Krakow is the city exactly on the intersection of 20 degrees East and 50 degrees North. According to some cartographers it is the geographical centre of Europe. It not difficult to come to Krakow from different parts of the world. The Krakow international airport at Balice, just 15 kilometres from the city centre, has direct flights to many foreign airports, for instance: Paris, London, Zurich, Frankfurt am Main, Vienna, Rome, Tel Aviv, New York, Chicago. The city is an important railway junction with a regular and reliable train network linking Krakow with other cities both national and international. It is also possible to come to Krakow by coach or car. Our city is linked to the main Polish and European roads and thus the access is very easy.

Inside the city, close to its centre there are three traffic zones protecting the very centre. You are not allowed to drive into A and B zone. Parking in the C zone is possible after buying a parking card. It is recommended to leave your car in the guarded car parks which let come closer to your destination and have your car protected. The old part of Krakow you can visit on foot or by the public transport system which is quite good and sufficient for the visitors' needs. For those who prefer to travel by taxi, there is no problem to take it just from the street or order by telephone. If you do in the latter way, you are entitled to a discount. The cost of taxi driving within the city depending to the distance is about 30-40 zlotys (about 7-12 euros).

Krakow is ranked as the fourth industrial city in the country, with metallurgic, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries dominating. The share of the private sector in Krakow industry has considerably increased during the past several years. Also, many new developments have been observed in the commercial sector. The number of private companies is several dozens of times larger than companies belonging to the public sector. There are seven central bank offices located in Krakow, and 40 other banks have their branch offices in this city. The city also hosts The Chamber of Craftsmanship, The Chamber of Industry and Commerce, The National Chamber of Economy, The Krakow Chamber of Tourism, The Krakow Congregation of Merchants, The Industrial Society of Krakow, The Polish Association of Christian Businessmen, The Association of Private Transport, The Association of Private Real Estate Owners, and other institutions responsible for promoting business.

Krakow maintains close relations with over 30 cities in different parts of the world. Partnership agreements have been signed with many of these cities. The participation in many economic development and cultural projects/programmes not only allows organisation and implementation of mutual events and enterprises, but also permits the utilisation of foreign funds (PHARE, ECOS, OUVERTURE). Krakow is also a member of such organisations as European Cities League, Eurocities (association of European metropolises), Association of Hanseatic Cities (HANZA), Association of World Heritage Cities. The authorities of Krakow maintain contact with the European Council, Congress of European Jews, UNESCO International Culture Centre. Krakow hosted the CSCE Conference in 1991. These international contacts influenced the nomination of Krakow as the City of European Culture for the year 2000.

The landscape and its geological structure is very diversified, both in Krakow and its vicinity. In many areas one may come across picturesque karst formations that evolved from Jurassic limestone. Fertile loess clays are located in the north east. South of the Vistula River are undulating areas of loamy sandstone, and in the south east lie layers of salt.

It is not a simple task to describe the unique character of Krakow to those who still have not had the opportunity to visit this city. This uniqueness is primarily due to the rare cultural heritage embodied in the city's wall. Here, in the year 1000 a Roman Catholic bishopric was founded. Here royal castle was built on the Wawel Hill, becoming the coronation and burial place of kings, as Krakow was the capital of Poland from the 11th - 17th century. Here in 1364, the Krakow Academy was established, the first Polish university (today renamed the Jagiellonian University).

The city image has changed during the past centuries. In the Middle Ages Krakow was safe, rich fortified city surrounded by walls with 55 towers (fragments of the city fortification have been preserved to this day). During the Renaissance, Krakow became the centre of new ideas and culture that attracted the most outstanding humanists, writers, architects and musicians. Even a few later, while the city was going through economic decline during the period of Modernism, the whole of the Polish artistic elite found the safe haven. City life focused around the Market Square, the second largest in Europe after St. Mark's Square in Venice.

Tradition interlaces with modern times nearly everywhere you go, and each stone has its own history. There is a multitude of architectural monuments estimated at 6 thousand buildings and other types and forms of structures. This is supplemented by approximately 2.5 million artefacts collected and displayed in museums, churches and archives. Thanks to the extraordinary accumulation of cultural wealth, the city was registered as one of the 12 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It is impossible to describe or even list all the tourist attractions in Krakow, but, each tourist will discover his own "magical" Krakow. While some will follow the footsteps of Nicholas Copernicus, others will be interested in sites linked with John Paul II. Some will be fascinated by the world-wide unique underground corridors of the Wieliczka salt mine and others will wander round the Kazimierz Jewish district. Many will stand enchanted in front of the Wit Stwosz altar.

Benefiting from its geographical location, Krakow aims at becoming the meeting place of many cultures and nations successfully claims its position as a Central European metropolis, a city of culture, art and science. Several universities are located in Krakow. Many world famous representatives of Polish culture reside in Krakow.