Collegium Maius

Collegium Maius Review

Jagiellonian University was another innovation of Kazimierz the Great. Established in 1364, it was the first university in Poland and one of the earliest ones in Europe. The Collegium Maius is the oldest surviving building of the university, though historians are undecided where the very first one stood. Jagiellonian's most famous student, Nicolaus Copernicus, studied here from 1491 to 1495. The first visual delight is the arcaded Gothic courtyard.

Don't miss lovely college gardens, through the passage to the left. On the second floor, the museum and rooms are a must for all visitors to Kraków. They can only be visited on a guided tour (English-language tours are at 1 pm, but call in advance to confirm and make a reservation). On the tour you see the treasury, assembly hall, library, and common room. The museum includes the so-called Jagiellonian globe, the first globe to depict the American continents.