- Krakow
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Poland
It is a website about Krakow that has loads of useful information - restaurants, pubs, clubs, accomodation etc.
Excellent food - a great opportunity to taste traditional, home-made Polish cuisine. Moderately priced, Chlopskie Jadlo is an excellent place for dinner.
Nice description of this and other restaurants in Krakow is here on page 14 www.discoverpl.com/discover_poland_3.pdf
Address: ul. Św. Jana 3 (Old Town)
Krakow
Restaurant website: www.chlopskiejadlo.pl
Map: www.cracowonline.com/7-Chlopskie_Jadlo-Restaurant
Enjoy!
www.apartments4u.pl is an online booking system for apartments in Polish/European cities. I recommend it as it's reliable, simple and intuitive to use and you can find plenty of really nice apartments that are often better than hotels. They offer freedom and intimacy levels I expect from places I stay at.
I think it is a great resource of information full of practical tips and interesting insights about the town. There is even an explanation about the legendary dragon of Krakow. Fascinating stuff!
I recently returned from a short break in Krakow with my wife and two children. We stayed in a self-serviced apartment that we booked online at and it was wonderful. We were right in the old town just a short walk from the square. It was great. The service was very friendly and price was good.
The tram system in Krakow imposes heavy penalties on unsuspecting tourists. The inspectors are completely intolerant of tourists ignorance and are very aggressive. It is a particularly nasty and unpleasant experience. Be warned, and don't make innocent mistakes. They take no prisoners and it appears that they treat tourists as easy targets.
My lovely wife and I have just returned from the most wonderful holiday in the hidden eastern European gem Krakow. This weekend getaway was made even better by the staff at PKG real estate who organised our lovely apartment in the old town. If your going to Krakow and wish to have a relaxing stay then leave all the hard work to them.
Cracow Life is a website about Cracow/Krakow that has soul! In particular I refer to the drink section to research good pubs and bars and night clubs for a piwo (beer), and there's usually loads of good public reviews too so you can get a flavour of what each place is like and how popular they are. They also have feature articles on things like nightlife and the various tourist attractions.
Galicia was once the heart of Eastern European Jewish culture. This museum gives a great introduction and interesting overview of this fascinating culture.
The permanent exhibition, Traces of Memory, is a contemporary look at the Jewish past in Poland. The exhibition features the work of the late photographer Chris Schwarz. Over a period of twelve years, he travelled together with Prof. Jonathan Webber (UNESCO Chair of Jewish and Interfaith Studies, University of Birmingham, UK) town by town and village by village. Their work offers a special way of looking at the Jewish past that was destroyed in Poland. I enjoyed the exhibition as very informative and thought-provoking.
Check the changing current exhibition as well!
One of the best hostels in Europe I have ever stayed in. High standard on a budget. Great location, no curfew - allowed me to enjoy nightlife to the maximum. Great facilities. It is not the cheapest hostel in town, but you get a lot of freebies, like breakfast, laundry, maps, lockers and wi-fi.
I stayed there on a Thursday and came right on time to have a piece of the usual Thursday afternoon cake. Glorious.
Mama's Hostel - Old Town
Zyblikiewicza St. 9
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/krakow/30362/
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/krakow
The International Festival of Alternative and Experimental theatres is one of the oldest theatre festivals in Poland. It has been organised continuously since 1975. Always taking place in April, it is a good opportunity to combine a spring city break and cultural event. The weather in spring is usually bit more friendly than in London and you will enjoy spending the first nights out, having a drink.
The festival is an opportunity to get a first glance at the new season's productions. It uses the theatre in an attempt to make us aware of a problem that concerns us all from an unknown and extraordinary angle.
I love Krakow. If you like Prague and the charming atmosphere of old european cities. You’ll love Krakow, too – I promise! European history is omnipresent: starting with Romanic buildings from the 10th century, when Krakow was an important retail centre, you find early sacral buildings and a castle (Wawel Hill).
A university was founded in medieval times, which made the former Polish capital a leading intellectual centre. There is a long list of buildings from throughout the centuries to explore. Don’t forget about the influence of Jewish life and culture. To get an idea of the amount of things to explore and the variety, start with a hike along the royal route.
But what makes Krakow so special? Its living and lively urbanity. Some grand old cities appear like a museum with inhabitants as living accessories, but not Krakow.
Clean, comfortable (especially beds) quiet and warm and well-equipped. Two minutes from old town and one minute from Galaria Krakowska (premier shopping precinct). One of the best apartments in middle/eastern Europe I rented until now.
Cafe Mlkynek is a gallery, bar and 100% vegetarian cafe nestled in the Kazimierz (Jewish) quarter of Krakow.
Whilst it doesn't have as an extensive menu as some of the other vegetarian places, the food there is superb - totally vegetarian (with some vegan) and really good quality. The onion soup is exceptional!
Unlike the other vegetarian cafes in Krakow the emphasis at Mlkynek is on superb food, good service and relaxing surroundings rather than simply 'healthy' food. This means you can actually get a beer or a bottle of wine with your meal (an essential part of the equation, in my book!).
What is more, like many places in Krakow, the food is unbelievably cheap (though the wine isn't that cheap).
Cafe Młynek
Plac Wolnica 7
31-060 Kraków
tel. 012 43 06 202
kom. 0 502 302 803
mail. mlynek@cafemlynek.pl
www.cafemlynek.pl/
Best beer pub in Krakov - CK Browar (6-7 Ulica Podwale). Best sport bar with good beer and friendly people - Non Iron.(Marka 27). Best cellar bar/restaurant - Piwiica Pod Ztolta Pipa (Florianska 30). We stayed at the excellent Polera Hotel (Szpitalana 30).
All these are in the centre near the main square and everything in walking distance.
Krakow is a truly beautiful city that I am lucky enough to call home.
People often refer to it as the 'new Prague' and I'm never really sure what they mean by this. It is becoming a popular stag destination but it hasn't grown to a level that overshadows the cultural and historic atmosphere that the city has. Thankfully Krakow hasn't developed the rash and mercantile tourism enterprises found in Prague either. Only time will tell how this will all work out.
Whether you are coming to Krakow on a weekend break, business trip or backpacking adventure a good all-round guide I can recommend is www.cracow-life.com which has all the information you could need. I even find it handy as expat as it lists local news, events and weather.
I think the best time to visit Krakow is in December when the Christmas market is in full swing on the main market square. It's setting in the medieval streets, with a bit of snow thrown in, is perfect for a bit of festive magic.
The Christmas market in Krakow is wonderful and a great tonic for those suffering from the winter blues back home. I’m lucky enough to have been living in Krakow for nine months and in my opinion the old town has never looked as beautiful as it does right now.
After a week or so of preparation the market is now in full swing. Stalls selling spicy mulled wine, roasted meats and grilled mountain cheese served with cranberry sauce help keep the cold at bay long enough to get some good Christmas shopping done.
Those looking for something a bit different for the loved ones back home have plenty to choose from the huts selling festive ornaments, wooden toys, woollen clothing from the highlands and delicious soft gingerbread from Torun. The old cloth hall (Sukiennice) on the market square also has a plethora of stalls hoping to tempt you to part with your cash. Here you will find items such as amber jewellery from the Baltic coast, hand-stitched embroidery and other bits and pieces such as wooden chess sets and even swords!
Shopping aside, it is the magic and the old town and surrounding cobbled streets that make Krakow so special this time of year. I can’t recommend it enough.
Bursa Jagiellonska is a hostel, located in Podgorze, one of the central districts of Krakow. Beds for backpackers and tourist groups are only available in the summer (from the beginning of July until the end of September).
The rooms are clean, plain and comfortable. The hostel is one of the few in Krakow that offers single, private rooms. Bursa Jagiellonska has its own laundry machines, free internet access in each room and computers in the common area. The reception is nice and helpful as well.
address: ul. Sliska 14
30-516 Krakow
Poland
tel: +48 12 6561266
+48 501721949
e-mail: info@bursa.krakow.pl
www: www.bursa.krakow.pl
I recently returned from a three-night stay in Krakow and loved it. The apartment we stayed in sleeps five/six and was superb in every way.
Well located, beautiful decor, spotlessly clean, large, well-equipped kitchen with every appliance, satelite TV, dvd, internet, inclusive of beautiful bed linen and fluffy towels. It has two large bedrooms, huge kitchen, large sitting room with two sofa beds and luxury bathroom.
We paid £60 per night between 3 of us, best apartment and best bargain I've ever stayed in.
I rented through www.holiday-rentals.co.uk
We visited the site of the Jewish Ghetto (in Podgorze) on the other side of the river in the morning and spent the afternoon/evening wandering our way through the bars of Kazimierz. It was the best day I've spent in Krakow.
Everybody talks about Kazimierz with its young and funky atmosphere, but I hadn't heard so much about Podgorze. The river is about 20 mins walk from the main square and as soon as you cross it you're in the Ghetto Heroes Square with it's atmospheric memorial of empty chairs. Visit the Pharmacy under the Eagle which has been turned into a small museum (it's on the opposite corner of the square - keep going, it's not obvious until you're literally outside it!) to get a handle on what it used to be like. The displays are pretty meaningless without the audio tour, so spend your zlotys and get informed. When you've done that, cross the road using the underpass, follow your map, go through the foot-tunnel under the railway and find yourself at the Schindler Enamel factory. It wasn't very well signposted, or that easy to find on foot, but it's about 8-10 mins walk from the Ghetto Heroes Square. It was being renovated when we were there - looks like they're finally going to turn it into something, rather than the basic display there at the moment.
After a subdued morning we hit Kazimierz, and I can't recommend the bars and restaurants of this area highly enough. Stick to soft drinks/halves of the lethal beer/one drink per establishment, and you should be able to manage at least 10 of the fantastic bars - every one has something unique about it, and they're all within stumbling distance of each other - just keep going round and round!
I used the Cracow-Life website a lot beforehand, and you can also pick up free copies of the paper version in most bars - lots of info, especially on going out.
Get yourself to Krakow and enjoy a fabulous, accessible city with a great atmosphere and friendly locals.
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