Collegium Maius (Jagiellonian University Museum)

Collegium Maius, at ul. Jagiellonska 15 in Krakow's Old Town, is the oldest surviving building of the Jagiellonian University, which was refounded in 1364 and is one of the oldest universities in Central Europe. The Gothic complex is built around an arcaded courtyard with cross-vaulted galleries and a carved stone well, and it now houses the Jagiellonian University Museum. Visitors enter the museum on a guided route through the Great Hall, the professors' common room with its heavy beams and portraits, the library, and the treasury. The scientific collection includes astronomical and navigational instruments from the period when Nicolaus Copernicus studied in Krakow in the 1490s, and the Jagiellonian Globe, among the earliest known globes to show the Americas. In the courtyard a mechanical clock performs a scene with moving figures at set times of day, drawing small crowds. The museum visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes and is usually run as a timed guided tour, so places are limited and can sell out in peak season. Tickets cost roughly 25 PLN and are sold online through the university ticket system; the courtyard itself can be entered free when the university is open. Some halls have been closed for renovation, so visitors should check the official site before travelling. The building lies five minutes' walk west of Main Market Square, close to the Planty park and other university buildings. Weekday mornings are the calmest time, while school groups and summer tourists fill the afternoon slots. For photographs, the courtyard is best in morning light when the arcades are evenly lit, and the clock performance offers a lively subject. The route includes stairs and some narrow doorways typical of a medieval college building.