Tell me all about Krakow!

Hello!

Travelling to Krakow in August with some friends and looking for some recommendations.

We'll be staying just off the Starowislna in Kazimierz and were wondering about the local area. What are the tourist destinations? Where are the cheap bars and restaurants (tight budget!)? Are there good local clubs, preferrably rock/indie clubs, failing that cheesy pop? Are there tours of the river? Any gems of info that are hidden away from the tourist trail?

Thanks for all your help, looking forward to visiting what I hear is a beautiful city!

Where are you from ?

Krakow is amazing, I loved every minute of my 7 weeks there. Though sadly not really as a tourist.

There are many places to see as a tourist, of course Wawel castle being one of them. Kazimierz being another. My suggestion is take a walking guided tour of the old town and of kazimierz. These walking tours are better because you can ask questions and our guide was very knowledgable. The recorded tours on the little carts are well, recorded...

Watch out for bars offering your leaflets on the main square. We went into one, ordered our drinks then a large Polish guy working there demanded we pay an entrance fee to stay. We politely told him to bugger off and left - never to return. There is NO need to pay an entrance fee in a bar in Krakow, there are many good quality bars with no entrance fees.

There are many great bars that are hard to spot. One which is under ground and had godo live music. I can walk to it but I can't remember to give directions. Explore! get off the main square and look for small alley ways.

As for tight budget, depends where you're coming from. A large beer was typicall 7 - 9 zloty, depending on where you go. Often more on the main square. When I was there, the exchange rate took a serious hit on my budget and I made the mistake of taking travellers cheque and got a raw deal.

ooohh, Babcia Malina! North of the main square - e-krakow.com/restauracja/675-U_Babci_Maliny

You really can't do better than this for real Polish food at amazing prices. Just 10 zloty put enough on your plate to feed an army. Now, read carefully, this can be a sod to find.

Walk up ul. Slawkowska from the main square. Look out for the menu for Babcia Malina outside the door of a large 'official' looking building. Enter this building into a huge high corridoor and then exit left about 20 metres on the left into a courtyard. Babcia's is on the left here. Enjoy! and be ready to use a little Polish - English simply will not work in there.

Enjoy! I hope to visit there again too! To be honest, I'd love to live there again.. 7 weeks was not enough

Tony

No hit for Babci Maliny on the internet; is it still in business? Any other comments? djt

kuchniaubabcimaliny.pl/nowa/

Interesting wonderful historical town and nice dancings and terraces. Avoid to visit a scam bar called Hard Candy.

have you seen the Krakow's photographs on HERE?!
awesome aerials photos!
take a look, they are beautiful, just click on a gallery and enjoy the view... :)

Lots of info about Krakow at ovewarsaw.co.uk/krakow/

watch Krakow through live cameras here:

krakow.pl/multimedialny_krakow/1849,artykul,wawel_i_zakole_wisly_.html

BTW, dzien dobry! Now, spring...

Warning in Krakow...

Be careful about these robbers...
For expatriats : Don't make any bussiness with W, including translations and for rental appartement in that address save your life and family, they are very un-educated women who always stole money for life!!!

Uwaga...uwaga!

regards,
-c-

Merged: What things can you do in Krakow?

What things can you do in Krakow?

Eat obwarzanki.
Walk the planty.
Look at the square.
Go for walking tours to Nova Huta, Podgórze, Kazimierz etc.
Look at the old buildings/monuments/churches.
Have fun trying to speak Polish.
Go to a Polish school for foreigners.
Go to Galeria Krakowska or others.
Buy ice-cream from the famous lodziarnia on Starowislna.
Buy coffee in Pożegnanie z Afryką, they are supposed to have good coffee.

Please add any more suggestions that you have, I would like to know how people spend their time there, thanks.

don't forget the Kopiec Kościuszki, Wieliczka salt mine nearby
Wisła river rides to nearby monestaries

Are you aware that the things you've mentioned is already for a full week in Cracow?
But strangely enough you forgot about the most obvious tourist attractions:

1. The Wawel Castle:

- The Wawel Castle's interiors + armoury
- The Wawel Cathedral to see the graves of Polish kings and the Zygmunt Bell
- Enter the Dragon's den, try to take a picture of the dragon when is spitting with the fire (not so easy as one might think)

- Walk around the hill as there is a really nice sight from there

2. Sukiennice (the main square):

- Go to the Museum in the undergrounds of Sukiennice, learn about the past of the city from the fully interactive exhibition
- Go to the Museum of Art upstairs to admire giant paintings of XIX cent Polish historic artists Matejko and Siemiradzki (and others too)
- Visit the Mariacki Church and admire the Wit Stwosz's altar
- Visit the Town Hall Tower
- Take a piture of Igor Mitoraj's giant head (sculpture)
- Go for a drink and a show in Piwnica pod Baranami

3. On the old town:

- go down Floriańska street to see the Floriańska Gate with the tower and the barbican

4. Visit art galleries such as:

- Galeria Czartoryskich (to see Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Younger)
- National Museum the Main Building (gallery of Polish XX cent art + caft art gallery + armoury)
- There are several other museums and galleries to visit if someone is interested

5. Climb on Kopiec Kościuszki

6. See how a synagog looks inside by visiting a Museum on Kazimierz

7. If you are in the region in summer time, it's good idea to visit Ojców National Park + Pieskowa Skała Castle

8.


- that one is a must!

Drink, and party your duba off!

You can observe the natives in Nowa Huta. They're very interesting.
You can also poke every person you'll meet.
You can imitate child with down and see the reactions.

you must be a hit at parties

Thanks everyone especially AK, that was an epic answer.

Go there at high noon for opening of the altar. If they are still doing it. It's impressive.

Go to Franciscan church and check the stained glass over the choir. It's amazing.

Go to the Rakowicki cemetery (the old part) Check Matejko's grave and many other famous people.

Check Pałac Biskupi and the John Paul II monument in the courtyard. This was his home when he was archbishop of Kraków. Check the famous window over the main gate (he was speaking from it when he visited Krakow)

Go to Hotel Cracovia for kremówki.

Check Na Skałce church; it's beautiful, and has graves of famous Poles underneath. Take picture of Skałeczna street, has fantastic perspective.

Check St. Anna church, it's just gorgeous.

Collegium Maius courtyard and museum is a must. Good photo opportunity.

Go to the restaurant with old-style Polish cuisine (like Pod Aniołami on Grocka street for example, it's in the cellar which is impressive by itself)

It has been bought over and being renovated now.

That will be Grodzka, of course *major eye roll*


When it will be open again? These kremówki are part of my fondest childhood memories.

Nobody really knows

What architectural merit?!?! It was built in the 60s. Very strange.

As a hotel, never as its a condition of the sale that it cannot be a hotel.

By my calculation they are getting 6.5% return on the advertising hoarding so they will not be in a rush to do anything until they can get permission to build what they want.

So I suspect its going to be rotting for 20 years. Pity, I live just behind it and would love to see the thing demolished and a nice modern shopping mall in its place.

I lived in that area for years, on Aleja Krasińskiego. My wedding was in that hotel's restaurant, so it's part of my life.

Not another Szkieletor


I understand your sentimental reasons but it's really not a pretty building.
I am not saying another shopping mall is the answer but a museum to go with the one across the road (okay not the prettiest either but hey:)

have been to krakow twice. salt mines are a definite must do. wawel castle also, but mainly just enjoyed soaking up atmosphere. i did a bit of everything tbh, but really surprised no-one has mentioned oskar schindlers factory/museum. maybe not everyone is interested in ww2 history, but it was well worth visiting. i walked there from stare miasto, and although it was a bit of a hike , i saw so much on the way. area slightly on dodgy side, but i was never one for the guided tour option.

Thanks for the link above, I searched a little for things to do in Krakow but didn't find this thread.

Or hotel forum ;)


They will knock it down and build an apartment complex.

Nah, I never particularly liked the architecture of this hotel. But I guess with time it grow on me.


It was a good location for a hotel. It's a very noisy place but has a nice view on Błonia and Kopiec Kościuszki.