TravelEnthusiast

KRAKÓW

Itinerary

Suggested Duration: 3 Days, 2 Nights
BEST TIME TO VISIT KRAKÓW:
April to September

CLICK FOR A SPECIALIZED ITINERARY

My Thoughts on Kraków

Kraków is one of Europe's most beautiful cities. This southern Poland city is located near the border of the Czech Republic and is known for its well-preserved medieval core, its Jewish quarter, and its Old Town which was declared the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. It was the official capital of Poland until 1596 and has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, economic, cultural and artistic life. Visiting this city played a huge number on healing my soul, since I visited Auschwitz prior to arriving at Kraków. There are a plethora of things to see and do but I curated this trip to cater to my shopping whims. Kraków's burstling main square housed many exciting things to indulge in, such as restaurants, people watching, shopping at outlets such as Zara and Mango, listening to street performers, exploring the Wawel Cathedral, the Wawel Royal Castle and much more. There isn't a dull moment in Kraków. Allow the sweet noise of the square permeate your soul as you take in Kraków, one site at a time. Welcome to Kraków! - a TE highly recommended destination. Remember to click on all pictures on this page to reveal additional photos or useful links. 

Airports to Fly Into

  • Kraków John Paul II International Airport (KRK)
  • (Distance from KRK airport to Krakow City Center: Approximately 15 - 20 minutes. If proceeding by train from Warsaw Central Train Station like I did: Distance by Train is 3 hrs 1 minute. Click on photo to get airport website and travel information).

Where to Stay

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AC HOTEL KRAKOW
Aleja 3 Maja 51 Krakow, Poland 30-062 +48 12 629 97 00

My number one pick and TE Spotlight always reflects where I stayed in each city and/or country. When you find yourself in Krakow, try staying at the AC Hotel Krakow, an urban oasis of nature where you're bound to stay connected, and/or guaranteed to be tuned in to serenity, comfort, silence, and beautiful greenery. This funkadelic, cosmopolitan looking hotel, tucked away in the "green lungs" of Krakow will transport you to an alternate universe, from the outside in, with its upper-moderate tier lifestyle. This hotel brand is for the design conscious traveler, and offers every bit of comfort internally and externally. It's conveniently located two tram stops from the city's Main Square, as well as other attractions. It is Urban in every sense of the word, and ideal for all travelers who want to really experience all the options of this phenomenal city. There's easy access to the railway station, local airports and other main cities in Poland. I am giving this hotel a TE's thumbs up for its convenience, its other worldly, architectural design factor (its exterior), and its serenity.

OTHER SUGGESTED PLACES TO STAY IN KRAKÓW:

Sheraton Grand Kraków (0.9 miles from city center)
7 Powisle Street Krakow, Poland 31-101 +48 12 662 10 00

Hotel Stary (2.4 miles from city center)
Szczepaska 5, 31-011 Kraków, Poland +48 12 384 08 08

PURO Hotel Kraków Stare Miasto (1.24 miles from city center)
Ogrodowa 10, 31-155 Kraków, Poland +48 12 314 21 00

(Side Bar Information: Airline: N/A. Currency: Polish Zloty. Currency Exchange: $1 = 3.96 PLN. Distance from KRK airport to Kraków City Center: 15 to 20 minutes. Approximate Taxi Fare: $25 (100 PLN). Distance from KRK Airport to AC Hotel Kraków: 7.6 miles. For more hotels in Kraków, please visit the world wide web). 

Where and What to Eat

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Garden Restaurant

There are a plethora of really good restaurants to dine-in on Kraków's main square, so one wouldn't go wrong discovering them on their own. Be that as it may, you'll find some of my favorites on this "Where to Eat list" beginning with Garden Restaurant; a Michelin star, modern European restaurant. This exquisite fine dining restaurant is located on Krowoderska 71, Krakow 31-158 Poland and offers a fusion of international cuisines. They are pricey but definitely worth every penny to your taste buds. One can indulge in dishes such as Rabbit Bouillon, Quail, Wagu Beef, delicious Lobster Ravioli, Sole, and/or Deer. Every meal compliments the surroundings of this beautiful, green garden, hidden in the courtyard of old tenement houses. Dine in overlooking a scenic view as you get wowed by an amazing architecture of thrilling flavors. If funds permit, definitely give this restaurant a try. This is one of TE's highly recommended restaurants. Price - $$$-$$$$. (Photo credit for Garden Restaurant to original copyright holders).

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SOBREMESA RESTAURANT

For a traditional European cuisine with a Spanish twist consider Sobremesa restaurant located inside AC Hotel Krakow on al. 3 Maja 51, 30-062 Kraków, Poland. Overall, I'll give their dishes a 7/10. Their octopus in some sinfully delicious red sauce was the tastiest I've had in a very long time, especially because it was in a league all by itself. Incomparable to any restaurant's Octopus. However, their Paella could use a world of help, especially since it couldn't hold a candle to the best paella I've ever had at La Barraca restaurant in Madrid, Spain. Having written that, their Sea Bass with purple potatoes and vegetables were bursting with flavor and extremely delicious. When in Krakow, do give them a try. Price: $$$. (Click Photo to view----->)

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Trzy Rybki

This amazing restaurant has won many awards for the way 21st-century luxury has been so skillfully inserted into its 14th-century surroundings. Trzy Rybki's dishes dazzle in many ways for their modernity, their art, their plating displays whilst referencing Poland's culinary heritage. The restaurant's Gothic windows, as well as ribbed vaulted ceilings, add to its elegance, and makes for a truly memorable dining experience. Try their creative, yummy Polish dumplings, and the beef tartar with shallot, kohlrabi, chicory, black pepper and potato chips. Their dumplings are filled with goat cheese, beetroots, kimchi, and a thyme emulsion. This restaurant is located inside the Hotel Stary on Szczepaska 5, 31-011 Kraków, Poland. A definite must visit. Price - $$$$.

(Photo credit for Trzy Rybki to original copyright holders).

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THE AC LOUNGE

For the tastiest desserts without Paris and Vienna or for the choiciest tapas, try the AC Lounge located inside the AC Hotel Krakow. Unwind and lounge in this cozy setup. AC Lounge offers the perfect ambience after a long day exploring the city. They cater to gluten free, vegan or halal clients as well. This bar specializes in international cuisine and serves lunch, dinner, and light fare. Happy hour is also offered at this lounge. Open daily. Prices: $$. (Click Picture for More----->)

What to See and Do

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Rynek Główny 

The main square of the Old Town of Kraków dates back to the 13th century. It is surrounded by churches, historic townhouses, restaurants, cafes, etc., and is the principal urban meet-up space located in the heart of the city. It is also the largest medieval town square in Europe, and is listed by the Project for Public Spaces as the best public space in Europe due to its liveliness, its action packed vibe. The center of the square is dominated by the Renaissance style Cloth Hall, rebuilt in 1555 and topped by a beautiful attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. Town Hall Tower is right next door, alongside St. Adalbert, an 11th century Church and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument.

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Saints Peter and Paul Church

Not too far from the main square and close to the Wawel Royal Castle is the church of Saints Peter and Paul, built between 1597-1619 by Giovanni Maria Bernardoni. This Roman Catholic Polish Baroque church is located on 54 Grodzka Street in the Old Town district of Kraków. Since 1842 it's served as the Catholic All Saints parish and is the biggest of the historic Churches of Kraków in regards to seating.

St. Mary's Basilica

Saint Mary's Basilica and its foundations date back to the 14th and 13th century, respectively. It was completed in 1347 during the reign of Casimir III the Great. This brick Gothic church is adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków on plac Mariacki 5, 31-042 Kraków, Poland, and is definitely one of the sites you should see on your visit to Kraków. It serves as one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture and is very stately in its stance. Its towering edifice stands at over 260 feet tall and dominates the landscape of Rynek Glowny.  (Click all photos to view)

Wawel Cathedral

The over 900 year old Wawel Cathedral is the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus. It is the Polish national sanctuary and has served as a coronation site of the Polish monarchs. This Roman Catholic church and cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kraków, is located on Wawel Hill in Kraków. Karol Wojtyla, who in 1978 became Pope John Paul II, formerly known as Karol Wojtyla, offered his first Mass as a priest in the crypt of this cathedral on November 2nd, 1946, a day after his ordination to the priesthood. He was also ordained Kraków's auxiliary bishop at this Cathedral on September 28th, 1958.  (Click all photos on this page to view more)

Town Hall Tower

Town Hall Tower in Kraków is one of the main iconic buildings of the Main Market Square in the Old Town district of Kraków. The Tower is the only remaining part of the old Kraków Town Hall that was demolished in 1820. Its cellars once housed a city prison with a Medieval torture chamber. (Click photo to view)

Wawel Royal Castle

Wawel Royal Castle is part of a fortified architectural complex erected atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula River. It is on an altitude of 228 meters above sea level and is one of the largest castle residencies located on Wawel Hill in central Kraków. It is also the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. It was commissioned by King Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures from different time periods - medieval, renaissance and baroque periods; all situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard. Both Castle and Hill constitute a historical and cultural significance in Poland.

Kraków Cloth Hall

At Old Town Square, you'll find Cloth Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. The Kraków Cloth Hall dates back to the Renaissance and is one of the city's most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town. During the golden age, in the 15th century, the hall was a source of a variety of exotic imports from the east, such as spices, leather, silk, and wax, while Kraków itself exported textiles, lead, and salt from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka Salt Mine, in the town of Wieliczka lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. It is an official Polish Historic Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Neolithic times, sodium chloride has been produced at the Wieliczka Salt Mine from the upwelling brine. It is one of the world's oldest operating salt mines; and from the 13th century, continued to produce table salt until 2007. Due to falling salt prices and mine flooding, commercial salt mining was discontinued in 1996. Its attractions include the shafts and labyrinthine passageways, displays of historic salt-mining technology, an underground lake, four chapels and numerous statues carved by miners out of the rock salt, and more recent sculptures by contemporary artists. (Click photo to view)

 Kraków Barbican

Another major tourist attraction with displays outlining the historical development of fortifications in Kraków, is the Kraków Barbican; a fortified outpost once connected to the city walls. This medieval defensive structure and historic gateway leads into the Old Town of Kraków. It is one of the few remaining relics of the complex network of fortifications and defensive barriers that once encircled the royal city of Kraków in the south of Poland. Today, it is under the jurisdiction of The Historical Museum of the City of Kraków.

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Kraków Old Town

Kraków Old Town is the historic central district of Kraków, known also in Polish as Stare Miasto. It is one of the most famous districts in Poland, as well as the center of Poland's political life from 1038 until 1596 - King Sigismund III Vasa relocation of court to Warsaw. The entire medieval old town is among the first sites chosen for the UNESCO's original World Heritage List. The old town is also one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii) chosen in the first round, as designated September 16, 1994, and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland. Medieval Kraków was surrounded by a 1.9 mile (3 km) of defensive wall complete with 46 towers and seven main entrances leading through them. (<---Click Picture to view)

Czartoryski Museum

The Czartoryski Museum aka Princes Czartoryski Museum is a historic museum in Kraków. It is one of Poland's oldest museums. You'll find DaVinci's most renowned painting, the Lady with an Ermine, at this Museum, which is one of Leonardo da Vinci's best-known works. You'll also find Rembrandt's masterpieces here. The Museum officially opened in 1878, with its initial collection dating back to 1796 by Princess Izabela Czartoryska. Most of the Museum holdings, however, were saved and moved to Paris at the Hôtel Lambert. However, in 1870 Prince Wadysaw Czartoryski decided to move the collections back to Kraków. They arrived in 1876. Other highlights include several antiquities, sculptures; Renaissance tapestries, decorative arts; and more. (Click photo to view interior -------->)

St. Florian's Street

St. Florian's Street aka Floriaska Street is one of the main streets in Kraków Old Town and one of the most famous promenades in the city. The street forms part of the regular grid plan of Stare Miasto, the merchants' town that extends the medieval heart of the city, which was drawn up in 1257 after the destruction of the city during the first Mongol invasion of Poland of 1241. Credits to Wiki.

Benedictine Abbey

Benedictine Abbey is an ancient abbey on the Vistula River in Tyniec. Tyniec is a historic village in Poland and has been a part of Kraków since 1973. It is notable for its famous Benedictine abbey. The monastery is situated on a limestone promontory, and looks like a mediaeval fortress, more so than a church. The first monks arrived in the mid-11th century. Prior to that, the area may have been inhabited by the Celts Tyniec. This abbey is nickname the abbot of a hundred villages.

Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University

The Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University is a 9.6 hectares botanical garden, founded in 1783 in Kraków. It is located east of the Old Town and belongs to the Jagiellonian University. It is classified as a historical location. The garden's first greenhouse was erected in 1787.

Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum

The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow has over 80,000 monuments. It features Polish culture (art, folklore, etc.) as well as other cultures of Europe and the world. It was established in 1902. The museum was commissioned after Seweryn Udziela who died in 1937. A year after his death, the Museum was named after him as a tribute to his accomplishments.

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Discover Some Of My Favorite Moments & Quotes

Kraków stood like a beacon of light. It was beautiful, friendlier than Sopot, much more current, and quite proud. She knew she had a whole lot more to offer than all other cities combined.

- Lynda 'Kechy

I can't imagine life without Poland. I find it very hard to find a place for myself in the West.  

- Krzysztof Kieslowski

In Poland, I would like only one thing: To stay here.

- Hugo Steinhaus

Kraków is one city that casts a charm over all who visit. 

- Duncan Rhodes

Kraków the city of Kings, was no longer mine. I had become a foreigner in the place I had always called home.

- Pam Jenoff

Kraków is one of my favorite places on earth. It is a medieval city full of young people. A wonderful, striking combination. 

- Jonathan Carroll

TIPS TO REMEMBER WHILE VISITING KRAKÓW

1. Every visitor to Poland must have a valid passport to enter. U.S. citizens can enter visa-free for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days. There is a six months passport validity requirement for U.S. citizens entering Poland like most countries.

2. The European Union is facilitating travel within Europe with the EU Digital COVID Certificate, a digital pass for EU and U.S. residents who have been vaccinated for COVID-19, tested negative for the virus, or have recovered from it will be needed upon entry to or exit from Poland. To visit other European countries with stringent COVID-19 requirements, go through Poland as I did (Poland is considered a Safe Zone). One can enter countries such as the Netherlands through Poland without being checked, unvaccinated, or with a negative test result.

3. Before arrival to Poland, one must have a record locator. Go on to the Polish website klp.gov.pl to fill out the 'passenger locator form' with all the pertinent details needed prior to your departure date. You will need your name, date of birth, flight information, hotel or accomodation details, as well as your arrival date. One would not be allowed to board their flight without producing a copy of your record locator form which houses a verification code. 

4. An excellent resource is the U.S. State Departments detailed website travel.state.gov or copy and paste this link for country specific COVID-19 requirements. 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/requirements-for-air-travelers-to-the-us.html or https://www.afar.com/magazine/when-will-we-be-able-to-travel-to-europe

5. Fully vaccinated travelers (meaning it has been at least 14 days since their second dose if two doses were required) entering Poland, including those from the U.S., are exempt from an otherwise mandatory 10-day quarantine. Visit www.gov.pl or copy and paste https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus/travel on your url browser for full details on requirements before embarking on your trip to Poland. 

6. Getting to Auschwitz is best from Warsaw, but you can also embark on this journey from Kraków. Hire a private guide or visit one of the websites that offer guided tours. I happen to like viator.com. Visit viator to reserve a day trip to Auschwitz concentration camps. 

7. When visiting Kraków, Poland, or other countries, remember to have credit cards with no foreign transaction fees in your possession such as American Express or a credit card that garners points; particularly, if you are a points junkie like me. Saving on all those fees goes a very long way. Credit cards are accepted everywhere, such as hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, etc. When visiting open air markets or private shops, be sure to have plenty of cash.

8. Download maps.me and rome2rio.com to offer directions in and around the city with or without WIFI connection.

9. Get a SIM card for international calls to stay connected with family and friends abroad when free WIFI isn't available. 

10. The currency of choice in Poland is the Polish Zloty (PLN). Always remember to withdraw a country's currency at the ATM machine located INSIDE the airport upon arrival or at the baggage claim area. This will help eliminate any fraudlent attempts or prevent you from utilizing an ATM machine that has been compromised. Also, you'll get better exchange rates from your bank, a much lower bank fee in exchange, and you'll save some money while eliminating Bureau de change fees, commisions and/or questionable exchange rates.

11. Always have a copy of your passport on you. It's imperative to have this on hand for any unforeseen circumstances, especially when changing your countries currency to Euros.

12. Try to take advantage of any cities or countries near the country you are visiting. For instance, consider taking the train to Warsaw, Sopot, and the other Tri-Cities. Taking advantage of this, saves a ton of money and enables more cities or countries to be crossed off your life or bucket list on one trip. Carpe the heck out of that diem (always seize the moment).

13. Depending on what country you are visiting, and/or when you are visiting, you'd need an umbrella, sunblock, sunglasses, sweater, a jacket, the usuals. So bring these items with you depending on the season and time of year you'd be visiting Poland. Try to ignore the inconvenience of having them in your luggage. For instance, in Europe, you just never know. Chances are you may and/or definitely need them. 

14. As always, while visiting other countries, wear comfortable shoes, choose appropriate clothing for the climate, weather and/or region. Be respectful of their culture; be mindful, be modest, be aware and alert, and be kind. Always try to adapt to each countries ideals and requirements in-lieu of imposing your own.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON KRAKÓW, POLAND:

Kraków was one of the most exciting cities of all cities I visited in Poland. Do not renege on seeing this city if time permits. It offered many sites to see, great restaurants and amazing shopping opportunities for shopaholics. It is a must see and highly recommended TE destination. Cheers and safe travels.

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