Krakow has withstood a Poland conquered, partitioned and erased from the map of Europe by countless waves of invaders over the past 600 years, from Mongol warriors and German knights to the soldiers of Napoleon, Hitler, and Stalin. But Poles’ commitment to democratic values finally won out in a courageous display of civil disobedience against communist rule in 1989, giving birth to a new and autonomous nation.

Today, Krakow has settled into a new era of democracy after 40 years of communism; the excitement of resisting Soviet Communism has given way to the bustle of urban renewal. Buildings that had once been allowed to slide into disrepair have been lovingly restored, creating a tableau of churches, monuments, and romantic corners. Students, tourists, businessmen, musicians, and residents fill the plazas during the day, with restaurants, cabarets, and galleries--tucked into the city’s gothic cellars and narrow alleys--alive with activity at night. Despite continuing economic and social challenges, Krakow reverberates with the energy of an “up-and-coming” city.