Floriańska Street or St. Florian's Street ( pl, ulica Floriańska, la, platea Sancti Floriani) is one of the main streets in
Kraków Old Town
Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, Poland.Ingrid GustafsonLet's Go: Eastern EuropePublished by Macmillan, page 444. Let's Go Publications, 2008. It is one of the most famous old districts in Poland today and was the c ...
and one of the most famous promenades in the city.
The street forms part of the regular grid plan of ''Stare Miasto'' (the Old Town), the merchants' town that extends the medieval heart of the city, which was drawn up in 1257 after the destruction of the city during the
first Mongol invasion of Poland
The Mongol Invasion of Poland from late 1240 to 1241 culminated in the Battle of Legnica, where the Mongols defeated an alliance which included forces from fragmented Poland and their allies, led by Henry II the Pious, the Duke of Silesia. ...
of 1241.
Location
Floriańska appears on the 1257 plan of the extended city.
It marks the beginning of the
Royal Road in Kraków[ and stretches from the north-western end of the main square, Rynek Główny, to the landmark ]St. Florian's Gate
St. Florian's Gate or Florian Gate ( pl, Brama Floriańska) in Kraków, Poland, is one of the best-known Polish Gothic towers, and a focal point of Kraków's Old Town. It was built about the 14th century as a rectangular Gothic tower of "wild st ...
, a distance of . There are currently 51 numbered buildings on the street (up to no 44 even and no 57 odd).[ It is named after ]Saint Florian
Florian ( la, Florianus; 250 – 304 AD) was a Christians, Christian holy man, and the patron saint of Linz, Austria; chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighting, firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Upper ...
.
In 1882, the first horse tram line started. In 1901 it was transformed into the electricity line (now defunct).
A number of notable landmarks and monuments, mainly kamienica-style buildings, are located on the street. They include buildings in the first half no 1, Kamienica pod Murzynami, no 2, Kamienica Mennica, no 13, Kamienica "Amendzińska" (also known as the Kmita Palace), no 14, the Hotel Pod Rózą, and later, the at no 25, the Jan Matejko House at no 41, and the Jama Michalika
Jama Michalika is a popular café with history spanning over a hundred years. It is located at Floriańska Street in Kraków, the capital of the Lesser Poland region.
Jama Michalika (lit. Michalik's Den in Polish) is one of the oldest Kraków cafe ...
cafe at no 45.[ The north-western end of the street passes through ]St. Florian's Gate
St. Florian's Gate or Florian Gate ( pl, Brama Floriańska) in Kraków, Poland, is one of the best-known Polish Gothic towers, and a focal point of Kraków's Old Town. It was built about the 14th century as a rectangular Gothic tower of "wild st ...
.[
Today, the street is a major tourist attraction, and most buildings feature shops, restaurants, cafes and similar establishments.][ In 2007, the Polish magazine '']Wprost
''Wprost'' (, meaning "Directly") is a Polish-language weekly news magazine published in Poznań, Poland. '' ranked Floriańska Street as the third most prestigious street in Poland, and the most prestigious in Kraków, following Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
's Nowy Świat (New World Street) and Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. In 2011 and 2013, rents at Floriańska Street was the second highest in Poland, second only to that for Nowy Świat Street.
References
Further reading
External links
Kraków ul. Floriańska i okolice
ekspozycje.org.pl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florianska Street
Streets in Kraków
Tourist attractions in Kraków
13th-century establishments in Poland