Sukiennice

The Kraków Cloth Hall stands in the center of the Main Market Square and is an outstanding example of Renaissance architecture in Central Europe. Originally built in the Middle Ages on the orders of King Casimir the Great, the covered building served as a marketplace for trading English and Flemish cloth. After a devastating fire in 1555, it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, with a barrel vault and an attic decorated with mascarons added. Later alterations, including Neo-Gothic arcades in the 19th century, shaped its present-day appearance. Today the upper floor houses the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Painting, while on the ground floor the Noworolski Café invites you in with its Art Nouveau interior and murals. You can also see historic city coats of arms and guild emblems on the walls.