This is a very old part of the town that looks mediaeval, with cobblestones paving the street and buildings made from blocks of stone, looking like castles. There are also the tall towers and spires of churches. Walking through Kraków, you feel as though you have gone back in time. There are even horse carriages waiting in the street to take you for a ride wherever you would like to go.
I walk to school through the Old Town Square every morning and I need to be there by 8:15. I always know if I will be on time because of a certain event that happens every hour in the square.
The Hejnał (pronounced 'Hey-now') is a tune that is played by a trumpeter each hour from the highest tower of St. Mary's Church, which is on a corner of the square.
This tune dates from the 12th century, and it's name 'Hejnał' means 'dawn' or 'early morning' in Hungarian. Back in those days, Poland had a Hungarian king.
Bugle calls were once used to announce the opening and closing of city gates in the morning and in the evening. They were also used to warn of fires and other dangers in historical times, such as an attack on the city.
The strange thing about the Hejnał is that the tune stops unexpectedly. There is a legend that during one of the Mongol invasions of Poland, enemy warriors approached the city. A guard on St. Mary's church tower sounded the alarm by playing the Hejnał, and the city gates were closed before the enemy soldiers could take the city by surprise. The bugler, however, was shot by an arrow and did not complete the tune. According to the legend, that is why it now ends abruptly before the end.
This tune is played at 8 o'clock in the morning (as it is on every other hour), and if I've reached the town square by the time the Hejnał is played, I know that I will be at school on time.
Location:Ul. Zamenhofa, Cracow
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