..)

Going down the hill again, on to the old Liban quarry. From here you can see everything:

Krak Hill (right), Krakow (middle), Quarry (left)

Płaszów

The old Liban quarry was part of the Płaszów concentration camp, my next destination. The KL Płaszów and its butcher Amon Göth - known through the movie Schindler's List - is - like so much else here.

So I'm winding my way along an unpaved path along the quarry. A quick look to the left..

..to the right

..like in Normandy ;-)

Then a sign

The KL Płaszów was built by the Germans on an old Jewish cemetery - it doesn't get more cynical than that. I walk over a mass grave of about 2000 Jews murdered by the Germans..

An old gravestone from the year 5692 can be seen, covered with stones in Jewish tradition. The Jewish calendar counts from 3761 BC. The months were also based on the phases of the moon.

From Płaszów I now quickly take the tram and go up to the Rynek...

..and hang out there at the cinema

After that it's dark and a natural spectacle awaits me..

Why are there concentration camps in this world - I ask myself.

Continue to Day 5

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