Hotels near St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall

St Mary's Basilica towers over the Krakow Christmas market, and every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnał, a short bugle call that stops abruptly mid-melody, from the taller of its two towers. Inside, the vast carved wooden altarpiece by Veit Stoss, completed in 1489, is one of the great treasures of Gothic art.

Across the square, the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance market hall, has been a trading place for centuries. Its arcades are lined with stalls selling amber, crafts and souvenirs, and upstairs the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art displays national masterpieces.

Both are a natural part of any visit to the Christmas market.

Pro Tip: Be on the square on the hour to hear the hejnał from St Mary's tower. Visit the basilica just before 11.50am, when the altarpiece is opened each day.