Cloth+Hall

In the center of Krakow's Main Market Square sits an enormous Renaissance structure that may just be the world's fist shopping mall. Going all the way back to the 1300s, the Cloth Hall has been a center for trade. Textiles and spices brought to Krakow from the Middle East were on display, and merchants traveled from miles and miles around to do business in Poland's (then) capital. The Golden Age in the 15th century, the hall was a major center for international trade, the primary place to trade spices, silk, leather, lead, textiles, salt, and wax. There were other cloth halls in other European cities, but none as beautiful or expansive as Krakow's. Krakow was one of Europe's largest cities and busiest trading hubs, but when the capital was moved to Warsaw in the late 1500s, business began to slump. The hall was used less and less, falling into disrepair as the city center began to crumble. New life was breathed into the hall in the early 1800s when a restoration project began under Austrian rule. Today the Cloth Hall looks much like it did in its glory days, and it's still a center of commerce. The upper floors house the Krakow Museum and the lower level is a modern shopping center. It is used to entertain visiting dignitaries like the Emperor of Japan and Prince Charles of the United Kingdom. Today it is one of Krakow's most recognizable landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cloth Hall is a beautiful place. The upper-floor is the Krakow Museum. The lower level is a shopping mall. The building's style is Renaissance. Renaissance is an old, traditional style. The architecture can be made out of gold and ancient statues.