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Who says you need to go far to travel? Living in Germany, right in the middle of Europe I can get to another country within a few ours driving. So, you might just take a bus or some friends and a car and take a road trip to Denmark, France, the Netherlands or Poland for example. That’s also the beginning of the story of how I landed in Krakow an old polish city. And very beautiful one, I must admit. Almost every house is incredibly old, because the city was not destroyed during world war II. Only the main square in the city centre right in front of the Saint Mary’s Basilica is one of the most marvellous places I have ever seen, and this is just one example for the city’s beauty. There is a lot more to offer and so much history everywhere you go. Starting at the Saint Mary’s I walked around through little streets, passing a church every hundred metres until I made it up to the top of the Wawel. The Wawel is a hill around 230 metres high and on its top the Wawel Castle is enthroned. Wawel Castle is seated right next to the Vistula river. The castle was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great during the 13th and 14th century. The castle is huge with corners everywhere and many different buildings, you could get lost there, I’m sure of that, I mean, I did. There I was now. Right in the middle of Krakow standing in front of the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen. Okay, actually I just saw the door. The rest looked pretty much like any other catholic church that was built about 800 years ago. But this door. Oh wow. What can I say? Being a huge fan of Frank L. Baum’s the Wizard of Oz I was sure to be standing in front of the gate to the emerald city. A huge green gate with an inscription above which said something magical, promising, adventurous. Or at least I imagine it like this, since I never took a class of Latin. In reality it was probably just the date the door was build and a Latin phrase, but I like to imagine something else. To me it was like the beginning of an adventure every child dream about when they listen to a fairy tale the first (or the hundredth) time. What could this door guard? Maybe the famous dragon Krakow is advertising with, rose from the dead and was waiting now behind it for me? An old treasure? Or was it really the entrance to the famous city in Oz and I could meet the wizard? Whatever it was, I could not wait any longer, so I took a deep breath and opened the door. Due to my effervescent imagination I couldn’t help but being a little disappointed when I stepped into the building and found myself in a normal cathedral. But with hindsight I would say that there indeed was a treasure waiting behind the magical door. Everything was covered in gold and marble. Huge frescoes were covering the walls and looking in every direction, I discovered an altar and another one and another one, one more magnificent and expensive than the next. It was not normal, it was stunning. Krakow is a big city with about a hundred churches and cathedrals, I can count myself lucky that I of all things actually stumbled into this church. I’m still not quite sure if it has an own name, but you can find it if you walk to the castle (which is also very pretty by the way). This is probably not the only magical place in this old and wise city, I bet there are a lot of adventures and stories waiting for anyone who will look for them. Krakow makes you dream on every corner, thinking of the past and learning for the future. For me I can say that I fell in love with this city and I wish that for every one else as well.