Krakow - One of Europes Best Cities
Floriańska Gate - Kraków Old Town
Having been to Krakow twice, once as a solo traveller and once as a couple, it quickly became one of my favourite cities in Europe! Of course, I can only speak from personal experience, but both times I felt incredibly safe, it’s budget friendly and very easy to get around. There’s so much to do in this city so I definitely recommend between 3-5 days for time to explore, and if there’s any additional activities such as visiting Schindlers Factory or the Salt Mines that you want to fit in.
In this post I’ve included key information about Krakow, some key sights and food recommendations and you’ll also find a FREE downloadable Google Maps walking tour for the Old Town. Be sure to also spend some time walking around the Wawel Hill Castle Complex!
If you’re considering a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, I’ve made a separate post about visiting here. I highly recommend visiting!
Krakow Old Town:
Krakow Old Town gets its shape from the medieval defensive walls built around the city, part of which you can still walk around today. A bustling part of the city filled with fantastic architecture full of history, cafes, pubs and restaurants, meaning there’s something for everyone from the history lovers to the foodies.
Places to Eat/Drink and what to order!
Morskie Oko: Traditional Polish Food: you absolutely have to try the Pork Knuckle which just falls off the bone. Order with the crispy potatoes. Reservations are for inside only but if you’re happy to wait, I recommend getting an outside table.
Restauracja Sukiennice: Traditional Polish Food: the pierogi here are fantastic as is the cheesecake (probably one of the best I’ve had, and I consider myself a cheesecake connoisseur). Located in the Cloth Hall in the Old Town Market Square.
Ratuszowa Restauracja: For People Watching and Lunches. Attached to the backside of the Town Hall Tower, this is a great spot to grab a decent coffee at a very reasonable price. Good sandwiches and pizzas and loads of options available.
U Babci Maliny: Grandmas Home Cooked style cooking, Polish Comfort. The fried Pierogi here are so good. This place was recommended to me by my tour guide on my first visit here.
Vis a Vis: another great people watching spot in the Market Square and somewhere t o grab a quick drink. You’ll also find a statue of Piotr Skrzynecki, an essential figure of the Cracovian art scene.
Old Town Walking Tour (in order).
Słowacki Theatre: regarded as an architectural masterpiece, but received a huge amount of criticism during its build, after a Church had to be demolished in order to make space for it, the theatre is easily one of the prettiest in Krakow. Just around the corner you’ll also find the clocks which are designed like the old bus station that used to be built here and show names of other cities on the UNESCO list.
City Defence Walls: the only surviving fragment of the cities medieval defence walls. A small entrance fee is required to enter and its definitely worth it.
Barbican: the showpiece of the cities medieval defences, topped with its 7 turrets and 130 defensive slots used by archers and riflemen. Again, only a small entry fee is required to walk around it’s chambers.
Floriańska Gate: I found this gate so aesthetically pleasing on both my visits but looks aside this gate was the most important of the cities 8 medieval gates.
Main Market Square and Cloth Hall: lined with restaurants and cafes and filled with people and performers, the Main Market Square is one of the most visited places in Krakow. While here, be sure to take a stroll through the Cloth Hall where you can find merchants selling amber, lace and woodwork (plus the standard touristy bits and bobs).
St Marys Basilica: one of the most architecturally stunning Gothic style churches in Poland. You can only enter as tourists at certain hours (11:30-18:00 and 14:00-18:00 on Sundays). It is from here where the iconic 40 second bugle call is played every day, a tradition that stems back to 1392 - be sure to listen out for it as its played every hour on the hour from noon!
Town Hall Tower: the only remaining piece of Krakow’s town hall complex is the 70 metre clock tower which you can climb up to get some views of the city. Are they the best views? Not by any means but its still a fun thing to do (again for a very small entry fee). Just next to the town hall you’ll find probably one of Krakow’s most well-known landmarks. A definite tourist hotspot is Eros Bendato, a giant bronze bust, the work of Polish artist Igor Mitoraj. STOP HERE FOR LUNCH AT RATUSZOWA RESTAURACJA.
Collegium Maius: the oldest building of Jagiellonian University, the second oldest building in central europe (built in the late 1300s) and could easily be a part of one of the Harry Potter sets. You can pay to fully enter and take a tour which last around 1.5 hours, however I personally don’t feel there is a need to.
Bishops Palace and Papal Window: Krakow’s second largest palace and the home of its Bishops included Pope John Paul II. During his visits he would often make appearances from the Papal Window, which you can see to your left if you’re stood outside the Bishops Palace entrance, a tradition continued by Pope Francis.
St Francis Basilica: the outside doesn’t look like much at all (in fact its very easy to walk past) but inside you’ll find some incredible stained glass, and considering entry is free, why not pop in?
Grodzka Street: to get to the next points of interest you’ll need to take a wander down Grodzka Street, one of Krakow’s oldest and busiest streets. Plenty of opportunities for a little window shop down here or grab a Polish doughnut along the way..
Church of Saint Peter and Paul and St Andrews Church: two neighbouring churches in two completely different architectural styles. Again, not anything you need to necessary go inside for and more something to look at from the outside. St Andrews church is one of the oldest buildings in Krakow, built between 1079 and 1098, whereas the church of St Peter and Paul was built in the 17th century.
Old Town Walking Tour
Depending on how much time you have, I recommend spending some time in Kazimierz and Podgórze. Before WWII, Kazimierz was the centre of Jewish life in Krakow. Today, it offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in Jewish Culture and cuisine, and the key sights and synagogues can be walked around in as little as 30 mins. If you’re stopping here, I highly recommend grabbing a zapiekanka (Polish pizza baguette) from Plac Nowy.
Podgórze on the other hand, once a former Jewish ghetto is dotted with memorials to Krakow’s Holocaust History, including partials of the ghetto walls, the Pharmacy Under the Eagle Museum and the metal chairs installation in the square. You’ll find plaques on many of the buildings that will tell you about what they were used for during the Nazi regime. It’s also within this district that you can visit Schindlers Factory. We didn’t get a chance to go in this time round as we had ran out of time however it is recommended to book tickets and tours in advance as they can often sell out.
The ‘good to knows’:
Currency: Polish Złoty
Getting around: Uber and Bolt are readily available if needed. You can also make use of Lime scooters as well. Otherwise trams and buses are very cheap and easy to use! Going between cities you can either buy tickets online or at the station (which is what we did). Polish trains are clean, simple to use and inexpensive.
Where to stay:
Hostels: On my first visit to Krakow I stayed in Bubble Hostel. Reasonable prices and in a great location and has female only dorms and free breakfast.
Hotels: During my second visit we stayed at Leonardo Boutique Hotel Krakow City Centre. There is also the same hotel but in the Old Town. Great breakfast, small but modern rooms. Did the job for a low cost stay in a good location - no complaints!