In the center of the Main Market Square there is a large two-story building of Cloth Rows, which the Poles call "Sukennici". Cloth rows appeared on the Main Market Square in 1257. They were built of wood by King Boleslav V the Bashful. In the same year, next to the Cloth Rows, he began to build the Town Hall of Krakow, since Krakow was granted the right to city self-government.
To this day, only the Tower of the Town Hall has remained from the Town Hall, and the Cloth Rows have burned repeatedly for several centuries. In the 14th century, Cloth rows in the Gothic style of stone were built on the square. Their length reached 108 meters, and their width was 10 meters. Merchants` shops were located on both sides. These cloth rows were completely burned down during a fire in 1555.
In the 17th century, the cloth rows on the market square began to acquire a modern look. The building has become significantly larger in size. A room with arched vaults appeared inside. The last reconstruction of the Cloth Rows was made in 1875, according to the project of Tomasz Pylinsky during the Austrian rule. Cloth rows have acquired a neo-Gothic appearance.
Nowadays, Cloth Rows are a place where you can buy wonderful souvenirs from Krakow. The second floor houses the collections of the 19th Century Polish Art Gallery, which are part of the National Museum in Krakow. On the ground floor there is a well-known cafe Novorolsky, opened in 1912.
