Krakow (Poland)

...criteria would be ideal. Krakow measures up.

Let's take those criteria one by one:


* Visible History - Wawel Hill *

Krakow began with Wawel Hill and it's easy to see why. Perched above the Vistula, Poland's arterial river, with swampy ground to the south and east, it would be easily defensible. It has been settled since about 50,000 BC, and fortified throughout the historic era. The most recent ...
...courtyard, built around 1500. Krakow was then the capital of a united Polish-Lithuanian state that also ruled much of what is now Belarus and the Ukraine, its domains about five times the size of England's at the time. Here you can see the State Rooms and Royal Apartments, of a grandeur befitting such a power. Although much of the decoration and furniture has had to be restored after the ravages of fire and plundering armies, the interiors are still ... more

Looking down across the river from Krakow's ancient citadel on Wawel Hill, I tried to list in my mind the qualities that make a city an ideal destination for a short break.

To begin with, it should not be too far away from home, no further than a couple of hours' flight, but it should be a touch out of the ordinary, not just another well-worn step on the age-old tourist trail. Equally, even if contradictorily, it should not be truly obscure, since that might mean it had neither the sights nor the hospitality that make a visit worthwhile.

It should have history, still visible in its layout and its architecture. The buildings should be attractive in their own right as well as historic, and should date from a variety of periods and styles. Ideally, there would be a castle or a palace or both, maybe some ruined ramparts, and certainly some ornate churches or similar edifices. The streets too should offer variety, some broad and stately, some narrow, winding and intimate. Squares, both large and small, some perhaps reserved for pedestrians, should be found amongst the streets.

There should be greenery, parks and gardens right in the city's heart. There should be water - perhaps seashore or lakeside, but a noble river at the very least. There should be attractive countryside in the vicinity, to be seen while visiting interesting sites just out of town. These should be easy and inexpensive to reach, meaning in turn that the city should not be too large or sprawling or traffic-jammed. Public transport should be plentiful and cheap.

There should be plenty of modestly priced hotels, restaurants and cafés, with interiors full of character, appetising food and friendly staff. Indeed, the people in general should be friendly, helpful with directions and advice, unexploitative, tolerant of one's inept attempts to speak their language and ready to help out with their far better English when the need arises, as it often will.

A city measuring up to all these criteria would be ideal. Krakow measures up.

Let's take those criteria one by one:

* Visible History - Wawel Hill *

Krakow began with Wawel Hill and it's easy to see why. Perched above the Vistula, Poland's arterial river, with swampy ground to the south and east, it would be easily defensible. It has been settled since about 50,000 BC, and fortified throughout the historic era. The most recent battlement, a brick-built bastion, dates from between the two world wars.

One could easily spend all day on Wawel Hill, but two or three hours will suffice to see the main sights:

~ The Royal Castle that surrounds a magnificent, colonnaded, three-tiered Renaissance courtyard, built around 1500. Krakow was then the capital of a united Polish-Lithuanian state that also ruled much of what is now Belarus and the Ukraine, its domains about five times the size of England's at the time. Here you can see the State Rooms and Royal Apartments, of a grandeur befitting such a power. Although much of the decoration and furniture has had to be restored after the ravages of fire and plundering armies, the interiors are still sumptuous and well worth a visit. There is a charge (14 zlotys - about £2.50) for each set of rooms, and a limited number of timed tickets available; you might have to make sure of arriving early in the peak season.

~ The Treasury and Armoury, for which timed tickets must again be bought. Apparently the collection of weapons in the latter is noteworthy, but I skipped this bit for lack of time and cannot comment in detail.

~ The Cathedral of St Stanislaus. The structure is early 14th century, but it has been copiously ornamented over the centuries since, and there are some fine statues and stained glass. Barely a square inch of wall-space is undecorated. Entry is free, but for a small charge you can also go up the bell tower which houses some impressively enormous bells, and the crypt, which houses some impressively enormous royal tombs - and some impressively small ones for those who never reached adulthood. I enjoyed seeing the former more than the latter.

~ Dragon's Den. Again, for a few zlotys more, you can descend from the battlements via a dried-up well and an underground cave, to which various dragon-related legends attach. A large and decidedly fierce modern bronze sculpture of a dragon marks the point where you emerge on the banks of the Vistula.

* Visible History - Old Town *

In contrast to the jutting height of Wawel, the old town of Krakow sits astride a long low hump of a hillock to the north, perhaps a kilometre in length. Imagine an animal, almost submerged, its head (Wawel) reared up, its back (the old town) just breaking the surface.

The town has in the past been fortified, but only a few remnants of ramparts remain, notably around the Floriańska Gate with its barbican at its northern extremity. Although the walls have largely gone, the old town still has an enclosed feel to it, isolated and insulated from the rest of Krakow by the belt of green gardens - known as the Planty - that originally encircled the walls. A circuit of the Planty makes for a pleasant half to three-quarters of an hour's stroll, longer if one stops to look at the many features of interest on the way.

More direct on the map, but slower still in practice is to walk from Wawel to the Barbican via the 'Royal Way', along two ancient streets - the Grodska and the Floriańska - and across the main market square - the Rynek Glówny - between the two. The route is lined with fine frontages, behind which lie shops, restaurants and cafés. This is, let's face it, the spine of tourist Krakow, and one can easily see why it has become so.

The Rynek, in particular, would be a splendid centre for any city. Its sheer size - some four hectares - might make it seem an inhospitable space, but several historic buildings lend it human scale and give the eye somewhere to settle. The square is divided almost in two by the Sukiennice - Clothiers' Hall - at its centre; this has been a market building since mediaeval times and the romantically lit interior is still crammed with stalls, most now selling curios and craft goods. For those who like shopping, this is a good place to buy amber jewellery and ornaments, much cheaper than in the west, though probably it's cheaper still if you know where to look outside the tourist area.

Also standing in the middle of the Rynek is the surviving tower of an otherwise demolished former town hall, which one can ascend for fine views of central Krakow and its outskirts. Its height is overshadowed, however, by the asymmetric spires of the Mariacki church across the square. From the upper windows of the taller of the two a trumpeter marks each hour with a short voluntary that resembles a truncated last post - allegedly a relic of the Tartar siege of 1241, when the watchman on the church-tower at the time blew his horn to alert the townspeople of the impending attack only to have his warning cut short by a well-aimed insurgent arrow. Those Tartars must have been amazing bowmen, though probably the tower was not so tall in those days.

Away from the Royal Way, there are many side-streets and squares to explore, and much to discover of interest. I particularly enjoyed little quarter that encompasses the Jagiellonian University, the oldest in Poland (founded 1364) and among the oldest in Europe, which has some fine buildings. Among them is the Collegium Maius (great college), within which is found a fascinating little museum, with exhibits including the astronomical instruments of Copernicus. The Collegiate Church of St Anne's is also worth looking into, airier and less oppressively ornate than some Krakow churches; magnificent though their interiors are, a heavy hand with the gilt and black marble is often all too evident.

* Visible History - Kazimierz *

Quite separate from the old town, though quite close by to the south-east, is the old Jewish ghetto quarter of Kazimierz, originally an island cut off by a marshy branch of the Vistula. The water has long since been drained, and its course is marked only by a leafy avenue with tramlines running between the trees.

Despite having been emptied of most of its inhabitants in infamous circumstances during the Second World War, Kazimierz still retains a distinctively Jewish character, with numerous synagogues, Jewish cemeteries and Jewish restaurants.

The heart of the area is small, perhaps half a kilometre square, an irregular jumble of alleys around Szeroka Street and Plac Nowy. Plac Nowy is a lively market square, selling food, bric-a-brac, clothing and trinkets. Szeroka Street translates as "wide street" and is not so much a street as a wedge-shaped square. At one end is found the Old Synagogue, now a museum of Jewish history. On the east side, amid an almost unbroken terrace of Jewish restaurants, another former synagogue now houses an art gallery.

On the west side is the Remuh Synagogue, still active, behind which is the 'old' cemetery. Visiting it, we were engaged in conversation by an elderly man tending the graves. In excellent, colloquial English he explained something of the background of the place, the reason why so many of the tombstones were capped by metal covers (simply, to prevent erosion by the weather) and the extortionate costs of maintenance now that Polish stonemasons could command "western wages". He also relieved us of few zlotys towards upkeep, but it was hard to resent the approach by so engaging a character.

Although called 'old', it appears that this was not the original Jewish cemetery, which was simply in the middle of the square, now a green area fence off with metal railings, wrought in the style of the seven-pronged Shabat candelabra. The much larger New Cemetery, beyond the railway tracks to the east of Kazimierz, is also worth seeking out for its solemn, secluded atmosphere.

Kazimierz has, of course, become famous as the location for the filming of Schindler's List. In point of fact, Schindler's factory was in the overspill ghetto across the Vistula known as Podgorze, an area in which Krakow's Jews, including many evicted from Kazimierz, were confined before their final transportation.

* Greenery and River *

Krakow is well supplied with open space. The Planty gardens that fringe the old town also envelope Wawel Hill and spread our along the banks of the Vistula to either side. The banks of the river are pleasant for a stroll. Two other English guests at our hotel hired bicycles and ventured along it some way out of town, apparently enjoyably.

There are other green pockets in the suburbs that I failed to explore. The guidebooks speak highly of the Blonia meadows and the Ogród Botanical Gardens; how I evaded the latter with my wife in attendance I'm unsure.

* Outings and Environs *

Krakow is an excellent base for visiting other attractions in the vicinity.

The most notable (perhaps I should say notorious, and perhaps I shouldn't say attraction) is Auschwitz, which has already been the subject of a separate review.

We also visited the salt mines at Wieliczka, an enormous and extraordinary warren of underground workings, about which I might also have written separately if Richada hadn't already said in his review on them most of what I would have had to say.

Some people recommend a visit to the purpose-built industrial suburb of Nowa Huta (New Forge) on the outskirts of Krakow, if only to see how Communist regimes approached such projects. My own feeling was that I'd seen enough of such places elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc, and it was one I was happy to skip. Viewing the factory chimneys in the distance from the old Town Hall Tower was enough. Apart from this though, Krakow seems to be ringed by relatively few of the grim, shabby outskirts so often found behind the old iron curtain - or maybe we just didn't find our way out of town in the right/wrong direction.

Also often recommended is the mountain village of Zatopane, now mostly devoted to skiing, and the Tatra mountains generally, which are quite near Krakow to the south. From all I have heard, I would love to walk in the Tatras, but that will have to wait until another year.

* Restaurants, Cafés and Hotels *

Central Krakow is packed full of eateries and drinkeries of every kind, at every price level. You only need to wander round and pick the one you fancy. The best place at which we ate was the Szara, right on the Rynek Glówny, with its stylish, arty interior, good food and superb service. It is, though, very expensive by local standards (we paid about £25 a head for a three-course dinner with booze) and mostly patronised by tourists. Also central, also touristy, but lively, informal and a fraction of the price, was the Chimera Salad Bar, where you can pile your plate high for 12 zlotys (just over £2).

In between the two pricewise, but located over in Kasimierz where we were staying, we ate at two Jewish restaurants (The Ariel, exotically decorated with plaster casts of animals, where we dined on traditional Jewish fare accompanied by traditional music; and Szeroka 1, which was jollier, more like a local tavern and at more like tavern prices though the food was good), and one purely Polish one, the Galicja, which was a shade lacking in atmosphere, but great value.

Polish cuisine might best be described as robust; meals tend to focus on ample meaty main dishes with plenty of potatoes and other vegetables, perhaps preceded by soup and followed by a puddingy dessert. Pierogi, meat-filled dumplings, are a local speciality. This fare can be tasty, and is probably sustaining in the winter. In the improbable event that you still feel peckish afterwards, you can always buy from one of the many street vendors selling obwazanki, the savoury local pretzels.

The local beer is good, mostly lager-style. I drank a lot of the reliable Zywiec, available everywhere on draught, and also tried Tatra, which is quite palatable. Wines are mainly from Hungary or the Balkans; French and Italian can be found but are generally more expensive.

Apart from the restaurants and bars, Krakow has several old coffee houses in that distinctively central European style, all dark polished panelling, that reminds one that the city was part of the Hapsburg empire in the period before the first world war. Sipping a coffee and nibbling a cream-cake in the Noworolski café, which is built into the ground floor of the Sukiennice, one might almost imagine oneself in Vienna.

In Kasimierz, we stayed at the Hotel Eden, small, but cosy and comfortable. In terms of catering, it boasts an incongruous combination of the only strictly kosher restaurant in Krakow and a pub, The Old Goat. We didn't try the former, but had a drink in the latter, enjoyably enough especially since it was quite unlike any British pub I've ever been to, and I've been to plenty.

We booked the Eden as part of a package deal (£279 per person for four nights including flights and transfers), but I noticed the tariff for a double room was 250 zlotys (about £45) a night. You could probably pay a lot less than this by shopping around locally (I understand many private short-term lets are available). You could also pay a lot more. Several Western chains (e.g. Sheraton, Radisson, Holiday Inn Novotel) have opened hotels in Krakow, none of which appealed to me.

* Getting Around *

Central Krakow is on a small enough scale that one can walk around to see most of the main attractions. There is, though, plenty of public transport, most notably the trams, which rumble around everywhere except the heart of the old town, and are quite comfortable when not jam-packed with people at rush hour. They are also cheap at 2 zlotys (35p) a ride, as are the little minibuses that ply the slightly longer routes around town. We found our way to and from Wieliczka by these without any difficulty. I understand that taxis are also very reasonably priced.

* Getting There *

Reaching Krakow from the UK is easy and has just become even easier, since cheap flight specialists Ryanair (from Stansted) and EasyJet (from Luton) have just started flying the route. You can also fly from Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and other regional airports. As part of our package we flew BA from Gatwick.

There are overnight coaches from London, which can be very cheap. Or if you don't mind the expense, you could catch the Eurostar train to Brussels, take the overnight sleeper to Berlin or Warsaw, and go on from there, which I have to say I rather fancy doing sometime. Alternatively, you could drive; probably a rather strenuous two day drive, with the slightly scary prospect of negotiating the local traffic on arrival, but it could be worth it to take the car for camping in the Tatras and seeing more of the area.

* When to go *

Summer might be unpleasantly hot and would certainly be more crowded than we experienced in late October. Winters are often very cold. So as usual the best times to go are probably Spring and Autumn. Aren't they everywhere?

* Conclusion *

Talking of "when to go", I suspect the truest answer would have been "a few years ago", but unless you have already been it is too late to heed this advice, and "the sooner the better" would be the next best thing. There is no doubt that Krakow has now been discovered as a tourist destination, and is probably on its way to being spoiled in consequence. But this hasn't happened yet. Krakow is still at the stage of wanting visitors and welcoming them. This makes it a few years behind Prague, for example, in the stages of touristic development, and all the better for it.

Krakow's a lovely place, historic and exceptionally well-preserved because, unlike so many cities in central and eastern Europe, it somehow evaded serious damage in the war. It is a comfortable, as well as an attractive place to visit, and inexpensive by west European standards. For a short city break it is ideal, and I heartily recommend it.

© torr 2005

An account of an excursion to Auschwitz from Krakow may be found at:
http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Auschwitz_Poland__Review_5539744 

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