Old town Krakow, is it dangerous during Night time?

Hi there,

I'm gonna visit Krakow and I was wondering if it's safe to walk around Old town during night time when you go out. Should I be careful of some specific areas?

Cheers!

There have been quite a few muggings on foreign tourists. Yeah be careful of the ' Irish Mbassy' the food is too good.

No it's not dangerous what so ever.
But to be 100% save, you could wear a Cracovia jersey at all time, then you'll feel very welcome.

I've been there twice travelling on my own, never had a problem.
In fact I've felt safer walking round Polish cities at night than I have in the UK.
You'll be fine.

It depends on comparison to what.
I.e.
My aunt was robbed at her first week in LA at high noon on the junction when she was sitting in her car.
Travellers in Rome are asked to take all valuable things from their buses because robberies happens regulary.
In comparison to that above Cracow is perfectly safe.

I have been living in Cracow since I was born and i was never robbed or beaten myself.
In late 90' my extra-fitted Golf with a glass roof, metallic livery, etc. was stolen - that's my only loose.

That's sad to hear.

As a whole, Polish cities are safe provided you stay away from the poorest district.

No, we have a lot of turists and its safe city :) you are welcome!

I go to Krakow about 6 or 8 times a year for the past 7years and never had a problem with safety. It is safer than Dublin or London.

Krakow is a lot less dangerous than London or Manchester. The figures quoted below are from 2011
"According to the latest figures from the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, there are 1,365 assaults a year per 100,000 people in England and Wales; the figure for Poland is just 76.

Murder rates in each country are very low, with Poland's slightly above that of England and Wales.
But in every other category, Poland puts us to shame. Per 100,000 of the population, Poland has 5.2 rapes compared with 25.6 in England and Wales; robberies are 92 compared with 189; burglary 455 compared with 1,158; 184 drug-related crimes compared with 362."

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2043562/SPECIAL-REPORT-The-Brits-left-UK-life-Poland.html

A large percentage of the crimes against weekend tourists in Krakow go unreported. When a ambulance turns up to the victim of a mugging or attack in Poland it is not often accompanied by the Police. The foreigner would have to go to the Police and report the mugging or attack after being released from hospital, most are happy just to get on the plane home and not report the attack.So the stats do not reflect the level of crime.

Is Krakow dangerous, all cities can be dangerous if you misbehave and look for trouble, you will find it in Krakow, if you behave normally and respect the locals and your surrounding its a wonderful city.


bhppc.blogspot/2008/01/muggers-of-tipsy-tourists-arrested-in.html

unless you are not white!

BS! Krakow, especially the old town is safer than most European cities i have been to. Just go out and have a good time.
Avoid the tourist traps, know your boundaries and you'll be just fine!

I visited Krakow in December and I felt very safe, both during the day and at night. Trust your instincts, mind your own business and you will be fine!

I have just come back from Krakow (3 days ago) I was there for 4 days and got robbed on the first night in the old town. Two guys came from behind and kicked my legs clean under me. Then proceded to stamp on my foot and take all the money from my pockets and my camers. Reported it the Police and the guy said (In his best English) - Im sorry I dont speak English??????????? Still limping now with an ankle like a tennis ball. Its was my 8th time there and never had a problem before this. Its gone down hill and ive lost count of the amount of strip bars there are now :-(

I just got back from Krakow we were approached to got to a bar it was a bit of the beaten track, when we went in got a couple of beers realised it was ***** house, we were approached about 5 times buy women saying u want a blow job or sex, we said were OK just having a drink. Just before we left 4 big security guards came in, they must have been phoned because me and my friend were sat near the door, and they came straight over without speaking to Anyone, they told us to leave quickly, I asked why but they said u need to go your not welcome.

So we went, it was in a narrow street and we walked to the end of the road, as we got to the end of the road 3 security guard cars pulled up, all full, they asked what we were doing I said getting a taxi, they all started getting out asking for ID, I immediately thought this is strange so I said I don't have any my friend was getting his bank card out, then they started saying we want 500 and started putting black gloves on one tried grab me I threw him out the way and scarpered, they had my mate and his card, and were dragging him to cash machine, he asked for his card to withdraw n managed to run off. We were very lucky it could of went really badly, apparently it goes on a bit. I think if I'd of had id like a passport they would have extorted the life out of me. Luckily I was not very drunk and had my wits about me, otherwise we would have been in serious bother and I wouldn't like to imagine what could of happened. I believe it was all organised by the bar the way we were chased out. I think the guards were a fraction late because we had got out of that into a main street. Otherwise I think it would of been very messy. They did not chase us as we ran towards a busier part and probably didn't want the attention.

So be very aware of security. 2 nights later I lost my friend and was walking back on my own near the arch near the main square i was approached by a man asking if I wanted sex he said he knows a place where the best girls are and will do anything I said no, I said I ended up in a place like that and nearly got mugged and beaten, he said no problem do you want a taxi back I said ok, he then approaches a nearby taxi man and gets in says wait there, the taxi was parked on the one way so had to come back round but, something did not seem right, why did he get in taxi too?? Were they going to take me same place or somewhere else, I cut off a different way and got another taxi I was not waiting to find out. So be very careful in Krakow, Poland.

My husband is just home from a stag in krakow. He was in a night club and come out as he had to much to drink and was sick (think he was spiked) the ambulance come and they called the police and he was arrested for being sick on the street. The next day his friends went to the police station and paid the police 302 zloty to release him to catch his flight home.

Only when he got his belongs back he only had 200 zlotys in his wallet. But when he was arrested there was 200 zlotys in his wallet and £350. The police had stolen £350 English money out his wallet then when confronted about it denied it. They are nothing but DIRTY SCUMMY THIEVING BASTARDS. They all stick together over there only out to ******* rob people. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go to Poland ROBBING BASTARDS. Let me reassure you this is not the end of it ;)

Could you give us a favor and pass this information to the third world immigrants that are storming European boarders.

These scumy Brits (and others) are a shame and will give a very bad reputation to Cracow as being associated with their kind. These "tourists" also are not big spenders (reason why they go to Cracow as cheaper than a lot of other places) so not much use for Cracow's touristic "industry". "Normal" tourists will bring their money elsewhere. Cracow authorities are not too smart as they don't see what reputation their town will have "thanks" to all the trash they attract.

"think he was spiked", more like he was not used to strong Polish Beer.

When I am In Krakow I never speak English in the bars, the Brits are turning the place into the Magaluf of the east

@Dolno: absolutely! Very soon Cracow will have a very bad reputation and "normal" tourists will bring their money elsewhere ;). Not very smart of Cracow to attract the wrong crowds.

Krakow bar owners and hotels should refuse to sell to the British. Right...

The British make a tiny minority of visitors to Krakow, so the drunks must be other nationalities . Polish probably.

Krakow: 'defaced by the debauchery and drunkeness' of British stag parties

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/11243504/Krakow-defaced-by-the-debauchery-and-drunkeness-of-British-stag-parties.html

More Britons went to Krakow than any other nationality, making up 20 per cent of the 1,030,570 foreign visitors

More likely for being a drunk pig vomiting all over the place.

Apart from the drunkard stag parties Krakow is very safe at night, my wife and I have never had any problems walking around late at night.

Don't forget the Polish Police are well trained in dealing with trouble, this probably stems from their ex communist riot training.

But be warned If you ever take on a Polish Police dog they are trained to go for the testicles not your arm.

mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/euro-2012-hooligans-told-police-865798

The British make up 4.1% of visitors to Krakow.

pap.pl/en/news-/news,451936,krakow-sees-over-10-mln-tourists-in-2015.html

And a tiny percent of them are stag parties but when did stag parties represent a threat of violence? The bouncers with guns or murdering bus drivers are more of a concern.

"stag parties represent a threat of violence? " They are not necessarily violent, but they can appear intimidating to those who are not used to the degenerate scenes of UK inner cities on a Saturday night such as the throwing up,shouting and tits,bums out for all to see.

This isn't as common as it was (it used to be always but now is only sometimes) and is appalling. In Poland it's a very good idea (and certainly one that the locals have) to avoid the police.

It's usually fine in Warsaw; they were read the riot act after some high profile incidents and in my opinion really have improved, however outside Warsaw people should not assume the police are on the side of law and order.


Spot on. Anyway, the only drunken rowdiness that's crossed any sort of a line (being normally cheerful, a bit loud and drinkIng a lot in bars is after all what a lot of bars are there for anyway) I've seen in Kraków (or pretty well anywhere else in Poland) has been from locals.

I remember once sitting in the smoking bit of my favourite bar/restaurant in Gdańsk. There was a large group of young men on the other side of the room. An international group, maybe sailors or here for sports, they were loud-ish but still very well behaved. Any bar would be very happy to have them as customers. There were two older Polish ladies wearing hats and frumpy clothing on the table next to us who spent the whole time moaning and sniping about them saying how terrible those British over there are behaving, British this, British that, rowdy, nude, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just like some of the sillier posters in this thread.

The thing is that only two of them were British.. Most were Polish and Russian and the rest sounded Dutch.

As for badly behaved groups, vomiting, fighting, urinating and falling over drunk; Poles do that very well themselves as anyone who's taken a stroll up Nowy Świat on a Saturday night can see for themselves.


I can't say I've ever noticed that in Kraków, however if the Kraków tourist authorities will continue to pay for billboards in the less upmarket bits of England showing young people partying in Kraków and as long as Kraków businesses advertise stag tours (showing exactly the sort of behaviour you and I dislike) in 'lads magazines' they will reap what they sow.

I'm sure that Krakow benefits from the stag do's, I don't want to blow things out of proportion, the rowdy types are in the minority, but also I spend allot of time in the summer taking my visitors to see the sights and the night life, so I guess i get to see the odd rowdies more regularly than a casual weekend visitor would.

Still a great place to go to for a weekend.

As for the Police comment, yes it's best to keep out of the way if you can.

Yep, never been a guest of the Polish police, but back in London they make a nice cup of tea of a morning if you behave, and returned my kit as per signed for:)

Krakow police are scum, as anyone who has ever driven on Katowice plates there will tell you.

Who gives a crap. If I want to come Poland and take a dump in the street or have a **** there I will, its nothing I've not seen a Pole do in the UK.

Anyway, you will put up with it, you are not in the position to bargain with anyone in the EU, know your place.