Krakow

Introduction

Krakow, Wawel Castle

© All Rights Reserved Gelli

Having been lucky enough to escape the worst of the bombing during the second World War, Krakow has an edge over most other Polish cities when it comes to the amount of historic buildings still standing. The preserved city centre with its cobblestoned streets, dozens of churches, monasteries and abbeys still holds an old world charisma that has helped make it one of Poland's most popular tourist destinations and in the summer buses full of tourists crowd the city centre.

Located in the southeast of Poland on the banks of the river Wisa, the 'new Prague' was originally the home of Polish royalty from 1038 to 1596, before Warsaw became the countries capital. Throughout the centuries as Poland was under Habsburg, Prussian and Russian rule, Krakow, specifically the central market square of Rynek Glowny, was the rallying point for independence.

Districts

• The Old Town (Stare Miasto) is the area inside the old town walls
• Kazimierz District is the traditional Jewish area
• Wawel Hill makes up the Castle and Cathedral
• Zwierzyniec is the old royal hunting ground containing Blonia Meadow
• Bronowice
• Kleparz (north of the city)
• Wesola
• Podgorze
• Nowa Huta

Sights and Activities

Auschwitze-Birkenau

Situated about 70 kilometres away from Krakow, Auschwitz-Birkenau is one of the most important museums in this part of Poland. The journey takes about 1.5 hour. You can get there by public buses departing from Krakow's bus station. Do not take the train as the journey is a bit longer and you have to get from the station to the museum as the buses go directly. There are also lots of tour companies, providing cheap visits, but sometimes you end up rushed along on a crowded coach. Getting a private taxi/tour is the easiest option, usually with no time limits and reasonable prices, and comfortable cars. The driver very often helps you to avoid the lines at cash desks. In the summer season it's recommended to join a guided tour (available at the museum). There's no admission for the entrance, however a charge of 40 zlotys per person is taken for participating in a guided tour. The only way to enter the museum's site without having to join the tour is to arrive before 9:00am.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Situated just outside from Krakow, the Wieliczka Salt Mine takes you to a beautiful journey to the underground chappels and chambers. You can get there by public bus no. 304 from the centre of Krakow. The other option is to get a private tour - in the season there are lots of people lining up to the cash desks so it's better to get someone who'll help you to avoid it. You have to join a guided tour which takes about 2-3 hours. Tickets cost 70 zlotys per person.

Zakopane, Tatra Mountains

Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains is situated about 105 kilometres away from Krakow, the Polish winter capital. The journey takes about 1.5 hour. There are regular bus connections from Szwagropol, but it's better to get a private tour and cut the hassle on getting between each parts of the town. Beautiful views both in summer and winter, really worth visitting.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Krakow has a continental climate with generally warm summers and cold winters. Average summer temperatures are around 23 °C or 24 °C from June to August, around 21 °C along the coast. Nights are mostly around 15 °C during this time. Winters last from December to early March, with generally temperatures around zero during the day, and around -5 °C or -6 °C at night. Alltime highs and lows are 35 °C in summer and -27 °C in winter. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed througout the year, although June to August is significantly wetter with around 100 mm of rain a month. Usually there is about 10 to 15 days of some rain or snow during most months. In winter, it is mainly snow that falls.

Getting There

By Plane

There are two options:
1. Arriving at John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice (KRK) which is only 15 kilometres from the city centre. There's a cheap (about 10 zlotys per person) train connection with the city centre (15 minutes) walking to the main square, or 25 minutes to the Kazimierz area). You can find a shuttle bus outside the terminal that takes you to the platform for free and then you enter the train. There are no stops en-route so you arrive in the centre. The other option is to use a taxi. There's a line oustside the terminal but it sometimes gets busy, also not all of the taxi drivers speak English. Be sure to agree on the price, because using the meter may be a worse option as you'll be using an city-outside zone. Also you can prebook an airport transfer - you'll find your driver waiting for you in the arrivals hall, after assisting with your luggage he'll take you to your destination address (about 20-30 minutes). The transfers starts from 70 zlotys which is about €20.

2. Arriving at Katowice International Airport (KTW) which is 100 kilometres from the city centre. Many travel agents advertise it as a Krakow airport, but of course this is not the case. But there's no need to worry as there are direct bus/minibus connections to the bus station in Krakow. The price is about 40 zlotys perperson per run and unless you're travelling extra heavy, there shouldn't be any problems with fitting your luggage. There are airport transfers as well, but relatively expensive.

By Train

The train station is situated in the centre and there are lots of bus/tram connections to all parts of the city. There are also a lot of taxis, but be awared of cheaters, it shouldn't cost more than 40 zlotys to get to your hotel in the centre.

By Bus

The bus station is situated just next to the train station so the directions are the same. Buses go to most main Polish cities

Getting Around

By Car

Prepare for problems with traffic and parking your car.

By Public Transport

Easy and reliable, tickets are the same for both trams and buses. There are machines on most of the stops as well as on board (of not you can get tickets from the driver). Just remember to stamp your ticket after entering the vehicle.

By Foot

The centre is all in walking distance, and it's really an enjoyable walk.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Poczta Polska is the Polish public post service. Post offices are generally open from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday. Some offices are open on Saturday until 2:00pm and the main post offices in major cities are open daily, 24 hours.
Services are generally ok, but don't expact it to be fast and it is not always reliable, though most letters, postcards and parcels will arrive at its destinations after a week or two. You can find the red post boxes dotted throughout the country. You can check this postal website to see how much sending a letter, postcard or parcels costs, both domestically as well as internationally.