Krakow

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Krakow (also spelled as Cracow, in Polish Kraków, pronounced KRA-koov (roll the 'r', short 'a')) is a large, attractive and historical city in southern Poland located on the river Vistula. Population 750,000, metropolitan area 1.2 million. For many people, it is the most beautiful city in Poland - it has its very own atmosphere, which cannot be compared to any other place in the country.

Contents

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Districts

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Understand

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History

Krakow is a charming city in Poland. The former capital of Poland (before Warsaw), Krakow's castle on the Wawel hill (at the southern end of Krakow old town) was the center of royal ceremonial throughout the years of Poland's greatness and decline from c. 1300 to 1795. The city itself has a relaxed, student-like feel and an excellent cultural and theatrical life. One of central Europe's oldest universities, the Jagiellonian University (established 1364), is located in Krakow. Unlike Warsaw and so many other Polish cities, Krakow was fortunately spared destruction by the retreating Germans, although it didn't escape the Soviets, who built a vast steel mill (Nowa Huta) on one edge of the city, in an effort to destroy its intellectual and elitist atmosphere.

Located at the centre of a major rail system centered on the coal mines of nearby Silesia, Krakow is somewhat haunted by its proximity to Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi extermination camps. The city's image (and Poland's image) suffers from its use by the Nazis as a site for the extermination of the Jews. The Nazis considered the city and its surroundings an annex of Germany, called the General Government, and its famously cruel ruler, Franck, governed from the Wawel during the years of Nazi occupation.

The history of the city and area (and its relationships with the large local Jewish community) provide a great deal of human interest, and even optimism, to set against the dark effect of one of the century's great crimes. Recommended reading on Poland as a whole - Heart of Europe by Norman Davies.

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Get in

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By plane

Krakow's airport, located some 15 km from the city centre, is Krakow-Balice International Airport (KRK) - also known as John Paul II International Airport (Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II Kraków-Balice). Bus 192 (turn right out of the terminal building) transfers passengers from the airport to the city centre (single tickets 3 zl = 1 USD). It is easily accessible by using the A4 highway.

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By train

If you arrive in Krakow by train, try to avoid the swindlers preying on gullible tourists as they arrive at the station. Be careful if you're arriving in town on an early morning train (pickpocketers).

The city Information Office is just three minutes walk from the station in St Jana street.

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Get Around

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By Foot

Much of Krakow (or at least the part frequented by travellers) can be negotiated by foot - the best way to explore the old city and its surrounding districts.

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By Bus

If you don't speak Polish, navigating the Krakow bus system may seem intimidating - but it can be done! Most of the young people speak english at least at the basic level and will be happy to help you. You can buy a single ticket (1 USD), an hour ticket or a day ticket. You can usually buy tickets in most of the little kiosks (small newspapers shops at the corners or the roads). The tickets cover both buses and trams.

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By Tram

The tram network covers almost all Kracow. Navigating trouble is similar to the bus one. Keep in mind that trams in Krakow often share the street with cars, so they're not as traffic-proof as in other cities.

A great resource for all bus and tram travellers is the website of Krakowska Encyclopedia Komunikacji. It is unfortunately in Polish, but some clicking (and web translating tools) can give you access to all routes, maps and timetables you could ever wish.

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By Taxi

Taxis are very cheap in Krakow, even traveling from the very outskirts of town to the center in the middle of the night will cost no more than 30zl (7-8 euro). Most fares around town come in under 10zl. Taxis are plentiful, especially around the Old Town. If you can't find any around, call one of the many local taxi companies (two recommendations: MPT 9191 and Barbakan 9661).

All cabs should should have a 'Taxi' sign on their roof and a yellow sticker on the rear passenger window with prices. There is an initial charge of 5zl, followed by a charge of 2zl per kilometer.

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By Car

Unless you're planing a day trip to visit the surrounding area, there is no advantage to renting a car in Krakow. Parking is problematic, guarded parking lots are expensive and the rules concerning the local driving "zones" confound even long-time residents.

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See

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Landmarks

Wawel Castle
Enlarge
Wawel Castle
  • The Old City (Stare Miasto)
  • The Rynek Glowny (Main Marketplace) - one of the biggest mediaeval squares in the world is at the heart of the Old City, currently being repaved and beautified, festooned with churches, restaurants and bars
  • Wawel Castle - ancient seat of the Polish kings and now a major museum
  • Kazimierz - the Jewish suburb south of the Wawel, scene of many of the events in Schindler's List
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Museums and Galleries

Many of Krakow's state museums have free admission on Sunday and are closed on Monday.

  • the Krakow National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) - one of the best collections of 19th century paintings in Poland (website currently in Polish only). Free on Sunday.
  • The Czartoryski Museum - former town house of one of Poland's great families, and proud owner of the famous da Vinci portrait, Lady with an Ermine
  • Bunker of Modern Art (Bunkier Sztuki Wspolczesnej), gallery of contemporary art very near city center. There is also book shop and nice cafe in the "bunker".
  • The Centre of Japanese Art & Technology (Manggha-Centrum Sztuki I Techniki Japonskiej) it houses the National Museum’s Japanese artefacts, consisting mostly of the fabulous 6,500-item collection of local legend Feliks Jasienski (1861-1929) who adored Japan. It is located across Wawel castle.
  • Cracow has many other museums and galleries spread around Old City like Archaeological Museum or Armia Krajowa Museum, just to name a few. All over Old Town one can find campus parts of third oldest university in the world - Jagiellonian University - you are free to enter (and leave) all buildings at your choice (mind the students milling around every day of the week).
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Do

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Events

There are festivals, concerts, exhibitions and events going on around Krakow every day. Be sure to check out cracow-life.com's event calendar.

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Do

  • Walk the entire Royal Way, from St. Florian's gate, down Florianska, across the Rynek Glowny, down Grodzka to the Wawel castle.
  • Listen to the Hejnal Mariacki (Trumpet Signal) while sipping on coffee in the Rynek Glowny. The signal is played live every full hour during daylight, and is cut suddenly in memory of a trumpeter shot and killed by a Tatar arrow in 1241.
  • Walk around the Planty, a large park that surrounds the entire Old Town. See the dragon breathe fire and the Dragon's Lair near the Wawel castle.
  • Spend an afternoon lounging and taking in the sun on the banks of the Vistula river, then take a cruise down the river. Find out more about cruises at Magiczny Krakow's Vistula River page.
  • Wake up with the sun and go shopping at Plac Nowy's open air market.
  • Take a guided Communism Tour to Nowa Huta. Transportation by East German Trabant or Polish Fiat 125. +48 888 68 68 71. 119-159zł
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Buy

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City Shopping

The Old Town district offers excellent shopping, especially for clothes, jewelry and art. You can wander all around the Old Town and Kazimierz, where antique stores abound. The center of this all is the Rynek Glowny (the word Rynek also means 'market'), where you can find some of the city's top stores.

In the middle of the Rynek Glowny stands Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), a center of trade in Krakow for hundereds of years. The entire ground floor is a market, where local artists sell their wares. Look for amber jewelry and sheep skin rugs. A great place to check out if you want to bring an authentic piece of Krakow back home.

If you're addicated to shopping, be sure to check out the Royal Way (Florianska - Rynek Glowny - Grodzka) and the streets surrounding Plac Nowy in the Kazimierz district.

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Shopping Malls

Until recently, Krakow had avoided the invasion of shopping centers/malls. That time has past, and most national supermarkets and chain stores have opened up shop in Krakow. There are a few malls on Wadowicka and Zakopiańska, anchored by large supermarkets.

The largest and best shopping mall in Krakow is probably Galeria Kazimierz (Podgorska 34). Located at the southern tip of Kazimierz, on the Vistula River, it offers 36,000m2 of stores, boutiques and eateries, as well as a movie theater. Krakow's premiere supermarket, Alma, is also located here.

Other large malls include M1 (Al.Pokoju 67), anchored by electronics superstore Media Markt, and Krakow Plaza (Al.Pokoju 44), which includes a vast array of clothes shopping.

Local brands of note:

  • Reserved is a Polish clothing brand with several stores in the city center. It is exporting its casual wear only to Europe, so if you want some original stuff, be sure to visit it.
  • W. Kruk is Poland's best known jeweler.
  • Dagny on 17 Starowislna Street is a shop with famous Ewa Dunikowska designer dresses.
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Eat

Kraków's cuisine has been influenced by countless cultures inhabiting central Europe and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

If you want to try Polish cuisine for outstandingly good-value prices (a big lunch for one person for ca 8 zloty) then try 'Bar mleczny' (bar mleczny means milk bar, a kind of cafeteria very prevalent in Communist times) on the right side of Grodzka street (if you are going from Rynek Glowny). They offer classical Polish food such as 'kroketka'. English-Polish dictionary is recommended when ordering.

Zurek is a buttery soup often with bits of kielbasa sausage. Barszcz is like the Russian borscht, a soup made with beetroot -- very savory.

You won't see this in most guides, but one of the true joys of a trip to Krakow is a visit to the kielbasa van. Basically, it's these two gruff Polish men who, every night from 9pm to 3am, set up a fire grill outside of their van (parked in front of the market east of the old town near the train bridge) and grill kielbasa. For a few zlotty, get your sausage and a squirt of mustard and stand at the perch nearby and chow down with the locals in-the-know. Let me tell you, it is delicious, especially after a night of exploring Krakowian bars. A fun experience free of the usual tourist crush and off the main paths. (note: this is true! I'm from Krakow. It's on ul. Grzegorzecka, opposite ul. Blich)

  • Wierzynek Restaurant [1]
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Drink

Bars, pubs and cafes in Krakow are one of its biggest attractions. Not just their number or quality, but close proximity. It has been said that there are more than 300 eating and drinking establishments in the Old Town alone.

User reviews of many pubs and bars can be found at cracow-life.com's Pub and Cafe directory.

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Local drinks

  • A tatanka is a unique (and delicious) Polish beverage made with apple juice and a special kind of vodka called zubrowka, which is flavored with bison grass. It is also often referred to as a Szarlotka, or apple cake.
  • Wódka miodowa is a honey vodka, often served chilled in shots. Some of the better Polish-themed restaurants will have house brands.
  • Śliwowica, a plum brandy, is worth watching out for. There are two main variants: a 80-proof (40%) yellow tinged one and a 140-proof (70%) clear variety. While the 80-proof variety is often smooth and flavorful, some have compared the 140-proof to drinking gasoline. A good way to drink it is to deal with it like with an absynth. Take a small spoon with sugar, put some Sliwowica on it and fire it. Let the sugar melt down for a while (10-30 sec). Then mix the flaming sugar with the rest of the drink. Let it burn for 5-10 sec, then blow it and drink it. Watch out and don't burn your lips! You can also let it burn longer, but then use a pipe to drink it to avoid burning your fingers or lips (Tested! :D).
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Bars

Thanks to their proximity to each other, Krakow's watering holes are ideal for bar hopping. Many locals and tourists have spent nights partying from the Old Town all the way to Vistula River at the end of Kazimierz. Most bars fall in the Old Town and Kazimierz districts.

In the warmer months, Kraków's nightlife moves outdoors into hundereds of sidewalk cafes and beer gardens. When winter comes around, it moves underground into cellars all around the city.

Many tourists, both from Poland and abroad, never leave the Old Town Square at night. If you want to party with tourists, that's a great spot. Meanwhile, many of the locals have moved the party to Kazimierz and new bars are popping up there every month. Walk down Szeroka or head over to Plac Nowy, it's wall-to-wall bars.

A few recommendations in Kazimierz:

  • Propaganda (ul. Miodowa 20), a tongue-in-cheek preservation of Warsaw Pact-era ambience, posters and drinks
  • Singer, a former sewing factory featuring actual sewing machine tables
  • Le Scandale (Plac Nowy), an huge selection of drinks with a great atmosphere
  • Alchemia (Plac Nowy), very popular spot.
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Cafes

Krakow is not only full of cosy cafes, but is also said to be the place of the first Cafe founded in Europe. Most cafes offer good espresso and something to it as well as something to nibble at a very reasonable price. As a rule, international-looking places are much more expensive.

  • Dym
  • Loch Camelot with naive art pictures and good szarlotka
  • Lokator is a cafe, gallery and pub - all in one. Cafe and pub are separated, the cafe part hosts cultural events (concerts, etc.)

If you're looking for a more American coffee experience, check out coffeeheaven (Karmelicka 5 and Galeria Kazimierz) or Tribeca Coffee (Rynek Glowny 27).

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Sleep

Kraków is experiencing a tourist boom at the moment, with 60% more visitors in 2005 than in 2003, the hotel industry is playing catchup so be prepared to pay more than someone who visited in previous years.

Don't try too hard to save money on accommodations when you're in Krakow. If you don't want Kraków to become your worst experience, try to avoid hotels and hostels located in the Nowa Huta district; most of them are former shelters for part-time industry workers. Be sure to check the accommodation before agreeing to pay for it-- some backpackers have ended up with filthy rooms complete with biting bedbugs!

There are plenty of decent clean backpacker hostels within a stone's throw of the old city. Expect to pay 40-60zl for a dorm bed, inclunding breakfast (bread, jam and cheese), laundry, sheets, lockers and internet.

A good way to stay in Krakow is to rent private accommodation. Usually the same price as an overcrowded hostel but nicer. There are two agencies opposite the main train station offering rooms. If you hang around the street outside the agencies for a while, some landlords will approach you and make an offer. Saves you the commission, but may be a bit unsafe.

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Budget

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Mid-range

Krakow offers a large number of two and three star hotels, priced at 25-40euro per night. Be sure to look out for hotels that are located in centrum (city center) or przy centrum (near the city center). The most expensive of these hotels are actually in the Old Town proper.

Another great solution is to rent an apartment. Many companies, including inturs.net, offer high quality apartments in various locations around Kraków. These are great for families, as a four person apartment will run you 150-250zl (35-55 euro) - it may be cheaper than a hostel, and is a lot cosier. Be sure to check the map when reserving an apartment, some of them are not in the city center.

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Splurge

  • Hotel Copernicus (Kanonicza 16) is tucked away on one of Krakow's most beautiful streets, Kanonicza. If you're looking for an authentic european feel, while maintaining a five-star experience, this is the place.
  • Ostoya Palace Hotel (Pilsudskiego 24) is a newly opened four-star in a 19th century mansion about 5-10 minutes walk from Rynek Główny. The rooms are beautifully furnished in pastel colours with custom-made furniture. If possible get a ground or first floor room; the second floor rooms (while still very nicely apportioned) have skylights rather than windows. Staff are very friendly and helpful; the buffet breakfast is also good, with tasty pastries, cheese and ham, and proper coffee.
  • Radisson SAS (Straszewskiego 17) has an excellent location, literally 3 minutes away from Rynek Główny.
  • The Sheraton Krakow (Powiśle 7), is 5-star hotel located right on the Vistula river with a great view of the Wawel castle.
  • Hotel Wentzl (Rynek Główny 19) is one of the best known high class hotels in Krakow, and the only one located right on Rynek Główny. Set in a 15th century house, John Wentzl opened the Wentzl restaurant in this building in 1792.

Many hotels offer much lower rates at online travel agency sites like Hotele24.pl, StayPoland, Bookings or Hotele.net.

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Maps

Getting around Krakow is much easier if you have a map. Maps can be purchased at most bookstores and gas stations. Smaller, free maps of the Old Town and Kazimierz can be found in any tourist information point and at some hotels.

There are numerous maps of Krakow now available online:

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Get out

  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi camp 2km outside city of Oświęcim, 65 km from Krakow. Leave a whole day for this if you want to go. Frequent and inexpensive buses from the main bus station, or trains approx every two hours from the adjacent train station (10.50zl each way). Most hotels and travel agents in Krakow can also arrange hassle-free coach tours to the former camp.
  • Wieliczka [2] is a town known for its ancient salt mines, now a museum. 10 km from Kraków. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a definite must see. LUX-BUS minibuses from Krakow Main Railway Station (Dworzec Główny), or the top of ul. Starowiślna, (2.50zl each way) take approx 30 mins and will drop you 100m from the mine entrance.
  • Bochnia - historic salt mine, older than Wieliczka's one. 40 km from Kraków. Must see. SK-BUS minibuses from Krakow Main Railway Station (Dworzec Główny), or train (way: Tarnów, or Nowy Sącz/Krynica).
  • Tarnow - the second largest city in region with a beautiful main market.
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External links

  • Official Krakow website (in English)
  • In Your Pocket produce an excellent bi-monthly listings guide to Krakow which appears to be modelled quite closely after Time Out. Hotels, restaurants, bars, museums and sights are comprehensively covered with bitingly honest reviews. Cover cost is 5zl, and there is a booth in the airport where it can be purchased, although your hotel may provide a complementary copy. Highly recommended.

fr:Cracovie ja:クラクフ WikiPedia:Krakow Dmoz:Europe/Poland/Voivodships/Malopolska/Krakow

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