Trifter

The historic city of Krakow, as the polish people spell it, is the best place in Poland to base a holiday; it is equidistant from the mountains Warsaw and several other tourist areas. Many people visit Krakow as a base to tour Auschwitz. I would suggest visiting Auschwitz towards the end of the holiday; the site, the history and the atmosphere affect many people who are deeply affected, this is difficult to explain unless you have experience of it. Whatever the religion it is a harrowing experience. Auschwitz is about 180 Kilometers from Krakow, tour buses leave Krakow for day tours and English guides can be hired.

A much nicer place to spend time is the main square in Krakow, when I first came to Poland in 1992 the square was a dismal place there were no cafes or bars, no entertainment it was a very depressing gray centre. Today it is arguably the most improved place in Poland. There are street musicians, mime artists, street sellers complimenting the many café’s restaurants and quaint shops surrounding the square and streets leading from it. The building in the centre houses a market selling mainly very touristy items although some of them are good quality although many are imported from Russia or China however bargains can still be had. Krakow have several universities there are many young people in the square on a typical summers day, this turns sitting in one of the many cafes into an education, unlike Warsaw most of the people you will see will be Polish.

Wawel Hill, pronounced “Vavel” is on Kanonica street is a very authentic area which has not changed over many centuries. The Wawel caste houses many exhibitions of art and is a beautiful building with a nice courtyard and worth entering, the gates are open until late but I would suggest mid afternoon is the best time to visit.

One place I would recommend visiting whilst in Krakow is the restaurant Wierzynek, pronounced “Virznick”, this is purported to be the oldest continuous restaurant in Europe dating from 1364. Whilst the food is fine, although the menu is rather limited, the main reason for a visit is the history of the building. Authentic armor is everywhere with middle age articles and decoration throughout, particularly the upper level. It is a delightful ambiance in which to round of your holiday and I think you will get the idea that some of the waiters have been working there since the restaurants inception.

One of the joys of Krakow is just to walk the old streets, it is a much friendlier place than Warsaw and one can still see traditional Polish life in many areas. I would suggest allowing three or four days to look around the Krakow area.