Today the students of the 2nd Baccalaureate have started our adventure in Poland with a day that we will hardly forget. From early in the morning, Krakow welcomed us with an intense cold and a light that seemed to underline the weight of the history we were about to travel through.
Our first stop was Wawel Castle, an essential symbol of Polish identity. Located on the hill overlooking the Vistula River, the complex is impressive not only for its architecture, but also for what it represents: centuries of monarchy, key political decisions and cultural resistance. Walking along its ramparts, with the city at our feet, has helped us understand how Polish history has been built - and defended - from places like this.
In this same enclave we experienced a particularly significant moment: the first Mass of the journey, celebrated in the Crypt of the 12th century Wawel Cathedral, where the Kings and the great national heroes are laid to rest. In this very chapel, on 2 November 1946, St. John Paul II celebrated his first Mass, just one day after his ordination to the priesthood. Knowing it and praying there has given this beginning of our journey a profound meaning that is hard to forget.
From there we went to the Collegium Maius, the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University., founded in 1364, one of the oldest universities in Europe. To cross its courtyard and enter its halls is, in a way, to enter the history of European thought. Key figures studied and taught here, and today, centuries later, we have been able to look back on this legacy.
The visit was guided by Dr. Grzegorz Blicharz, professor at the Faculty of Law, whose closeness and intellectual depth marked the experience. He helped us to understand the university not only as a place for the transmission of knowledge, but also as a living institution with a cultural, legal and moral responsibility in society. His explanations, especially about law, academic tradition and European identity, have invited us to think more deeply about our own university future.
As we wandered the halls, surrounded by portraits, historic libraries and classrooms laden with meaning, many of us commented on the feeling of being part - if only for a day - of such a strong academic tradition. It was not just a cultural visit: it was a call to value study, intellectual rigour and personal responsibility.
We ended the day tired, but with the shared feeling of having experienced something important. This first stage of the journey has helped us to situate ourselves: we are here to learn, to look history in the face and to allow ourselves to be challenged by it.
Krakow has been a demanding and profound start. And this is only the beginning.
