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 THE ORIGINS OF CRACOW

RACOW, the towering capital and coronation town of ancient Poland's kings, the royal burial-place of famous monarchs and renowned poets, is situated on the left bank of the Vistula river, which flows right across the territory of the sometime kingdom, to fall into the Baltic.

At present, Cracow is the centre of a grand-duchy of the same name within the province of Galicia, and is among the most notable cities of Austria.

The part which Cracow was to play in the history of Poland was not determined at once; on the contrary, many stormy ages, with ever-changing events in political history and civilization, passed over its head.

In prehistoric times, the caves in a range of hills extending to the north of Cracow were the oldest dwellings for the men of the Jura limestone period. The country all round the present site of the town is traversed by charming glens, overshadowed with woods and enlivened by rippling rivulets: such are the Czerna Valley near Krzeszowice, the Pradnik Valley with its ruins of Ojców Castle and "Dog's Rock" (Pieskowa Skala), the Mników Valley extending to the south. Within the precincts of the town, several hills arise: the Castle Hill called Wawel, the Skalka, the Krzemionki, and St. Bronislawa's Hill, which gives a wide view