7 Reasons To Visit Krakow
Stroll along the cobblestone streets and explore this dreamy city. Learn about the history dating back to the 13th century and World War II history. Treat yourself to delicious Pierogies (Polish dumplings) and hazelnut vodka. Krakow is massively underrated and it won’t be long until people start talking about it like Prague and Budapest. This is how I recommend you spend your days here.
Old Town
The Old Town has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A great way to see and learn about the Old Town is on a free walking tour.
The main square is Europe’s largest market square. Here you will find horses pulling luxurious carriages. In the centre of the main square is the Cloth Hall which is full of merchants selling amber, lace, woodwork and souvenirs.
The St Mary’s Basilica is the highlight of the square. Inside there is a wood carved altarpiece. The dark blue and gold painted ceiling is made to look like the night sky.
When: 11:30-18:00, Sun 14:00-18:00
Climb up the narrow staircase to the top of the 75m Old Town Tower for nice views over the square.
When:
April - October: every day from 10:30am to 6pm
November and December: every day from midday to 6pm
It remains closed for the rest of the year
Price: 9PLN (Adults), 7PLN (Students). Free entrance on Monday
Other beautiful old buildings in the old town are the oldest university in Krakow and the Slowacki Theatre.
Wawel Castle
The huge complex of Wawel Castle has five different museums, a garden and a cathedral. Therefore allow at least 3 hours to see everything and each area needs a separate ticket.
The Castle was home to the kings of Poland and is one of Europe’s largest royal castles. There are a variety of architectural styles due to renovations over the years.
There is a bronze dragon that breathes fire every 5 minutes. Legend has it that in the 13th century a Polish prince defeated a dragon and the palace was built on top of the dragon’s lair.
From the west side, there is a great view of the river.
When: 9:30am to 4pm/5pm
Price:
State Rooms: Between 16 and 20PLN
Royal Apartments: Between 21 and 25PLN
Crown Treasury and Armoury: Between 16 and 20PLN
Oriental Art: Between 7 and 8PLN
The Lost Wawel: Between 7 and 10PLN
Jewish Quarter
Another part of town that offers free walking tours is the Jewish Quarter. Compared to the Old Town the vibe is completely different. You will find the coolest shops, bars and restaurants in this area. You will see places where Schindler's List was filmed.
The long square (Szeroka Street) was once the Market Square of the Jewish Town. It preserves the history of the area with colourful buildings. There are many Jewish cuisine restaurants, antique stores and galleries. On both ends of the street are synagogues.
Schindler’s Factory
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is a former metal factory. The museum tells the story of Krakow during World War II and how Oskar Schindler saved over 1,200 Jewish people during the Holocaust. The story was made famous from the movie Schindler’s List.
Entry tickets cannot be booked in advance. There is a limited amount of tickets so you need to get there early to avoid missing out.
Where: 2.7km South East of the main square
When:
April - October: Monday: 10am - 4pm. Tuesday - Sunday: 9am - 8pm
November - March: Monday: 10am - 2pm. Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 6pm
Price: 21PLN (Adults), 16PLN (Students)
Auschwitz - Birkenau Memorial and Museum
The most well-known cemetery in the world and place of genocide. Between 1940-1945 Nazis killed about 1.5 million people.
The Auschwitz Tour will lead you through the original prison blocks. The most emotional parts were seeing rooms full of prisoners shoes, glasses and hair.
Next, you will travel to Birkenau (Auschwitz II). Late in World War II, prisoners were transported here by train and sent straight to the gas chambers. You can see the remains of the gas chambers that were destroyed by the Nazis.
Visiting is a powerful and emotional experience. It’s important for the world to know what happened here to learn from the past and make sure that this is not repeated.
Entry to the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial is free of charge without a guide. However, you can only enter before 10 am or after 4 pm. You will need to reserve your time slot in advance because the number of visitors to Auschwitz is limited.
Where: 70km West of Krakow
Getting there by bus: From the Dworzec MDA (MDA Station) behind the railway station take a bus headed toward Auschwitz/Oswiecim. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and cost about 12 PLN. Buses leave nearly every 30 minutes.
Wieliczka Salt Mines
For centuries this mine developed into an extensive underground city. The tour starts with 800 steps down a stairway. Fortunately, there is an elevator that takes you back up. The 2km tourist route through the maze of tunnels only makes up 2% of the mine.
The highlight was the mind-blowing cathedral, 101 metres under the ground. Even the art and chandeliers are made from salt.
Where: 14km South East of Krakow
Getting there by train: From the Main Rail Station in Krakow (Dworzec Główny) take the train headed toward the Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia train station.
Getting there by bus: Take Bus #304 leaving from the shopping mall Galeria Krakowska and exit the bus at Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli.
Traditional food and drinks
Poland is famous for its Vodka and you will have a large variety of vodka flavours to choose from. I recommend going to Pijalnia wodki i piwa or Bania Luka for €1 vodka shots. My favourite was the Soplica hazelnut vodka as it tastes like Nutella.
I was obsessed with the Polish dumplings called Pierogi. Typical fillings include potatoes, sauerkraut, meat and cheese.
Place Nowy is a square in the Jewish Quarter. There is a circular building with butcher shops centrally and fast food windows around the exterior selling the best Zapiekanka (open pizza baguette). At night the square turns into one of the best drinking spots in town.