GRAB GELATO & GO

I really loved Krakow, Poland. We flew from Prague to Krakow, so I still had Prague on my mind, but it couldn’t compete with Krakow. It was lively, but you could have a cup of coffee or tea at any time of day and it would still feel right. All of the buildings, restaurants, and shops were just… charming.

I might have felt a connection to Poland, which made me even more honored to be there. From calling my Grandma “busha,” to hearing about how my mom would do the Polka, I felt like part of me could relate to Poland’s identity. At least how we view it in the States. I know there are many many Americans with roots in Poland, who I’m sure would feel connected to the country once their foot hits the Polish ground.

I wish I could have stayed a couple more days here than just the 3 we allotted.

About Krakow:

1. Currency is Zloty (PLN). Euros are mostly accepted, too. 1 US dollar=4 PLN (November 2023)
2. Language is Polish, but most people we met spoke English.
3. Weather was rainy and mild in November.

The 3 Night Charming Krakow itinerary:

1. Day 1: Old Town Park, Rynek Glowny (Town Square), Admire the sunset, Cloth Hall, Pierogarnia Krakowiacy, Dobry Kumpel, Zubrowka Vodka
2. Day 2: Day trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau
3. Day 3: Milkbar Tomasza, Segway Tour of Old Town and Jewish Quarter, Explore Old Town, Dinner at Dome Przysmak, Artist Cocktail Bar, Shop, Wodka Zoladkowa Gorzka, Wodka Bar for vodka flights!
4. Day 4: Fly to Salzburg

Day 1: Old Town Park, Rynek Glowny (Town Square), Admire the sunset, Cloth Hall, Pierogarnia Krakowiacy, Dobry Kumpel, Zubrowka Vodka

After arriving to Krakow airport, there is a short train ride to the city. We got off at the train station in Galeria Krakowska. From there, it was a 15 minute walk to our hotel, H12**** in Old Town.

While on the walk to the hotel, we went though Planty Park, Old Town’s Park. It was pretty large, and especially beautiful from the fall colors.

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Rynek Glowny (Old Town Square):

The sun was starting to set at 4 pm while giving us a pink hue to watch fade.

The town square has many impressive buildings, including Cloth Hall (Sukinniece), Town Hall Tower, and Basylika Mariacka.

Cloth Hall: As a former trading hub in the 13th century, this is now your go to place for Polish souvenirs and jewelry from the Baltic Sea! You can shop on the main level, go upstairs for the cafe, or downstairs for the underground museum (Rynek Underground) where you would be quite literally under the Town Square.

St. Mary’s Basilica (Bazylika Mariacka): Every hour, a trumpet player plays a tune from one of the top windows! He will play it once in each direction. Also, it is mainly frowned upon to go in unless you are praying or attending mass.

Town Hall Tower:

(After stepping a few feet into the town square, we were approached by a man on a Segway. He then offered us free Segway rides, which we all took him up on that offer! It convinced us to book a Segway tour for later in the trip.)

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Polish Dumplings at Pierogarnia Krakowiacy for dinner:

My sister ate at this restaurant back in 2017, so we went back for the nostalgia! Except it was so good, that we went back a second time. There are many different types of pierogis to choose from! We split a plate of their potato and onion, a plate of spinach dumplings, one with tomatoes and cheese (tasted like a pizza roll), and a sweet dumpling with cherry filling for dessert.

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Enjoy sipping your drink under the heat lamps at a restaurant along the main square.

Grab a drink at Dobry Kumpel!

I loved this bar! It had speakeasy vibes. I ordered their special, a lavender collins.

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Our last bar of the night was Pijalnia wódki I piwa.

The bar’s walls are covered in newspapers and has a breakfast cafe vibe. I tried Zubrowka Vodka for the first time. It is known as the “bison grass vodka” and was delicious! It is not illegal in the US, but it apparently is not allowed to be imported due to negative health effects. So try it in Poland if you wish!

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Day 2: Day trip to Auschwitz and Birkenau

Auschwitz & Birkenau.

We booked a tour that provided round trip transportation to and from Old Town and included tickets and a guide for both Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Words can’t explain the horror at Auschwitz. The guide takes you through the exact path the Jews would have taken from getting off the train at Birkenau, to walking in the camp.

Everyone was very respectful and understood how devastating these locations are.

Here are a few pictures:

Day 3: Milkbar Tomasza, Segway Tour of Old Town and Jewish Quarter, Explore Old Town, Dinner at Dome Przysmak, Artist Cocktail Bar, Shop, Wodka Zoladkowa Gorzka, Wodka Bar for vodka flights!

Breakfast at Milkbar. This was a classic American breakfast, which was delicious.

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Segway tour with Segway Point Kraków – City Tours & Rental. Why walk when you can Segway?

There is truly no better way to see the city! You can zoom around on the Segways and see so much more!

We did 2 hour Old Town Tour and 1 hour Jewish Quarter Tour.

According to their website, the following are what you see on the Old Town Tour:

Planty Garden | Church of the Holy Cross | Słowacki’s Theatre | Krakow Defensive Walls and Barbican | Grunwald Monument | Old Kleparz | Czartoryskich Museum |Szczepański Square | Krakow Main Square | Cloth Hall | St. Mary’s Church | St. Wojciech Church | Jagiellonian University | Wawel Castle | Wawel Dragon | Vistula Boulevards

Jewish Quarters:

Bernatek Footbridge | Church on the Rock | Wolnica Place | Kazimierz Town Hall | Corpus Christi Church | Tempel Synagogue | Kupa Synagogue | Izaak Synagogue | High Synagogue | Old Synagogue | Remuh Synagogue | Nowy Place |Gestapo Prison | Wawrzyńca Street | Szeroka Street | Old Jewish Cemetery |Jewish Stands | part of Krakow Ghetto

We saw filming locations from Schindler’s List. In the Jewish Quarter, there was more history to read about the Holocaust. Krakow was completely changed after it.

(We got rained on, so that is why we have ponchos on! It took a couple minutes to get used to the Segway, but I would say it was easier than expected to ride. Poland has Segway speed limits that are programmed into the Segways, so you can’t go over the speed limit if you tried.)

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Have a creative drink at the Artist Cocktail Bar.

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Check out the shops!

In the Cloth Hall, there are many stores to choose from! I was specifically on the hunt for Amber Jewelry from the Baltic Sea. Lucky for me, that was just about the only jewelry they were selling. I bought a gorgeous ring, earrings, and necklace with green amber from Gdansk.

P.S…I love their gift shops- found the most random mug that looks exactly like my cat. I had to buy it!

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Be adventurous with a Wodka flight at Wodka Bar!

My sister and I split a flight of 6 vodkas. There were so many flavors to choose from (pictured below). We picked (in order from least favorite to favorite):

1. Walnut – not the best!
2. Hazlenut
3. Chilli Chocolate
4. Pear
5. Mint – very good!
6. Caramel – my absolute favorite!!

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Other bars that we went to at some point:

Banialuka

House of Beer

Other options while visiting Krakow:

Tour of Wawel Castle

Explore the Salt Mines

Schindler’s Factory

Day 4: Fly to Salzburg

We had a very early morning to the airport. We had a taxi driver take us to the airport since it was so early, which only took about 20 minutes to get there.

Off to Salzburg, Austria!

Check out my Salzburg and Vienna blogs for the next part of our trip!

November 6-9th, 2023