Town Hall Park
Explorer of Kraków's Parks · no. 72
Park type: historic. In this park you can collect a stamp in the "Explorer of Kraków's Parks" campaign run by Kraków's Municipal Greenery Authority (ZZM).
History
Town Hall Park (Park Ratuszowy) covers 2.2 ha and lies in Nowa Huta, on the Szklane Domy estate. Its name comes from an idea that was never carried out: according to the first plans for Nowa Huta, a town hall with a large square was to stand on the extension of Róż Avenue, beyond Central Square. When Nowa Huta became part of Kraków, a town hall was no longer needed, and the square on the eastern side of Róż Avenue was turned into a park. In the early 1960s it was divided into four parts by two wide footpaths and planted with trees. The design was by Bronisław Szulewski. Of the outdoor sculptures placed here over time, the one that has survived is "Aquarium" by Wiesław Bielak from 1975, made of Pińczów limestone and depicting fish. The park got its official name in 2003, although residents had been using it before.
Did you know?
Plaques with the names of literary patrons have been put on 17 benches in the park, among them Stefan Żeromski, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Ryszard Kapuściński and Maria Dąbrowska. This is part of the City Codes project run by the Kraków Festival Office.