A few reasons why Kraków, Poland is awesome
St. Mary’s Basilica, Kraków, Poland (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/8, 1/200 s)
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I am a little embarrassed to admit that while living in Europe, Poland was one of the last countries I had chosen to visit. I’m not so sure why; every experience I have had with polish people has always been overwhelmingly positive! As far as destinations in Poland, take your pick, you’ve got Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Katowice, and Kraków, just to name a few. In fact, if you would like to know more about seeing Gdansk, check out my blog post here.
I’ve heard so many great things about Kraków which made it so appealing for me to visit. The city itself wasn’t as badly damaged as Warsaw in WWII so the architecture is still more or less intact. It’s close proximity to other interesting places such as Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka salt mine make the trip even better as you can get a more versatile travel experience that isn’t confined to just the Kraków city center.
Getting to the city center from the airport is easy (more info here). You have the options of taking a taxi (most expensive), the train, or taking the bus (cheapest). The train from the airport to Kraków Glowny takes 20 minutes, leaves every 30 minutes, costs 9 zloty, and is available between 5am and midnight. Alternatively, you can take bus number 208 or 252, depending on where your accommodation is and the journey takes about 50 min. and costs 4 zloty (There is a day and night bus, so you can access the city/airport no matter the time you arrive). I stayed at Greg and Tom’s Hostel which was very centrally located and a place I really enjoyed.
You can find a Google map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post.
After checking in, it’s highly suggested you make your way down to Florianska Street towards the main square with St. Mary's Basilica (it’s hard to miss) and Town Hall Tower. Here you will find shops and restaurants lining the street, horse-drawn carriages, and plenty of photo opportunities at literally any time of the day.
During Christmas time, the streets are decorated in a festive fashion as well. For the best photo spot, go to The Cloth Hall which sits in the center of the city square and frame your photos underneath the archways that propagate down the side of the building.
St. Joseph’s Church, Kraków, Poland (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/8, 1/250 s)
To see the inside of St. Mary’s Basilica, you will have to buy a ticket in the ticket office which sits across an alleyway from the basilica itself. In my experiences, there is always at least a church or two that one is recommended to visit while traveling. And perhaps after awhile, you’re a bit bored to seeing so many of them, time after time. With this in mind, I still recommend buying a ticket to see in the Basilica interior. The decor is unlike anytime I’ve seen in any church; the vividness of the colors is what makes this place stand apart and livens up the interior. As far as stunning church exteriors, head to the south of the city and check out St. Joseph's Church south of the river.
For great city views, I can recommend three places:
Wawel Castle - one of the largest castle in Poland that overlooks the Vistula River. It’s construction is reminiscent of medieval, renaissance, and baroque architecture. As a former residence of the Polish king, it is now an art museum in its own right. You can tour the grounds for free and enjoy the many viewpoints from the outdoor spaces. There is a fee to see the interior and some of the other exhibits inside. It is best viewed during golden hour.
Kosciuszko Mound - a site to commemorate Polish leader Tadeusz Kosciuszko. You can see it from the Wawel Castle. It’s construction was financed by the polish populace in 1823. It has since been refortified with more modern building materials to prevent erosion.
METRUM Restobistro - a coffee shop near St. Mary’s Basilica on the top floor (6th) of the Kraków Music Academy. It has an outside patio which is open in good/warm weather. The interior has very fresh decor and feels extremely cozy. Head here to relax and recharge. If there is good weather, go before peak times to get a good spot.
METRUM Restobistro, Kraków, Poland (ISO 2500, 24 mm, f/4, 1/640 s)
There are many attractions to enjoy if the weather isn’t so favorable. If you’d rather stay in the city center on a rainy day and want a fun way to pass the time, I highly recommend going to the Krakow Pinball Museum. It’s basically a very large, cavernous basement with a bar and a plethora of pinball machines. You can play any and all the machines for the entire day for 40 zloty. You even have the option to coming back later that day to play more if you keep your receipt. I must admit I lost track of time and spent a solid 4 hours there while it was pouring outside. Other rainy day options include Muzeum Krakowa and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Pinball Museum, Kraków, Poland (ISO 3200, 24 mm, f/4, 1/20 s)
Wieliczka Salt Mine up until 2007, was one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines. Today, it is a tourist attraction and is a cool place to see. To get here, go to Dworzec Glówny Zachód and catch bus number 304 towards Wieliczka. Be sure to get a bus ticket for zones I and II (about 7.60 zloty for round trip). The journey takes about half an hour. The mine itself features chapels, a lake, old mining equipment, statues, all hidden in a large labyrinth of corridors 135 meters underground. Because of the danger of getting lost, guided tours are required, which is great since you don’t get to miss out on all the information about the place.
As far as nightlife is concerned, I was shown a really wonderful spot full of restaurants and bars that is sort of hidden and away from the city center in an area called Tytano (but still walkable). I found places that suits every mood, from super chill to upbeat, crafts beer to cocktails, quick snacks to gourmet meals; I cannot recommend this area enough.
If you intend to visit during the summer and want to enjoy a bit of the nature around Kraków, find some friends and head on over to the Zakrzówek Lagoon.
You have the option to swim here or just hang out and take in the sun and warm weather, a great way to relax after your time in Kraków. To get here, just take tram 52 towards Czerwone Maki P+R and get off at Kapelanka, and walk to the lagoon.
If you’ve got several days at your disposal, why not just go on a tour of Poland and check out the other amazing cities the country is known for!
