Ultimate Guide To Krakow

Krakow is a city full of intriguing history, medieval walls and the finest polish cuisine and of course I cant forget about the vodka! So there is no doubt as to why Krakow is one of Poland’s most beautiful cities!  The city full of culture is becoming increasingly more popular amongest tourists so I have provided to you 'The Ultimate Guide To Krakow' so you know the best attractions to see and where to eat, drink and shop while exploring the wandering streets to this fascinating fairy tale. 

Attractions

As many unmissable attractions as their are in Krakow, 3 main memorable moments you must grasp are visiting Auschwitz Birkenau Full Day Guided Tour, Wieliczka Salt Mine and Schindler's Factory. 

Auschwitz Birkenau Full Day Guided Tour

A tour that is always highly in demand when visiting Krakow is the 'Auschwitz-Birkenau Full Day Guided Tour'. Firstly I highly recommend purchasing your tickets very early in advance, you may by chance find open slots a few days before however I feel this is very unrealistic and you don't want to be left disappointed.  If possible even purchase tickets a few months before hand as this is a tour you DO NOT want to miss out on! I purchased my ticket through 'Get your Guide'. A simple and easy to use website providing a vast range of options to choose from as well as reviews to browse through. Booking through this site provided a coach picking you up outside a chosen location, taking you to and from Auschwitz (place and time are provided to you once purchased). 

Upon arriving at Auschwitz 1 you are provided with your tour guide and head sets. I heavily advise you to take the headsets as for many parts of the tour you will in very close proximity of other tour groups, all in different languages, so you want to be able to hear and really taken in all the information that your tour guide is providing you with. The guided tour lasts for 2 hours in which you are first braised with the infamous iconic gate stating 'Arbeit Macht Frei' which translate to 'Work will set you free'. Once through you will visit many barrack houses documenting Nazi oppression. You are then taken by coach to Auschwitz 2 also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau where the ill-famed train track remains immediately catching your eye. Within this second camp all is completely outdoors (so I advise wrapping up warm if attending in winter). You are guided around the remaining barracks and ruins of gas chambers were the worst bestialities took place. The tour all together lasts up to 7 hours but of course you receive breaks throughout and this does include travel time to and from as Auschwitz is situated around 1 hour 15 minutes outside of Krakow. 

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Experiencing this magnificent underground world is an opportunity you must get your hands on. 'Get your Guide' was again the most simple and easiest way to purchase tickets as they provide a meeting point right outside. It is an easy spot to locate as just outside the attraction is the 'Wieliczka Rynek Kopalnia Train Station'. One train from Krakow Central Station took me straight here and this is where you will easily locate your tour group to proceeded to Wieliczka Salt Mine together.  With being the largest salt mine in the world it measures up to over 250km yet on your 3 hours long tour you only witness 2km of the whole mine... trust me you will be blown away with what you only see!!! During your voyage throughout the mine you will hear of the riveting history of the minors, encounter many sculptures carved completely out of salt from the minors years ago as well as St Kinga cosmic chamber, all embracing the mine with substantial religious connotations (even holding services for mass this far underground!!!). In terms of preparing for your visit, it is a complete walking tour which lasts 3 hours but it is totally worth it and of course your get rests, snack and toilet breaks. Enjoy the experience, and ensure you are taking in all around you (especially the air as it is so pure, is it great for those with respiratory diseases). 

Schindlers factory

Whether you have an interest in history or not and only a 31 minute walk from the Old Town, I feel taking a guided tour of the former Oskar Schindler's Enamel factory, will soon to be one or the most predominant and encaptivating tours within Krakow you have ever experienced. I strongly advise to pre purchase tickets from 'Get your Guide' to avoid disappointment and this provides a 1.5 hour guided tour where you will be embraced in the terrorizing time of Nazi propaganda, the ghettos and much more World War Two history within the city of Krakow. The presentation of the whole exhibition I felt was simply stunning with 45 idiosyncratic rooms built to represent an area of importance within Krakow at this time. A history lesson you wont want to leave from. 

Eat and Drink

Indulging yourself in Poland's culture capital is a necessity when it comes to places for food and drinks. I'm a massive foodie myself so when it came to this part of the day, especially after long hours of exploring what Krakow had to offer I had never been more excited to eat. Within Krakow Main Square you will be over whelmed with the amount on offer ranging from steaks, to traditional polish cuisine however I'm a sucker when it comes to pizza or pasta and I definitely think I had my favourite pasta dish to date in Krakow (I know really branching out food wise lol but I'm picky).My favourite was 'La Spaghetti' where I ordered a mouth-watering rich juicy tomato, fresh basil and full flavoured Mediterranean chilli spaghetti topped with the creamiest cream cheese. Once mixed in together I think I was finished honestly in around 3 minutes. The décor and atmosphere was also just as nice as the food. Sitting outside in a clear gazebo, well warmed up by heaters, listening to live music was honestly the perfect romantic setting. I would recommend this to anyone. 

After belly's are full and can physically not take any more eating (but can still manage a few more drinks lol) Krakow Main Square and amongst the sides street provide many modern and traditional bars that will quench your thirst. From the well known 'Hard Rock Café', to traditional polish bars like 'Enoteka Pergamin' to United Kingdoms own 'Little Britain' you are spoilt with choice.

Shopping 

When it comes to Krakow, shopping is really never ending (sorry boys but you might have to dedicate a day for your girl to explore Krakow's shopping scene). One of my favourite spots which I genuinely spent 4.5 hours in was 'Galeria Krakowska'. Situated with over 60,000 sq meters of temptation, 250 shops and 3 long and wide floors, it felt like the place was never ending (not that I was complaining). Coming from Krakow Glowny station you wont miss this place!

I hope you have enjoyed my 'Ultimate Guide to Krakow' and can take some tips and tricks from this when you visit! Keep your eyes peeled for my next blog.

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