Krakow is the perfect European city. Small, beautiful and easy to get to grips with by foot – it is doable to discover all its charm within a few days, although you're still probably going to want to come back to this fascinating city with an incredible past.
SLEEPING
Our hostel, The Roller Hostel, occupied a few floors in an old apartment building with high ceilings and grand old doors. The staff were friendly – telling us the best places to eat in town and generally making our stay as pleasant as possible. The hostel itself was clean, with a modern communal kitchen offering free tea and coffee. Our room was on the third floor. It was HUGE (I mean massive), if basic and we shared a bathroom with just one other twin room.
One of the best things about the room was the balcony, which overlooked Plac Matejki and the Grunwald monument – which was constructed in 1910 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the victorious Battle of Grunwald, in which the Polish-Lithuanian army defeated he forces of the Teutonic Order. The monument was destroyed by the Nazis in 1939 and subsequently reconstructed in 1976 and is now also Poland’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every night we made an effort to have a drink overlooking the square before heading into central Krakow.
EATING
Unbeknown to us, while searching, ravenous, for our first meal since stepping off the plane, we took a seat outside the first hangout established in Kazimierz, Alchemia – which marked it’s transformation from an area largely neglected during Nazi and Soviet occupation to becoming an important cultural hub of the city once again. This bohemian neighbourhood situated in the old Jewish Quarter is home to countless bars and restaurants and has established itself as the place to be for all Krakow based hipsters.
The food in Alchemia was unbelievable! And the place itself wouldn’t look out of place in any East London neighbourhood. We ate outside and took in the atmosphere – which was laid back, trendy but still down to earth.
I ordered a veggie burger which consisted of some sort of bean-based patty and chunks of halloumi with a side of chunky skin-on chips, needless to say it was delicious. My boyfriend ordered a particularly peculiar looking kind of calzone pizza, which tasted amazing none-the-less, and came with the finest chunky tzatziki I’ve ever had the privilege of tasting.
We washed our food down with pints of Tyksie – at this point it would be neglectful of me not to mention that we had came accustomed to this beer thanks to the one-pound-a-can deal at our local off-license. It would also be helpful to point out just how excited we were to be sampling the beverage in its native land.
Milkbar Tomasza was recommended to us on two separate occasions, so our curious (and hungry) feet led us there one night after a few drinks in the Old Town. Milk Bars are a hangover from the city's soviet past. In an attempt to get the masses onto drinking milk rather than moonshine, these nationalised cafeterias served cheap dairy-based drinks and meals, which were often included in a worker’s salary. Times were so desperate under communism that many milk bars chained the cutlery to the table to deter rampant thievery; by this same reasoning you’ll notice that most milk bars today use disposable dishes and the salt and pepper are dispensed from plastic cups with a spoon.
These establishments may have their roots in Poland’s darker past, but today Milkbar Tomasza is a modern eatery serving traditional, local cuisine for reasonable prices – what’s not to like?
I ordered cottage cheese and potato pierogi, which I had fried in a bid to mop up some Tyskie. All I can say about this dumpling-based dish, which reminded me a little of tortellini, is that it’s tasty and filling, and richer than expected.
Another Polish delicacy is Zapiekanka, which seems to me to be a cheese toastie / pizza hybrid which involves a halved baguette covered in mushrooms and cheese which is grilled before a hefty smothering of ketchup is added. We got ours from the main market square in Kazimierz – it was well worth a sample but, for me, one was enough.
DRINKING
The best thing about Krakow is how relatively cheap it is to sit on the bars on the main square and admire the beautiful St Mary’s Basilica and Cloth Hall. In other European cities places on the beaten track often out-price travellers trying to function on a budget, but not here.
If you get fed up of those beautiful surroundings, the Old Town offers a plethora of drinking holes to suit any mood.
One of our favourites was the unpronounceable Pierwszy Lokal Na Stolarskiej Po Lewej Stronie Idąc Od Małego Rynku. This low-key bar was dark and dingy and filled with cigarette smoke, the atmosphere was relaxed and cool – influenced by the duke box which was playing a succession of 1960s soul.
Another good bar we found was Bomba, the most hip establishment we’d visited the décor was all chrome and the soundtrack all Polish house music.
If you’re a beer fan you’re probably (obviously) going to be taken with House Of Beer. Specialising in the lovely bubbly beverage, the bar offers a smorgasbord of different beers. We sampled a particularly delicious, local wheaty variety as we settled down at a table to watch Hull City Vs. West Ham on Sky Sports.
There's also a cute square behind St Mary's with stalls selling all sorts, including beer. It's perfect for a chilled drink outside.
Unfortunately we never quite made the 15 minute walk to Kazimierz for a drink during the evening, but it’s supposed to be a vibrant night out, so I dare say it would be worth a trip.
SEEING AND DOING
Krakow is an intimate city and it is possible to see everything by foot. One of the first things you notice when entering the city is the stretch of green parkland which encircles the entire old quarter. On our journey from the airport we shared a taxi with a Krakow native. Our new found friend-come-tour-guide informed us that this green belt, or the Planty gardens as they are know, was formerly a moat which protected the city’s fortifications. The fortifications were dismantled around 1807 and the moat was transformed in a public park in the 1820s.
Strolling through this green belt was the most pleasant thing about sight seeing on our trip. By meandering down the tree-lined footpaths we took in many sights, including The Jagiellonian University, which was founded in 1364 making it one of the oldest universities in the world and eventually ended up at Wawel Hill.
Wawel Castle and hill is gorgeous! A real treat to walk around. We didn’t take much interest in the history but chilled out in the sun and admired the beautiful architecture.
We landed in Krakow on a Monday and headed straight to Oskar Schindler’s factory – or as it is known, Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakow – which is free on Mondays. If you’re anything like us be prepared to get lost. We took a tram to the other side of the river, somewhere in the relative vicinity of the museum. After about half an hour of wandering round a industrial estate we came across a merry drunk who seemed to be familiar with our predicament and immediately pointed us in the right direction with a flailing arm and a slurred “ah, Schindler?”
The museum itself gives a comprehensive view of Krakow before, during and after Nazi occupation. There is little about Schindler and his famous list, but nevertheless it’s definitely a must do, and those interested in the man himself can see his desk and examples of enamelware that were made at the factory. There is also a cinema room, which plays testaments from those who worked and lived at the factories barracks. This was interesting as it went beyond the story of the film and brought to light the people who put their lives in danger to help Schindler save his famous Jews, as well as the Polish political prisoners who also formed part of his workforce.
Just a short walk from the museum is the Jewish ghetto square, Plac Bohaterow Getta formerly known as Plac Zgody, The square is quite vast and despite its historical significance felt rather forgotten – we were the only two people who seemed to be stopping by for a look rather than just passing by. Littered across the square 70 large well-spaced metal chairs. They symbolise departure and absence making the square and evocative memorial to Krakow’s victims of the Holocaust.
If you’re interested in the Jewish history of the city, there is a fantastic free walking tour that sets off from outside St Mary’s Basilica everyday at 2pm, which takes in Kazimierz and Podgórze. There is also another free tour of the Old Town, but we didn’t have time for both. The walk was a great way to see the city and learn about Krakow’s long Jewish history and the different characters of the past including, Tadeusz Pankiewicz. Tadeusz was the ghetto’s only non-Jewish resident who provided invaluable testaments of the Nazi occupation after the war. He declined the Nazi’s offer of relocation and was given permission to continue operating running the only pharmacy in the ghetto, where he also lived.
The medication he provided, often for free, substantially improved their quality of life but his role went much further than that as he was responsible for given hair-dyes to disguise identities and giving tranquilliser to frightened children to keep them silent during Gestapo raids.
The pharmacist was awarded recognition as a "Righteous Among the Nations" for his wartime activities in rescuing Jews in 1983. Under The Eagle pharmacy now stands as a Museum of Nation Rememberance. Steven Spielberg donated $40,000 for the building's
preservation, after using the location in Schindler’s List and was subsequently honoured by the city of Kraków with its prestigious "Patron of Culture" award for the year 2004.
Another amazing story was that of Helena Rubenstein, who was born in Kazimierz before later emigrating to Australia. Penniless and with little English she began to build up her cosmetics empire and went on to become one of the world’s richest women.
AVOID
Part of me expected Krakow to be over-run with stumbling parties of stag-dos. But it wasn't. Saying this, we were there from Monday to Wednesday – not the ideal days to get off your face in a European capital. If getting smashed and being surrounded by a pack of drunks who smell like their own vomit isn't what you're after, I'd avoid the cheap vodka bars such as Bania Luka.
However if you are looking for a cheap night out on the tiles, these places are perfect.
