Poland - a country of hidden treasures
Krakow is a real gem and is one of the oldest and largest municipalities in Poland, a country with a surprising diversity of places and activities as well as an incredible history. Polish culture is extremely rich; the country is especially famous for literature, cinema and music. The historic center of the municipality is located on the banks of the Vistula, at the foot of Wawel Hill, in the south of the country, in the region of Little Poland (MaÅopolska). It is also the former residence of Polish kings and is considered by many to be the heart of Poland, with a history of over 1000 years. The "remains" of the Iron Curtain (the phrase used to delimit Western Europe from Eastern Europe during the Cold War) can still be identified in the pale urban relief illustrated by the gray areas of the city and the identical suburbs.
Legend says King Krakus was reigning in Krakow and the Wawel Castle which was his residence, people led calm and happy lives. But one day people heard strange noises from the underground of the castle and discovered that a dragon lived there! The dragon was very hungry and demanded food and terrorised all the inhabitants of King Krakâs town. They had to feed the monster by giving him offerings of cattle, while other tales speak of that hellspawn eating nothing but virgins. King Krakus was scared and came up with a competition â whoever defeats and kills the dragon will marry his daughter, princess Wanda and win the crown. No knight could kill the monster, until a young poor shoemaker Skuba came up with a trick. He took a sheepâs skin and filled it with hay and sulphur. The monster caught the bait and devoured the sheep. The sulphur made it so thirsty, that it ran to the Vistula river and drank, until it exploded! As King Krakus promised, Skuba married Wanda. So this is what the legend says about Krakow that was built on top of a dragon's cave, and there is somewhat of a fairytale aura that surrounds the city, with its sprinkling of charming squares, palaces and cathedrals.
To commemorate the vanquishing of the Dragon, BronisÅaw Chromy designed a sculpture of the beast which now stands by the river at the foot of Wawel, near the Dragon's Den.
Where to stay
When you want to plan a low budget vacation, it is good to be patient and compare as many offers as possible, but also to take full advantage of the benefits you have. You can enjoy a vacation just as much even when you are traveling on a budget, it is important to make reservations at the right time. Krakow is definitely the best bargain for those who want a low-cost city break - a wonderful and quiet historic center combined with incredibly low prices.
If you want to feel "rich" in a charming tourist city - Krakow is your perfect destination.
Even if it seems expensive to travel, especially in very good conditions, with a little effort and information work you can discover destinations and offer very convenient and that will allow you to visit and relax on a fairly tight budget. A traveler going on holiday to Krakow on a low budget should set aside at least ⬠100 for each day of holiday, this amount not including accommodation costs. Low budget holidays are not at all an impossible idea to put into practice, they can even take you to extremely beautiful places.
Even if most people choose to travel in the high season, you will find the best deals in the extra season. This is true for both airline tickets and accommodation. The higher the demand, the higher the prices, which is why it is ideal to travel during the less popular holiday periods.
Which Krakow hotels are suitable for families? We find the perfect hotel in Krakow for your holiday or business trip.
You can stay in 31 modern, high-standard apartments that are decorated in an elegant, timeless style; comfortable rooms in Apartamenty L5 feature free WiFi. The units come with tiled floors and feature modern kitchenettes that meet the requirements of even the most demanding guests, equipped kitchenette with a fridge, a dining area, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and a private bathroom with shower and a hairdryer. A stovetop and kettle are also provided. Popular points of interest near Apartamenty L5 include Town Hall Tower, National Museum of Krakow and MarszaÅek PiÅsudski Stadium. The nearest airport is John Paul II International Airport KrakówâBalice Airport, 5.6 mi from the accommodations.
The 21 apartments of the Browar Lubicz Residence are soundproofed and features a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, along with free WiFi, a living room, and a coffee/tea maker. In-room dining is easy with a kitchen that comes equipped with a refrigerator, washing machines, a stovetop, and a dishwasher. Nice touches to enhance your stay include free toiletries and premium bedding. Free bottled water, a safe, and a hair dryer are also available. Within a 15-minute walk of this 3.5-star Krakow City Centre aparthotel, attractions include St. Mary's Basilica and Cloth Hall.
Located less than 2 km from Krakow city centre, Bed&Bath Boulevard Apartments was created for tourists and business travelers. You can choose from a number of accommodation options with 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms where you can enjoy a good holiday. The accommodations comes with a sofa, TV, coffee/tea, a kitchenette equipped with a fridge, dishwasher and oven, a bathroom with a bath or a shower and free toiletries making facilities and a dining area in every unit. Some units feature a dining area and/or balcony. WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.
Flower Residence apartments are clean, modern, cozy, comfortable and located in a new building with a lift. Flower Residence apartments are equipped in such a way that they provide a comfortable stay and offer free Wi-Fi in the rooms and public parking nearby, rooms fitted with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a kitchenette, microwave oven, an electric kettle, a fridge and an iron with ironing board. Perfect for your family, they have child-friendly facilities â the apartments have toys, games, crayons, and coloring books. We also have travel cots and a feeding chair. Nearby Flower Residence include tourist attractions such as Lost Souls Alley, National Museum of Krakow and St. Florian's Gate. The nearest airport is John Paul II International Airport KrakowâBalice and the property offers a paid airport shuttle service. An important information for smokers - smoking in the building is strictly prohibited.
With a total of 44 self-catering rooms, Exclusive Apartments - Brewery Residence is a new residential investment located in the center of Krakow, offering exclusive privacy. Until the end of 1990's the building housed a local Brewery. The low residential structure is connected with the premises of the historic brewery. The development features underground parking, playgrounds, spacious commercial and office spaces and a micro-brewery shop which continues the tradition of the original brewery. The investment is also surrounded by numerous green areas. comprises 6 residential buildings - up to 4 floors each. It features 320 apartments available in various sizes, ranging from 23 to 107m2. They provide services of the highest quality, taking care of the comfort, and satisfaction of the guests/customers, and making them feel welcome. These modern apartments will provide you with a fully equipped kitchenette with a dishwasher, hotplate and oven. Private bathroom comes with a shower or bathtub, a hairdryer and free toiletries. The Brewery Residence is perfect for families and business.
Fresh Apartments in Krakow provide 21 guest rooms for tourists and business people who visit Krakow. The apartments have at least one bedroom, a TV with satellite channels, electric kettle, washing machine, a bathroom, kitchen or kitchenette. The kitchenette features full-sized refrigerators/freezers and stovetops, a microwave, a coffee maker and soft lighting. Fresh apartments are located within an 8-minute walk from the Market Square. It offers modern, yet warm accommodations with free Wi-Fi. The property is professionally cleaned; disinfectant is used to clean the property; commonly touched surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant between stays; bed sheets and towels are laundered at a temperature of at least 60°C/140°F. This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply).
The 3-star Well Well Aparthotel Krakow offers 22 modern and bright rooms featuring brickwork elements. The rooms feature toasters, an electric kettle, flat-screen TV and a refrigerator. The aparthotel offers accommodation with amenities such as soundproof windows and smoke detectors. Private parking and free WiFi are available. Some rooms have sofa beds and/or balconies. One of the facilities you will be able to get is Bottle of water. One of the amenities would be a Casino and also Tennis Court. Guests will find Facilities for disabled guests at the hotel.he hotel features a Gift Shop. One of the facilities you will be able to get is Kid-friendly buffet.
Cadena Gallery Apartments have unique decor inspired by famous paintings. The colors and general atmosphere of the painting are reflected in all details of the apartment. There is a Queen size bed, an expandable sofa, a dining table with chairs and a kitchenette. The kitchenette is equipped with all the kinds of plates and glasses, a coffee maker, fridge and a kettle. All units are soundproofed and include a seating and dining area. You will also find air conditioning, TV, fast Internet WiFi. Old Town Residence is a perfect choice for business travellers, relocations, family or friends' trips. There are dozens of shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs within a few minutes walk away, as well as the famous attractions like the Wawel Castle or the Main Square with the St. Mary's Basilica.
Groceries in krakow
You can make your trip count and take safety precautions before, during and after you shop. Be organized with a list so you can make your way through the store quickly and consolidate trips to go to the store less often. You can order groceries online for a delivery at home or to pick up outside the store. Delivery services offer âtouchlessâ delivery where they leave the products at your door and you have no face-to-face contact.
Krakow has a reputation as one of the best places to shop in Poland. Itâs a city where you can find a lot of great products at very reasonable prices and where itâs easy to get a bargain. Krakow has a number of shopping gems in the form of antique shops, fairs/markets, fresh food markets, vintage clothing shops, second hand shops, tailors, shoemakers, and the list goes on. Krakow is a paradise destination, offering more retail opportunities than you can imagine.
What makes Krakow's bargain hunting more exciting is the fact that few retailers cut their prices across the board and many, notably the smaller ones, post up spectacular discounts but they apply only to a token number of items.
You can find a little bit cheaper products in the shops like Lidl, Biedronka or Kaufland, but also bear in mind that if you buy something in the small stores, kiosks or gas stations, the prices will be higher.
If you don't know where to shop for groceries,we tried to help you to find the right place.
Carrefour Express Polska is a retail chain with over 900 stores operating in Poland in 6 formats: hypermarkets, supermarkets, wholesale and discount stores, local and specialist stores, and an online store. Carrefour also owns a network of 20 shopping centers in Poland and a network of over 40 petrol stations. The Carrefour Express self-service store is the third new format launched in Poland. The Carrefour Express offer includes mainly high-quality food products at favorable prices. The assortment is aimed primarily at the most demanding customers, who value convenient shopping and shopping for which they do not have to overpay, combining convenience and economy. Carrefour Express stores offer over 1,500 items, including a selected range of fresh products: vegetables, dairy products and ready meals. An interesting extension of the assortment are products from Asian, Italian and other cuisines of the world. In a diverse range of beverages, sweets and salty snacks, the customer will find items from well-known producers as well as items from a wide range of Carrefour's own brand.
Żabka is a small chain of convenience stores. Its activity began in 1998 and for several years it has won the hearts of millions of customers all over Poland. They are open every day - from 6.00 to 23.00 - which made them very popular in a short time. Recently, the Żabka retail chain has been managing FreshMarket stores, which offer the most recognizable brands and the best quality products. Żabka stores are associated with low prices and large promotions. Retail outlets are stocked with fruit, vegetables, food and hygiene products. Every day, thousands of stores in the country receive the freshest bread - straight from the nearby bakeries. In March 20202, the COVID-19 pandemic is announced that changes reality. Żabka reacts to new needs, and from the very beginning is very actively involved in the fight against the coronavirus, equipping stores with the necessary personal protective equipment free of charge.
Are you looking for fresh meat and cold cuts? Check out Avity. You will find here a wide selection of the best meat products. you will find not only fresh vegetables and fruit grown in Poland and abroad, often at unprecedentedly promotional prices. The delicious warm kerosene, baguettes or filled cakes are waiting for you.
Market Point chain of stores is a new standard in the general food industry. To meet your expectations, they have created a market that combines the high quality of the offered products with incredibly low prices. Every day they ensure that you can enjoy products purchased at very affordable prices.
KubuÅ is an online grocery store based in Krakow. They guarantee high-quality products and freshness of goods and fast delivery! Ordering online from Kubus via the Internet, you can save not only money, but also time that you would have to spend visiting the store. They offer dairy products, preserves, spices, meat, fruit, vegetables, cereal products, drinks, gluten-free and ecological products and many other goods! KubuÅ is also a brand that produces juices, drinks, water and cookies known on the Polish market for years.
Another supermarket you need to try is Spar, the worldâs leading voluntary food retail chain and also a place for successful online shopping. The Spar offers bread, vegetables and fruits, dairy products, cheese, meats,fish, frozen foods, coffee and teas, preparations and spices, sweets, drinks, also a wide range of snacks, healthy food, chilled drinks, sweets, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Spar's light-filled space with panoramic windows makes a wonderful retail zone which is equipped with ergonomic and multi-operated refrigeration cabinets and counters.
The Jeronimo Martins Polska SA Group is the owner of the largest discount store chain Biedronka. Present on the Polish market for over 20 years, it operates in over 1,100 towns and you can find high-quality products there. The iconic slogan proclaiming "low prices every day" also has excellent recognition. Biedronka has a very wide offer to offer, which is best to find out by reading the content of promotional leaflets such as fresh fruit and vegetables, a wide selection of interesting bread, cosmetics and beautiful products that decorate the house.
Dubai Food offers imported high-quality oriental products, and you can find a variety of Arabic, Turkish and Indian delicacies in the online store. They recommend spices, coffee and tea, vegetarian dishes, natural cosmetics, copper crucibles and Moroccan tagines that are so difficult to get. All products are 100% Halal including meat, which is also included in the offer.
Old Kleparz It is a magical place and a paradise for the lovers of natural, traditional Polish food and one of Krakowâs most colourful and diverse farmers' markets where you can buy vegetables from local farmers, ripe mangoes flown in from far away, fruits, flowers, bakery and bread, clothing, household items, as well as specialties from around the world. The name Kleparz, came from the word âklepaÄâ in the local dialect meaning âto bargainâ. You can also find real homemade cottage cheese, sold by the old ladies, who are usually knitting, while waiting for customers! You can find real polish sausage made by local little butcher companies. Old Kleparz even has wireless interactive access throughout the market!
Where to eat in Krakow
When it comes to places to eat in Kraków, Polish food provides an array of more exciting, albeit less publicized, flavors. The Polish people are friendly, welcoming - and if they love something (and like to share it with others), then it's about food. Meals often start with a traditional soup made from ingredients such as sorrel, pickles and cauliflower. In summer, Poles also enjoy fruit soups!
Popular dishes include pieruski ruskie (potato dumplings and cheese), bigos - a traditional "hunting stew" - and goose, carp and herring. Delicious desserts such as poppy cake, a multitude of cheese pies and plum stew (powidla) give a tasty and filling finish to any Polish meal.
Weâll help you find the good ones, so you can avoid the tourist food that often leads to disappointment.
Zalipianki restaurant accommodates over 100 guests in total. Breakfasts will be served until 1:00 p.m., and in the afternoon - delicious lunches and dinners. The menu will also include, among others three flavors of herring, lettuce with crayfish necks with nasturtium sauce, smoked sauce with chanterelles and quail egg, home-made duck and chicken broth, the famous Kraków-style mash with flatbread, traditional pork chop with bone, duck leg from the oven, but also lazy dumplings with mushroom sauce and oscypek or sweet dumplings with burnt butter and sage. For dessert, you will be able to eat Krakow cheesecake with cherries, apple pie on rubinola with vanilla ice cream or Meringue meringue with forest fruit jam and whipped cream. I also added delicious milkshakes to the menu. Zalipianki's interiors have a folk style, with colorful flowers painted on the walls, raw floors, uniform and simple furnishings. Folk accents, but also simplicity - these are the great advantages of the place. The owner of the restaurant, Ewa Wachowicz, is a TV producer, which has been broadcast for ten years on Telewizja Polsat, the author of culinary books and the juror of the "TOP CHEF" program. She serves at the restaurant Zalipianki, Polish, Lesser Poland and Krakow cuisine in a contemporary edition.
Restauracja Cechowa is a family business that has been run for over 20 years. The restaurant is a quiet place, with a relaxed atmosphere, traditional and elegant. The menu is dominated by rollmops, white sausage and apple pie. In Cechowa restaurant, you can eat a really tasty home-made and inexpensive dinner in a pleasant atmosphere, thanks to the friendly service. The restaurant is open from Monday - Sunday: 11.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. Number of places in the room: 300. Number of dishes to choose from: 30. Additionally, a summer garden is available.
Veganic Restaurant is a remarkable modern vegetarian cuisine restaurant located in one of the most fashionable places in Krakow. The restaurant is modern yet rustic, minimalistic, creative, natural - reminiscent of Budapestâs famous ruin bars. The whole menu is vegetarian and about 90% - also vegan, and all the dishes are prepared with the highest quality ingredients and served with attention to every detail. The seasonal menu is a gently crafted delight. Classics such as vegan burgers, salads, focaccia, golabki and soup alongside yummy breakfasts, bagels, an incredible selection of cakes and more. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free options made with fresh, seasonal ingredients which you can bet are ethically and locally sourced.
House of Beer is a bar, almost historically Bavarian in tradition, with many, many, beers on tap. Its interior is pleasant, and not exclusively designed for men and sports the way many bars are. House of Beer opens in the afternoon at 2.00 pm and the variety of beers served there is impressive. The pub has an upstairs level and a large cellar with comfortable sitting places and is an excellent place for meeting your friends in a relaxed atmosphere with good music. Passion is the only thing that can describe the House of Beer, an ideal place for beer enthusiasts. House of Beer is a must-go for every beer lover. They will introduce you to Polish craft beer scene and their cellar is well stocked with goodies from all over the world. And they also serve food! We recommend trying their loaded sweet potato fries with one of their tap beers.
Pastrami Deli Krakow is great and keeps a high level. You have the opportunity to taste the famous New York sandwich with Pastrami. Initially, the sandwiches were made of goose, which was the cheapest type of meat at the time. Over time, the goose meat was replaced with the beef brisket and in this form the Pastrami has been preserved to this day. Pastrami sandwiches, it is cured beef, specifically brisket, rubbed with a spice mix, smoked and steamed. The meat is sliced, it is very aromatic, slightly spicy, disintegrating at the slightest touch.
Breaking Bread is an artisanal bakery where you can buy country-style sourdough bread. The products are hand-made including home-made meats, preserves. The place is small and a bit hidden behind a wall, but the neighbors have been storming the door for several weeks! Breaking Bread is a combination of a bakery with a breakfast room and a cafe. You can also sit down for a while and order a delicious homemade breakfast. The breads, namely the Country Breads from NiepoÅomice, are baked daily by Mariusz. There are several types of homemade jams, honey from the Moravian Apiary and cottage cheese with an apple baked in honey.
Kolanko No 6 Restaurant is a mix of a pub and a restaurant, serving regional beers in comfortable, clean and homely surroundings. The inside is cozy, charming, a mixture of new and old. The flowery garden is one of the more secluded outside drinking areas in the bustling part of Kazimierz, which also brings the countryside to mind. Their delicious pancakes cannot be denied and there is a whole range of them: from spinach, Mexican with groats, with fruit, with chocolate and all you can think of. The prices are reasonable, although the prices have increased recently but not that much, and their service is ok. In addition, soups, salads, toasts, cakes and ice cream for gourmands, and for those thirsty, of course, tea, coffee, beer and drinks - all dishes are prepared on site, according to their own recipes.
A visit to this unique Plac Nowy 1 Restaurant & Bowling Club is a delicious feast. They offer to the guests an original selection of dishes according to the original recipes of Chef Robert Jelonek. Likewise, food lovers will love the smells of fried meat pouring out of the chiselled walls of the rotunda and travellers on a budget will not find a better bargain meal than this fast-food Mecca. They also offer fun at the bowling alley. The bowling alley is the largest facility of this type in the center of Krakow. It consists of six modern bowling lanes, the high quality of which is ensured by specially qualified staff. Up to 50 people can play bowling at a time. There is also a well-stocked bar and comfortable lounges.
The Zielona Kuchnia restaurant is located in a historic tenement house in Krakow, with Cozy interiors, a homely, cordial atmosphere, and professional service make the restaurant an ideal place for friends, family, social or business meetings with unique and tasty cuisine.. Zielona Kuchnia Restaurant is one of those places that is ideal for supporters of healthy eating. Hidden in a gate in a side street from Karmelicka Street, it does not serve random visitors. Their rich and varied menu offer will satisfy the expectations of even the most demanding guests, serving food only from fresh ingredients. The Zielona Kuchnia restaurant also carries out catering orders with delivery to the customer, and in the case of placing an order for more than one set, the restaurant offers its customers discounts and rebates.
Pod Norenami Restaurant is a beautiful vegan Asian eatery with creativity on the menu, with dishes that taste just as good as they look. The restaurant is located on the route connecting the heart of the Old Town with the green parkland of BÅonia meadow, another delightful spot. The rich flavours and aromas of the kitchen, beautiful porcelain, and every other tiny detail can be admired. The interior is Asian inspired, with a fabulous dragon in the window, as the legend says, the city Krakow was founded by Krak after he had slayed a dragon. The vegetarian cuisine can be a realisation of the concept of fullness of flavour â which for centuries has been the goal of Chinese and Japanese chefs. The traditional recipes and practices of Asian cuisine, along with those dishes from the vegan kitchen, which are marked on the menu are based on old Buddhist recipes. We recommend coconut soup with chicken, but also you can have dishes with just vegetables or try their chicken and beef substitutes, spring rolls, sushi, miso, curry, African dumplings, as well as Thai, Chinese and Korean options including fried, raw, and pickled vegetables. Eating here is an unforgettable experience.
Farina Restaurant, a charming elegant restaurant with a magnificent seventeenth century wooden ceiling, consists of three rooms â when in the largest one, youâll want to look up at the gorgeous, historical wooden ceiling. They specialise in fish and pastas, and on the menu youâll find clams, shrimp, oysters and fish, tuna carpaccio, lemon sole and chilli prawns, all prepared with skill and feeling. They offer dishes at affordable prices, great service and friendly staff that is always ready to help you. This restaurant is an excellent place for family dinner or a group meal.
If you want to eat something unique, local, affordable, and delicious, then we recommend you make a trek to the Blue Nysa Van to experience it for yourself, the best kielbasa(a type of meat sausage from Poland and a staple of Polish cuisine). Two old men in white, smocks set up shop outside their blue Nysa (a Polish PRL-era van) every evening open from 8:00PM to 3:00AM, except Sundays, to grill kieÅbasa sausages over a wood-fired stove. In Poland just asking for kielbasa is like asking for cheese. These food trucks serve a wide variety of delicious yet affordable food.On the Polish menu they have KieÅbasa BuÅka (sausage and roll), KieÅbasa (sausage), Herbata (Tea), Oranżada (carbonated soft drink), BuÅka (roll), and Opakowanie Termiczne (foil for take away). You wonât find sausage this good anywhere else thatâs for sure.
!ncredible pizzeria is one of the few unique pizza ovens in Poland, combined with the highest quality of only Italian ingredients which will be a guarantee of an unforgettable culinary feast, open 24 hours a day. Apart from pizza, you can find a selection of wines, cocktails, coffee and âTyskie 14 daysâ delivered freshly from the brewery. You can choose from the menu two types of pizza â âclassicâ and âdeluxeâ, margherita, prosciutto, hawaii, 4 formaggi, calzone, greca, capricciosa, parma, tonno, vegetariano, bianca, margherita di bufala, pera a prosciutto, nduja, carne di maiale, anchois e tonno. Pizza is prepared by chefs trained by world-famous masters of Italian cuisine.
Bistro Praska is a specific combination of a restaurant, a bar and a cafe,perfect for family, friends or acquaintances. They offer a variety of dishes, ranging from traditional various dishes, starting from traditional Polish cuisine, through vegetarian and low-calorie dishes, to premium quality dishes, for those who seek something completely different. Bistro Praska is not too big inside, but it makes up for it with a place in the garden and a playground. There are hammocks, a cool canopy terrace area and even tables set in the sand. There is a special menu for children and big portions at reasonable prices. Bistro Praska is a perfect and great place for lunch, a cup of coffee with a friend in the company of your kids.
MOLAM THAI CANTEEN & BAR is an open kitchen that offers a chef's table experience, meaning you can watch the chefs cooking Thai food in front of you. Even if you are on a budget, it's worth taking a break from cooking from time to time. They are characterized by excellent appearance and unconventional combinations. The atmosphere is complemented by tableware and music. You can also come with dogs, which are very welcome, and thanks to the large size of the premises (250 m2, 85 seats inside + 40 in the garden in the summer season), can be comfortably set up next to the table occupied by the owners.
If you're on a budget, then Smakolyki is the place to go. Smakolyki restaurant is a warm and charming space with very large windows and high ceilings. SmakoÅyki translated into "treats" is inviting with a unique mix of a student vibe, home cooked food and a pianist playing classics most evenings. They offer student discounts and happy hour drinks at very reasonable prices and tasty food. The menu is extensive and quite cheap.
What to visit
Buying souvenirs in the city center or nearby famous tourist attractions is the biggest mistake, instead search for souvenirs in places that are located away from the city center.
The main attraction of the city and the most famous symbol is the building complex on Wawel Hill. The first stop is Wawel Castle, the opulent former royal residence, where Polish rulers ruled until 1596. Opposite the courtyard is the 14th-century Wawel Cathedral, the coronation place of Polish monarchs. You can also enter the lair of the Wawel dragon!
If you want to visit ,there is The Krakow Card that gives you free access to 40 museums and sights when you are on holiday in Poland in Krakow, plus free access to public transport. It also includes an airport shuttle and transport to the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. Do not forget to check in advance the schedule of tourist attractions, because it may be different in the off-season. The advantage of such a vacation is that at the destination you will enjoy what the place offers you without stepping on the hordes of tourists.
Market Square is one of the must-see places to visit in Krakow, located in Kraków's city center with an important historical, cultural and social significance, exuding an irresistible charm and character all year round, and is the biggest Medieval plaza in Europe. It is worth exploring during the day and at night time, enjoying its lively atmosphere and its open-air bars and restaurants. The Main Square in Krakow was created when the city was granted the Magdeburg rights (law of medieval cities) in 1257. The market square was to make a place for all merchants, both local and coming from abroad. The Main Square is surrounded by 47 well-preserved townhouses, many of them of great historical value.
If youâre interested in castles and history, visit Wawel Royal Castle. Like many other castles, Wawel Royal Castle is now a museum. The Castle served as a residence to the royal families in Poland. The Castle has five sections - State Rooms, Crown Treasury and Armoury, Royal Private Apartments, and Oriental Art, each section requires a different ticket, valid for a specific time of the day only. Wawel is like a Polish version of British Buckingham palace and Westminster Abbey in one. You can see the crown jewellery kept in Crown Treasury, armoury displaying guns from the 14th century or legendary Dragon's den, a limestone cave where a dragon used to terrorize the city. Part of the castle is a magnificent Wawel Cathedral where the bones of the dragon hung outside the entrance. The breathtaking interior of the Castle paints a great picture of how Polish kings and their families lived their life. The various parts of the Castle open at different times, but generally, Wawel Castle is scheduled to open between 9:30 am and 4 pm, closed to the public on Mondays. On Tuesdays to Thursdays and Saturdays, the Castle opens between 9:30 am and closes by 3 pm. Operating hours on Sunday are from 10 am to 3 pm.
The Dragonâs Den is a legendary cave on the western slope of Wawel Hill. The cave has housed a dragon, a brothel, and an enduring legend. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction. A fearsome bronze sculpture by artist Bronislaw Chromy was installed at the entrance to the dragonâs den in 1972. Although the sculpture has seven heads, only one breathes fire. The cave formed nearly 12 million years ago as a result of karst development in the Jurassic limestone. Exploring the cave cavern is an unforgettable experience. The cave is 270 meters long, of which 81 meters are open to the public. The visit begins at the foot of the Thievesâ Tower and can be visited for 3 zÅoty (less than a Euro). Visitors descend a staircase housed in a brick tower. The last cavern, which features rock projections, blind shafts, and karstic fissures, was once the tavernâs main room.
Barbican is a very popular tourist attraction, one of the branches of the Historical Museum of Krakow. The Barbican is one of the few preserved elements of the former fortifications of the city. The structure of the fortress is an excellent example of a building that is deeply embedded in the history of the city and displays its lavish architecture with an inner diameter of 24.40 m, and the thickness of the walls exceeding over 3 m. The role of the Barbican was to defend the city against the invasion of Wallachian-Turkish troops. This guard post was built as an outer defense for the Florian Gate in 1498. The two structures were connected by a brick passage called The Neck. Defending soldiers used these wall openings to pour hot oil on their enemy. During the tourist season, there are frequent jousting tournaments and medieval festivals at Barbakan Krakowski. You will enjoy your visit to this fortress.
St. Florianâs Gate was built at the beginning of the 14th century as a rectangular Gothic tower of "wild stone", part of the city's fortifications against Turkish attack. The gate was saved from demolition by a miracle. Today, they please the guests of the city who come to admire the powerful walls of this legendary Krakow attraction. It is the only one of the original eight built in the Middle Ages, a preserved city gate. It was once connected with the Barbican as a defense complex of the northern section of the city walls. The gate named after St. Florian,and a baroque bas-relief which depicts Saint Florian is another extraordinary decoration on the gate that became the main entryway to the Old Town. The Gate tower is 34.5 metres tall. Inside the gate is an altar with a late-Baroque copy of a classicist painting of the miraculous image of Virgin Mary. Tourists can climb up the stairs to the wall adjoining the tower.
KoÅciuszko Mound is an artificial mound which was built by Cracovians who wanted to commemorate Tadeusz KoÅciuszko, Polish national, a great patriot and military leader. The mound is one of the five mounds located in Kraków which is a beautiful place to visit, especially for those who like hiking, providing the city's stunning panorama. The four other mounds are: Krakus Mound, Wanda Mound, PiÅsudski Mound and the youngest â John Paul II Mound. A few years ago it was destroyed by floods and heavy rains, so the city decided to close it for visitors for almost 3 years. Since then it has been fortified and strengthened with red bricks. The 34 m tall hill hosts an impressive citadel fort that you can also visit. At the top, you'll see a beautiful panorama of Kraków, its surrounding villages, and several Carpathian mountain ranges to the south. The chapel at the bottom of the mound gives the hill a more distinguished look. There is also a wax museum, which is fun to visit, if you have some extra time, and a rooftop bar, where you can buy drinks and snacks. The Mound is open every day from 9 am until 8:30 pm.
St. Mary's Basilica is over 800 years old, located in the heart of the Old Town of Krakow. It is simply one of the most beautifully decorated churches in the world, with a Gothic style church that was rebuilt in the 14th century. The altarpiece measures 14 meters high and 11 meters wide. With its two uneven towers, the church rises high above the large market square and you can also enter the church and marvel over the stained glass windows and wooden altarpiece for a small fee. Tickets can be purchased from inside a separate building across from the side entrance of the church. The taller of the two towers measures 82 m tall and is known as the Bugle Tower and the shorter tower measures 69 m tall and houses the church's bells. The church is closed to visitors during worship services Sunday morning, but on open days from 11:30 am until 18:00 pm.
The Jewish Quarter is a picturesque neighborhood that houses trendy shops, bars, cafés, galleries, and creative spaces. It is a must walking tour around this historic neighborhood. There was one of the biggest Jewish community in Poland before the second world war. Holocaust was a catastrophe for the polish citizens who were Jews. In Krakow between June 1942 and March 1943, a part of lively Krakow died: so many innocent people got killed or families got separated, most of the Jews were killed. At the present time klezmer music, typical Jewish music can be heard again in the Jewish district. Some of the most remarkable sights are the New Jewish Cemetery, a place where prominent Jews were buried in the 19th and 20th centuries and the Old Synagogue, the oldest remaining example of Jewish architecture in Poland. The oldest synagogue in Krakow is the most important religious center in the Krakow Jewish District, with stunning architecture of a five-hundred-year-old tradition. There are many places you can visit to the Jewish Quarter as Szeroka street, Holocaust Memorial, Izaak Synagogue, Corpus Christi Basilica, KÅadka Bernatka (Bridge of Love ), Remnants of the Jewish Ghetto with a beautiful history and culture.
If you want, you can also stay for a night at Wieliczka. Travelling underground you will see statues made of salt, extraordinary landscapes and kilometres of corridors that have been visited by over 38 million tourists from all over the world. There are also 3 hotels in Wieliczka that accommodate people and they even offer special treatments. Slowacki Chamber - 125m underground - A place to rest and play. Easter Mountains Stable Chamber - A treatment chamber with an underground graduation tower. A place to relax, enjoy a night of healthy sleep, and ease-off stress.Grand Sal Hotel. For more information you can consult their website here: https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/health-resort/prices.
Auschwitz camp shouldn't be a tourist attraction, a place of fun, of selfies and of a gift shop, being a place of murder which âoperatedâ less than 100 years ago. Auschwitz is the German name for the Polish city OÅwiÄcim. OÅwiÄcim is located in Poland, approximately 40 miles (about 64 km) west of Kraków. Germany annexed this area of Poland in 1939. The Auschwitz camp complex also included numerous subcamps. The majority of these sub camps were located in the region around Auschwitz. The first prisoners were 945 Soviet prisoners of war and a few Polish prisoners from Auschwitz I. Auschwitz-Birkenau was originally designated for imprisoning large numbers of Soviet prisoners of war. Although it continued to serve as a concentration camp, it also functioned as a killing center from March 1942 until November 1944. Some 1.1 million people, including a million Jews from across Europe, were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau from 1940 to 1945. The other victims were mostly non-Jewish Poles, gypsies and Soviet prisoners. The site offers guided tours in 20 different languages. The site comprises the former Auschwitz main camp and the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp with a total of around 150 buildings and around 300 ruins. The entire camp complex has been on Unesco's World Heritage list since 1979. During the Holocaust, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos only at Auschwitz. Incoming prisoners were assigned a camp serial number which was sewn to their prison uniforms. Only those prisoners selected for work were issued serial numbers; those prisoners sent directly to the gas chambers were not registered and received no tattoos. On October 7, 1944, several hundred prisoners assigned to Crematorium IV at Auschwitz-Birkenau rebelled after learning that they were going to be killed. The prisoners killed three guards and blew up the crematorium and adjacent gas chamber, using explosives smuggled into the camp by Jewish women who had been assigned to forced labor in a nearby armaments factory, but Germans crushed the revolt and killed almost all of the prisoners involved in the rebellion. The Jewish women who had smuggled the explosives into the camp were publicly hanged in early January 1945.
On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Monowitz and liberated more than six thousand prisoners, most of whom were ill and dying.
Visiting Rakowicki Cemetery might not be on your visit list, however, it is worth making an exception to visit the most famous, though not the oldest, necropolis in Krakow. There are over 75,000 graves. A walk around the Rakowicki Cemetery is not only an interesting visual experience, but also a history lesson. The name of the cemetery comes from the name of the road (now Rakowicka Street) leading to the old village of Rakowice, 2 km away. Some of the tombs are real works of small architecture. The cemetery was established in 1802, when burials in church cemeteries were forbidden. Over the years, the cemetery was enlarged several times, and in 1976 it was entered into the Register of Monuments of the City of Krakow. The Krakow cemetery is in a way unique: Polish, Home Army, German, Soviet and British soldiers are lying next to each other. The cemetery is open to visitors following hours: April - September: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m and October - March: 7.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.8:00 am.
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory is an old metal ware factory. Nowadays , it hosts two museums- MOCAK and the Schindlerâs Factory Museum. MOCAK, which is a museum of contemporary art, and Schindler's Factory Museum that is dedicated to telling the story of Krakow under Nazi occupation. It exhibits interesting and important historical information. This factory was managed by the Sudeten-German industrialist Oskar Schindler. He employed cheap, Jewish laborers. He treated his Jewish employees well and succeeded in saving 1,100 of them from the Nazis by moving them to a labor camp near his new enterprise in Brünnlitz in the Czech Republic. After the war Schindler was awarded by Yad Vashem (Israelâs Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority) the title "Righteous Among the Nations" for saving these Jews. His story became famous in the movie "Schindlerâs list" by Steven Spielberg. The museum is built in a unique way: each room is meticulously arranged to resemble a very specific place â a street, a hairdresserâs salon, a labor camp, a railway station and many more (there are 45 of them in total). You will not get bored in the museum, feeling like you are at a history lesson. They are open in the winter season (November â March)-Monday: 10am - 2pm and Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 6pm. In the summer season (April â October)-Monday: 10am - 4pm (every first Monday of the month: open to 2pm) and Tuesday - Sunday: 9am - 8pm. {oskar-schindler-factory)
Krakow is not a very expensive city and is one of the few places in Poland where World War II did not make its mark. Every corner of the city shows a piece of Polish history thanks to its art and architecture. Its charm is complemented by fine cuisine and great hospitality, making a Krakow vacation of a journey into the past.
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