Although it's gray outside the window, the future of Krakow's Market Square is painted in shades of green. During yesterday's press conference, the magistrate informed that the concept of greening Krakow's Main Square has received approval from the Malopolska Regional Office for Monument Protection. We also learned where and what new trees might appear at the Krakow market.
The presence of trees in Krakow's Market Square is a topic that has been dragging on since at least 2022, when the project "Let's plant trees in theMain Square!" won in the Civic Budget. by Krzysztof Kwarciak. Implementation of the plans at first went very slowly and not without stumbles. The loudest was last summer, when ZZM decided to "accustom" residents to the presence of new greenery in the market by placing specimens planted in pots on its slab. These were rebuked by an unfavorable public opinion, but work on the implementation of the winning project from the Civic Budget continued. Now at last (and fortunately!) we can talk about specifics.
Market Square in Krakow is currently a concrete pan
Photo: Jorge Lascar © CC BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons
The long road to trees in Krakow's market square
Back in January 2024, the Malopolska Regional Conservator of Monuments issued a preliminary approval for the project and developed a range of recommendations that must be taken into account when introducing a new stand of trees in the market. Among the most important points of this document was the consideration of natural, climatic, landscape and historical conditions based on studies of greenery in the market space before 1918. Proposals for locations for new trees could not disturb scenic axes and take into account existing legal solutions for the protection of the historic substance of the market. The document became one of the reference points for the activities of a team of experts formed this summer specifically for the occasion.
On May 14 of this year, the Urban Greenery Board awarded a tender for the preparation of project documentation, including a feasibility study based on an in-depth analysis of historical data. The contractor for the documentation was Krakow University of Technology, and the cost of its development was estimated at nearly 400 thousand zlotys. The team, led by Dr. Eng. landscape architect Wojciech Bobek, appointed by the Krakow university was divided into three task groups.
Trees on the west side of Krakow's market square
© National Digital Archive
task force
The first team consisted of Wojciech Bobek, Ph.D., landscape architect, and Prof. Agata Zachariasz, whose task was to study the conditions that governed the selection of greenery in the space of Krakow's Old Town today and in the past, as well as its maintenance and care. The goal of the second team, headed by Prof. Zbigniew Myczkowski, was to develop compositional conditions, taking into account the view axes and other elements of the historical characteristics of the Old Town buildings. The last of the task forces, headed by Prof. Klaudia Stala, examined what lies underground with an emphasis on the legal context related to the special forms of protection extended over relics of the past within the Old City. At stake here were entries in the Register of Historic Places and the Municipal Register of Historic Places, historic monument status and, most importantly, UNESCO World Heritage listing.
More trees will appear at St. Adalbert's Church
Photo: Zygmunt Put © CC BY SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
time for concretes!
The results of the interdisciplinary team's work were presented at a conference held on December 19, 2024 at the Potocki Palace on Krakow's Market Square. The team of scientists from the Cracow University of Technology presented a four-volume feasibility study that focused on three main aspects: architectural and archaeological conditions, view conditions and the protection of these links and views, which are key heritage, as well as historical and contemporary conditions in the context of species selection.
The study presents a proposal for solutions that will protect the historical value of Krakow's market square, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at the same time allow the needs of Krakow's residents and visitors to be realized, i.e. to introduce more greenery into this space
- said during the conference Prof. Andrzej Szarata, rector of the Cracow University of Technology.
Where will new trees appear in Krakow's market square?
During the conference we learned where new plantings will appear in Krakow's market square. Taking into account the history of Krakow's market square, the issues of protecting its historic character and the possibilities of the land, five potential locations were identified, which can be divided into two groups - places where the existing stand of trees will be supplemented, and spaces where there are no new trees at all. The former includes the surroundings of St. Adalbert's Church, just off the exit of Grodzka Street. Several trees are already growing in the plaza next to the building with medieval origins, including an old, 200-year-old oak whose top parallels the lantern on top of the temple. Densification is also proposed near the city hall tower. In this case, an important prerequisite for the new plantings is the dominant function in the urban structure of the tower, left over from the City Hall, which was demolished during World War II - the planted trees must therefore be properly matched in terms of the size they can potentially reach. Additional specimens are also to appear at the frontages of the market, where there are already quite a few trees, but they are planted in a rather irregular way.
The western side of the market with rows of trees
Jozef Mehoffer © public domain | Wikimedia Commons
Trees will also appear in Krakow's market square in places where there is currently no greenery to be found. The first proposed location is around the fountain in the northeastern part of the square. This is a problematic location due to the "Underground Market" exhibition located under the market's slab. However, analyses carried out by a team of specialists from the Cracow University of Technology have shown that it is nevertheless a convenient location for the growth of new trees. It is worth mentioning that sizable trees have grown in this location in the past, which is perfectly illustrated by a photograph from 1930. The second location for new specimens in the market is on the west side, where a row of new trees is planned.
The east side of the market in 1930
© public domain | Wikimedia Commons
what trees will grow in krakow's market square?
The species that will grow in the market have also been pre-selected. Five species have been identified - the pedunculate oak will appear by the St. Adalbert Church, while small-leaved and silver-leaved lindens will grow on the eastern side of the market. In addition, a team of experts from the Cracow University of Technology has also selected a field maple and a white robinia, also known as acacia robinia - it is the latter that currently builds the largest part of the tree stand in the Cracow market, to grow in rows at the western and northern frontages of the market.
Krakow's market will green up, but not so fast
Quite a lot has already been done, but there is still a long way to go before the new trees in Krakow's market square. Although the expression of a positive opinion by the Małopolska WUOZ is a breakthrough event, enabling further implementation of the Civic Budget project, the list of further steps is still long. In the coming year, a team of scientists from the Cracow University of Technology will develop the design and cost-estimate documentation, and the appropriate construction permit must also be issued. The selection of contractors will be followed by the implementation phase of the project, so we can expect new greenery on the market in autumn 2025 or, more likely, in spring 2026.
can it be done? it can be done!
Greening of markets in Polish cities is an important trend. Almost every attempt to break out of this trend is met with generally valid criticism from the public. Planting trees in Krakow's market square, however, is a task of a completely different order, one that other historic cities, not only in Poland, are struggling with. The example of Liberty Square in Lodz shows well that conservation issues can be reconciled with the management of tall greenery in historically significant spaces. And although the planting of new trees in Krakow's Market Square is only a drop in the ocean of needs, most residents will welcome the new greenery and the shade it generates that will appear around the Cloth Hall in the coming years. Only will it be enough?