Which city is better to visit: Warsaw or Krakow?

I've been to Krakow and Warsaw.

I loved Krakow, could quite happily live there too. Loved all the cellar cafe's as well, wonder if they are still there ?

I preferred the Old Town in Warsaw rather than the newer part. But that was about 10 years ago. Wonder how much has changed since then ?

i spent time in wawa in the mid 90s then avoided it till last summer when i spent a few weeks there... its changed, for the better, and there are some really cool places to hang out, but its a big city and for me it doesnt have the same vibe as some of the smaller polish cities...

Yes, I can identify with that BubbaWoo. Also, I found the 60's architecture in Warsaw New Town quite ugly and it was very busy. People seemd friendlier in Krakow.

But that was some time ago and I'm sure everyone is a lot friendlier now :)

My friends in Poland lived in an flat which was just outside Warsaw.
It was in a concrete high rise flat and they told me they were lucky to have it :(

I'd like to visit Poland again and concentrate on the smaller Polish cities. Which ones would you recommend, out of interest ?

simply Krakow and lot of another city except worsow (worsow was and it is ugly) and people much nice beside worsow
maybe something is change now but i don't believe it

absolutely warsaw !!

krakow is very nice ... but too much touristy and frankly ... is "just" a very nice european historical town ... like you can see in italy, france, spain (but without the charm you would find there probably)

warsaw instead is vibrant, unique, fun, electric, special ... much better than krakow for me

Can't agree with you there !
I thought Krakow was full of charm - it is also full of pubs within walking (staggering) distance of each other.
I have to admit though that I tend to find smaller cities more appealing than the capital in most countries.

mmmhhh ... i also prefer warsaw !!

yes yes Fantasy ... totally agree with you

well ... not that it hasn't charme at all szkotja ... anyway i was there last year in january and it was -20 .... that maybe had an influence !!

krakow is sooooo nice ... but i also like warsaw :)

I would agree with everyone who said Krakow, It's much more tourist friendly then Warsaw :)
But I do love Warsaw aswell (not so many annoying tourists about :P)

I've been to Kraków a few years ago - the bazar had a beautiful art glass store on the outside, Galeria AB, I think it was called. I bought some glass cats and angels which were sent on to the US to family for Christmas, and they were much appreciated. I'm tempted to drive back over (12 hours each way...sheesh!) and load the car up with crystal and china...seemed a great deal there!

Merged: Which city is better - Warsaw or Krakow?

It can be better at anything, overall which is the best and why?

Never been to Warsaw, but I can say Krakow is a vibrant wonderful city...like any other major city around the world with a rich history and all that comes with it. I can say that I have never felt so safe in all my life walking the streets, lots of guards and Police and a wonderful park to go and chill in, in the summer around the city...but Im sure Warsaw offers something different...A bit like Oxford and London both have their plus and their minus points

Good reply Amathyst, thanks

I have only been to Warsaw ,and i can say that this city is very good. It has a beautiful park (Lazienki Park) and Old Town is very nice to walk around in and has some good places where you can eat. :) You can also get around the city easily by buying a 24 hour ticket to the busses and trams. It only costs 7,5PLN and you can ride as much as you want.

I believe it depends on if its for visiting or working. A professional career in Warsaw would be easier to find and pay slightly better. Warsaw is a large city though and many of the beautiful parts are divided by less than beautiful high rise buildings and apartments while Krakow's beauty is centered around the Stare Miasto. IMO Krakow is a beautiful city with lots of amazing attributes that just makes it enjoyable to live in and Warsaw is a large city with a lot of professional promise.

Not always... many IT companies have moved to Cracov and salaries in this field are the same in both cities.

Yes, its definitely not always true. But from my experience of trying to find a job in both areas there seemed to be a lot more opportunity in Warsaw - perhaps because I work in Finance (ended up in marketing...)

Krakow is definitely a city thats growing quickly (for good reason), and I dont see this ending any time soon.

good intelligent, balanced replies, thank you

At first - 2 years ago - I thought Warsaw was quite shocking - it just hasnt recovered from the war. Now I've been 10 times and I'm completely adicted. There is something about the place I can't put my finger on. Warsaw looks better in deepest winter covered in snow.

So does Birmingham, but I wouldnt want to live there...

are you comparing Birmingham to Warsaw? ok if you are...but I'd rather live in Warsaw

Nothing looks good covered in snow, i live in Norway ,i know :P

Mountains do :)

I love the way poland looks in the snow. Very photogenic :)

You can't like skiiing then??

I love the snow in Poland, we rarely get snow in Ireland, so the first time I was landing in okecie, I was gobsmacked.

Reminded me of Star Wars 2. :-)

Think the warsaw krakow thing is a bit like johannesburg and capetown in south africa as well

I prefer Krakow because it still has this oldy worldy charm. It's not as big and busy as Warsaw, it's cosy, friendly and just beautiful.

Warsaw is a modern city, yes it has the so called "Old Town" which is actually not old, it's just a reproduction as it was destroyed during the war.

Warsaw is nice and has lots of restaurants, bars, shops and everything you need to make your life exciting but Krakow has all this as well.

ever been to London or NY I think not

certainly warsaw, like legia warsaw