Town square in Raków

Raków is a small town today, which boasts an extremely interesting and turbulent history.

In the past, Raków was a town founded "on dry roots" by Jan Sienieński. Settlers willingly chose this place. They were exempt from fees for 20 years, and every house in the town square was offered an attractive purchase of a garden or land. Craftsmen could join guilds and brotherhoods here, and they did not have to pay fees to the city owner for their activities.

Most importantly, the new residents could count on full religious tolerance. For this reason, dissenters quickly began to come to Raków, and Raków itself was a very important center of the Reformation until the second half of the 17th century. The Arians had their famous printing house and school here.

The rapid development of the city soon made it necessary to move the city center. It happened in 1607 - the new town square was marked out to the north of the old one, on the road to Dębno and Łagów.

Although Raków ceased to be an important center of the Reformation already in the second half of the 17th century, and in 1867 its city rights were revoked, the original urban layout can still be clearly read in the streets and squares. The heart of Raków is the town square - the main square, which in 2015 gained a new face, changing the image of the whole Raków.

The hallmark of the square has become the "fountain of three crayfish" referring to the town's coat of arms. You will also find a place to rest and a separate place for local traders. If you are traveling by bike, you can regenerate at the Cyclists' Resting Place located at the town square.