The ConExPest 2011 exhibition and conference shall be held in Cracow, one of the oldest towns in Poland located in the South of the country on the banks of the Vistula River. The history of Cracow covers over a thousand years. In the past, the town was the capital of Poland and the abode of Polish kings. At present, it functions as an administrative, cultural, educational, economic, servicing and tourist centre. The historic development of Cracow can be demonstrated by the following facts: the town consisted of 22 streets in 14th century, 113 streets in 1866, 161 streets in 1909 and 457 streets in 1926. The Kanonicza Street running towards the Wawel castle is considered to be the oldest one. On the Wawel Hill located on the left bank of the Vistula River, there is the Royal Castle that dates back to the 10th century and the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Stanisław and Vaclav that dates back to 1020. The Main Market Square in Cracow is one of the three biggest market squares in Europe. Each of its sides is almost 200 m long and the shape of the square has remained unchanged since the foundation of the town in 1257, during the reign of the prince Bolesław the Chaste. In the Market Square, on finds the Cloth House that assumed its current shape in the period 1556-1560. In the North-Eastern corner of the square, one finds the St. Mary's Basilica, the present shape of which dates back to the 14th century. The church has the biggest and one of the most beautiful medieval altar in Europe. It was created and sculpted in basswood by Veit Stoss. Every full hour, one can hear the hourly bugle-call sounded from one of the church towers called the bugle-call tower. Carcovia is also the town of the oldest Polish university, namely the Jagiellonian University established on 12th May 1364 by king Casimir the Great.

Apart from the above highlights, there are countless historical monuments and sights in Cracow. The tremendous value of the town is confirmed by the fact that it was included in the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. At the moment the list was established, it contained only 12 most precious and beautiful sites in the world. Cracow found a place in this elite group.

UNESCO also appreciated the beautiful Kazimierz – a 14th century Jewish district that used to be a separate town. Kazimierz is the second complex of Judaic monuments in the world in terms of size and historical value (just after Josefov in Prague). One finds there synagogues dating back to the 15th century, small houses and a 16th century Jewish cemetery.

At present, Cracow is one of the most popular places in the world.