Going to Kracow here for a week and other than the obvious (Auschweitz, salt mines), I have no plans.
Would appreciate any tips of suggestions on what to do there other than get fat on parogies
I was in Krakow about 6 years ago. I would recommend a trip to Bratislava, not far away and my favorite city in Eastern Europe. Zakopane (unsure if that's the exact spelling) is a resort town about an hour south in the hills/mountains. Nice place.
Salt mines were excellent, seemed to be quite a few festivals going on when we were there in the Spring. Jewish Ghetto is a good walk on your way to schindlers.
Well you'll easily spend a day or two walking around Krakow old town when you get there and both Auschwitz and the Salt Mines take up most of a day so that's 4 days gone. There's also the Tyskie Brewery which I've always wanted to check out so that might be worth looking into as well as a few museums.
Most of the "sites" in Krakow are what makes up the old town. All of the old historic buildings, the Wawel (castle), the markets, the main square, that's all in the old town so that's why I'm assuming you'll spend at least a couple days walking around there and soaking it all in. It's very vibrant, tons of restaurants as well as good shopping. One thing that YOU MUST DO is go to the jewish district and get a zapiekanka:
It's literally the best. There's tons of variety too so there's a kind for everyone although you can't go wrong with the original, mushrooms, ham/pep, cheese and ketchup. There's basically like 5 or 6 little vendors in the same building that sell them and there's always a line but it's worth it. This place:
Outside of that, the best part about Krakow in my opinion is the night life. Going for dinner and drinks in the main square after the sun goes out is great as it's circled with patios. After that if your up for it Krakow has some really great nightclubs and as long as you stay in the touristy area (old town, near the main square) english will be fine and no one should bother you. The best part about it is the exchange rate. Not only is alcohol super cheap (Bottle service is 40-200 zloty roughly for a bottle depending on the place, beer and drinks are also super cheap, both in bars and at the grocery store) but the exchange rate is roughly 3 PLN to 1 CAD so you can seriously go crazy if you'd like. This exchange rate also makes food at even the fanciest restaurants pretty cheap and as for clothing the domestic brands are cheap but anything international costs the same.
Krakow's metropolitan area is roughly 8 million people I believe so there's a lot to do outside of just the normal tourist stuff, it just depends how comfortable you are off the beaten path and what floats your boat. Zalkopane is also a cool mountain town not that far away. Worth checking out.
Well you'll easily spend a day or two walking around Krakow old town when you get there and both Auschwitz and the Salt Mines take up most of a day so that's 4 days gone. There's also the Tyskie Brewery which I've always wanted to check out so that might be worth looking into as well as a few museums.
Most of the "sites" in Krakow are what makes up the old town. All of the old historic buildings, the markets, the main square, that's all in the old town so that's why I'm assuming you'll spend at least a couple days walking around there and soaking it all in. It's very vibrant, tons of restaurants as well as good shopping. One thing that YOU MUST DO is go to the jewish district and get a zapiekanka:
It's literally the best. There's tons of variety too so there's a kind for everyone although you can't go wrong with the original, mushrooms, ham/pep, cheese and ketchup. There's basically like 5 or 6 little vendors in the same building that sell them and there's always a line but it's worth it. This place:
Outside of that, the best part about Krakow in my opinion is the night life. Going for dinner and drinks in the main square after the sun goes out is great as it's circled with patios. After that if your up for it Krakow has some really great nightclubs and as long as you stay in the touristy area (old town, near the main square) english will be fine and no one should bother you. The best part about it is the exchange rate. Not only is alcohol super cheap (Bottle service is 40-200 zloty roughly for a bottle depending on the place, beer and drinks are also super cheap, both in bars and at the grocery store) but the exchange rate is roughly 3 PLN to 1 CAD so you can seriously go crazy if you'd like. This exchange rate also makes food at even the fanciest restaurants pretty cheap and as for clothing the domestic brands are cheap but anything international costs the same.
Krakow's metropolitan area is roughly 8 million people I believe so there's a lot to do outside of just the normal tourist stuff, it just depends how comfortable you are off the beaten path and what floats your boat. Zalkopane is also a cool mountain town not that far away. Worth checking out.
Informative post
also:
Spoiler!
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
There are lots of cool places to visit in and around Krakow. Many have been mentioned already but a few others are Ojcowski National Park and Nowy Sacz. Ojcowski is a cool little park with some great hiking and scenery. Nowy Sacz is a small old town with a great town square. It actually has the largest town square in Poland after Krakow.
The salt mine is awesome. It is a great tour. The Wawel is a really cool place.
Just down the road from Nowy Sacz is Krynica which is one of the largest spa towns in Poland. You can go and hang out in the mineral springs and get healthy. It is a nice little mountain resort town (similar to Banff.)
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I've heard you can buy a case of cherry whiskey for the same price as 2 bottles.
Not sure if I'd be too keen on going to Auschweitz, personally.
I'm not sure if that was intended to be a spelling joke but everyone should go to see Auschwitz if they're in the area. Yes it's extreme and disturbing and sad but it's eye opening and really makes the atrocities that happened there real and not just some black and white clips you saw on tv.
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If you're planning on going to Auschwitz, be prepared. That is a somber and emotionally draining experience. It is incredibly fascinating but it will not be fun. Plan something for afterwards because it wont all soak in for a while, when you actually have a chance to sit and reflect it will be painful.
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I'm not sure if that was intended to be a spelling joke but everyone should go to see Auschwitz if they're in the area. Yes it's extreme and disturbing and sad but it's eye opening and really makes the atrocities that happened there real and not just some black and white clips you saw on tv.
I actually C&P'd the spelling from the OP, since I wasn't too sure, so you can blame brocoli.
Anyways, you're right, everyone should. I used to have a roommate that was Polish, and he went back there years ago with his father and his grandmother, and I could tell by the emotions of him talking about going to Auschwitz with them, that it is maybe a bit too sobering of an experience for me, and I don't even have skin in that game, at all.
I also avoid seeing people break bones on tv, so,,,
edit - actually just saw Lockes post and that about sums up my feelings on it too.
Ha, pretty much this. Many of the girls are model quality. The guys all look like either crack heads or paunchy.
True story incoming....
About 10 years ago, we have this Czech guy start at our dealership, and he comes over and looks at my card and last name and says "I thought you were Polish, you have that fat Polak face."
First words Jiri ever spoke to me, and I couldn't f'ing stop laughing. One of the most legit funniest guys I have ever known.
About 10 years ago, we have this Czech guy start at our dealership, and he comes over and looks at my card and last name and says "I thought you were Polish, you have that fat Polak face."
First words Jiri ever spoke to me, and I couldn't f'ing stop laughing. One of the most legit funniest guys I have ever known.
So you're Ukrainian then? I would've guessed Polish based on the last name also.
Tell me about Poland
