"GIVE MONEY NOW" - Tourists be very careful in Krakow please

I would like to share my experience with you about visiting Krakow. It was my very first time over Easter break March 28 - April 1 2013, long weekend. My friend had just moved there for work for 6 months.

I heard that Krakow was one of better places to visit and better standard of life, had never visited and thought would be nice as my friend is there now.

However this was put to the test when we were attacked just outside of the old town, coming from the Jewish quarter after we had dinner. It was about 9.45pm on Easter Sunday, it had snowed was a cold weekend. It happened between Sabastiana and Dominikanski close to the old town. We were walking this area, there were some people around but had passed by, in front of us were 3 guys. We did not pay much attention as they were laughing, smoking and seemed "happy".

All of a sudden there was no one around and they ambushed us. One fat black eyed guy, leader I presume, took out a metal rod from his coat sleeve, waving it around and saying "MONEY", "GIVE MONEY NOW". We said there is no money and he took a swing at my friend on the side of the knee. We moved backwards and he moved forward.. at me now and said the same, I shouted at my friend to get police, I was close to him and to protect myself, but he took a swing with the metal rod against my right leg below the knee "fortunately I guess" It was on the bone and had tremendous pain.

For some reason, he backed off and the others too and we ran the opposite direction trying to find a policeman. We had no luck. Walking back it was very painful. Back at the appartment, it was sessions of ice on the huge swollen knee area. The Easter Monday was impossible to walk and that evening I had a flight back to Belgium. Once back in Belgium, I did make a call long distance to the Krakow police to monitor that area.

Its a shame that these things happen, it can happen anywhere, but in all of my life I have never been aggressed.

Peace.

Sad something like that happened to you, but:


This is all you need to remember ;)