Basilica of St. Mary. Every full hour from the tower, a trumpet plays above Krakow’s main square. Suddenly the music stops. Same for all directions.

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Saint Mary’s Basilica (Polish: Kościół Mariacki) is a Brick Gothic church adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Built in the 14th century, its foundations date back to the early 13th century and serve as one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). In 1978 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków. Every full hour a golden trumpet shows above Krakow’s central Grand Square (Rynek Glowny) in the west window just below the spire of the higher tower of the Basilica of the Virgin Mary's. Then a characteristic signal trumpet melody, known and dear to every Pole, resounds all over the city’s Old Town historical district. All of a sudden music comes to an abrupt end. Next the same bugle call is played towards the east, the south and the north.

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Size: 4416px × 3312px
Location: Poland, Cracow
Photo credit: © Juha Puikkonen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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