Wawel Castle

The sun sets on Wawel Castle, Krakow.

One of the twelve Apostles

Stone statues of the 12 Apostles/disciples on the fence, looming larger-than-life-size, are replicas of the 18th-century late Baroque originals. These were seen on the railings outside The Church of Sts. Peter & Paul, Krakow.

Bronze-coloured Polish MiG-21

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name "Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "ołówek" (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage. Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, & it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history & the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, & it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants).

Mig Alley

Row of Polish MiG-21's marks the start of "Mig Alley" at the Polish Air Museum in Krakow.

Polish Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (NATO reporting name: "Flogger") is a swing-wing, variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It was the first attempt by the Soviet Union to design look-down/shoot-down radar and one of the first to be armed with beyond visual range missiles, & the first MiG production fighter plane to have intakes at the sides of the fuselage. Production started in 1970 & reached large numbers with over 5,000 aircraft built. Today the MiG-23 remains in limited service with various export customers.

Cloth Hall

The Renaissance Sukiennice (Cloth Hall, Drapers' Hall) in Krakow is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the Main Market Square in the Kraków Old Town. It was once a major centre of international trade. Traveling merchants met there to discuss business & to barter. During its golden age in the 15th century, Sukiennice was the source of a variety of exotic imports from the East – spices, silk, leather & wax – while Krakow itself exported textiles, lead, & salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Nowadays it is a haven for tourists looking to pick up quality souvenirs such as amber, craft, animal fur & more modern items.

Former locomotive at Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka Salt Mine (on the outskirts of Krakow) was once one of the most profitable industrial establishments when common salt was commercially a medieval equivalent of today's oil. Nine centuries of mining in Wieliczka produced a total of some 200km of passages as well as 2,040 caverns of varied size. In 1978 it became an Unesco World Hertiage site & commercial mining was only discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices & mine flooding. It attracts more than 1m visitors each year.

Bridge of Love Locks

Just some of the padlocks which had been inscribed & locked onto the new bridge over the Vistula river - to symbolise love & relationships.

The Planty

The Planty was once a moat at the feet of the fortifications, but in 1807 the fortifications were dismantled & transformed in a public park in the 1820s. This green-belt forms a ring & surrounds the city of Krakow.

Fire-breathing dragon

The sun rises above the fire-breathing dragon in front of Wawel Castle Hill, Krakow - making a lovely silhouette.

Krakow tram trails

One of the city's trams captured at night.

Krakow at night

Traffic trails captured at a busy junction in Krakow at night.

Arbeit macht frei - entrance to Auschwitz I

Auschwitz I was the original camp, serving as the administrative center for the whole complex. The site for the camp (16 one-story buildings) had earlier served as Polish army artillery barracks. Arbeit macht frei is a German phrase, literally "work makes (one) free".

Close-up of the perimeter fence around Auschwitz I

Twin barbed wire fences around the perimerter of Auschwitz I were electrified to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Guardtower

One of dozens of guardhouses which surround Auschwitz I to keep watch on the thousands of prisoners.

Halt! Stoj!

Warning sign seen outside a guardhouse & Block 11 Auschwitz I, just before the electrified barbed wire, perimeter fence.

Perimeter fences separate two parts of Auschwitz I

All the barbed wire perimeter fences surrounding Auschwitz I where electrified.

Vorsicht - hochspannung lebensgefahr

This sign "vorsicht hochspannung lebensgefahr" was seen in front of some of the perimeter fences which were electrified. It means "caution, high voltage danger".

Vorsicht - hochspannung lebensgefahr

This sign "vorsicht hochspannung lebensgefahr" was seen in front of some of the perimeter fences which were electrified. It means "caution, high voltage danger".

Twin fences

Twin barbed wire fences around the perimerter of Auschwitz I were electrified to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Looking into Auschwitz II-Birkenau site

There is only one thing worse than Auschwitz itself... …and that is if the world forgets there was such a place. Henry Appel, Auschwitz survivor

Fences strung with electrified barbed wire

Auschwitz II-Birkenau, just like Auschwitz I was surrounded with electrified barbed wire fences.

Watch-towers in Auschwitz II-Birkenau

These watch-towers not only surrounded the perimeter of the extermination camp, but also between the railway lines which led in & the "living" areas.

Railway line leads into Auschwitz II-Birkenau

In early 1943, the Nazis decided to increase greatly the gassing capacity of Birkenau. Crematorium II, originally designed as a mortuary, with morgues in the basement and ground-level furnaces, was converted into a killing factory by placing a gas-tight door on the morgues & adding vents for Zyklon B & ventilation equipment to remove the gas.