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Krakow Travel & Sightseeing Guide

January 10, 2008 |

A trip to Krakow
Situated in the southeast of Poland on the Vistula River, Krakow is regarded as the country’s cultural capital. This vibrant city boasts one of the best preserved old towns in Europe as it escaped extensive destruction during WWII. Most of Krakow’s architecture dates back 700 years, with castles, museums, churches and palaces found in abundance. This travel destination is becoming increasingly popular with history and culture buffs most of them arriving at Krakow’s international airport.

Flights to Krakow
Most of the visitors to Krakow will land at John Paul II International Airport well-located just 14kms to the west of the city centre. This compact airport is Poland’s second largest, with a single terminal handling all domestic and international flights to some 40 countries. Direct flights from North America and Asia are quite limited most of them stopping in Warsaw; however, the UK is well connected with Krakow by direct flights. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Krakow try Expedia. There are excellent transport links to and from the city centre with buses, trains and taxis all available.

Krakow does not have a metro or local train system but is well-served by a widespread network of trams, buses and privately-owned minibus fleets. Exploring the city’s sights is preferably done on foot as the Old Town is fairly dense and features a number of pedestrian zones. You can also ride in a cycle rickshaw, horse cab or an electric cart, while the quaint horse-drawn omnibus is a tourist attraction itself.
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Sightseeing in Krakow
The remarkable medieval main Market Square in Krakow’s Old Town was laid out in 1257 and is one of Europe’s largest. It is dominated by the 16th century cloth hall which has served as a lively trading centre up to the present. The city is packed with outstanding churches, above all St Adalbert’s Church dating back to the 10th century and the 11th century Church of St Andrew, Krakow’s finest surviving sample of Romanesque architecture.

Another of the city’s innumerable imposing sites is the Royal Castle which was built in the early 16th century and houses the Royal Treasure and Armoury. One third of tourists come to Krakow to see the notorious Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz, an hour’s drive away. The preserved buildings provide a frowning perception of the final days of all the victims kept here.

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Fun by night – eating, drinking and partying
Dining opportunities in Krakow are surprisingly good, particularly in the old town, with new establishments opening on a continual basis, from the traditional sit-down restaurant to the cheap cafés and self-service milk bars. There are also a number of street stalls which also serve extremely popular Vietnamese cuisine.

There is a plethora of watering holes in the city, the Market Square being a great place to start, while the close-by Kazimierz district also features various hip new bars and clubs. The majority of nightclubs are small with limited live music and house and techno music being the most common styles.

Krakow offers the more cultured a huge variety of theatre and music performances; its main venue is the theatre on Jagielonska street which dates back 200 years and is also the country’s oldest. The Slowackiego Theatre was built in 1893 and doubles as an opera house, while the Groteska Theatre presents puppet and mask performances.

Fun by day - shopping and activities
Krakow’s top shopping venue is the Cloth Hall offering local handicrafts and souvenirs, while other options are the Cepelia store and Ulica Florianska. Outdoor activities include skiing, hiking, horse riding, sky diving, rock climbing and golf.


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