Kraków and the Wieliczka Mine – A Royal City Worth Its Salt (and Reborn Again)
If any place has adapted to the post soviet world, it would Kraków. The old royal capital has emerged from its grey soviet cloak with a renewed vigour. A visitor today would not believe that this once small agrarian city, with a dusty old town, would become one of the tourism capitals of Europe. With millions of travellers pouring in a year, you are left with two choices: Visit during the off season or be prepared to deal with the crowds.
Table of Contents
- A Little Geography
- A Brief History
- The Legend of the Wavel Dragon
- What to do in Krakow?
- Nightlife
- Day Trips
- Conclusion
A Little Geography
Krakow is located along the banks of the Vistula River, in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian mountains just south of the city. This area of Poland is referred to as lesser Poland. Just to the west of the city is the historically important region of Silesia, an important industrial center and located at one of the most important railway crossroads in Europe. It is this geographic disposition that attracted Nazi eyes to the city, so attractive was the position of this city that they made its their regional capital after their invasion of Poland in 1939.
A Brief History
The city was once the royal capital of Poland and although it has lost some of its luster it is now the tourism capital of the country and one of the largest such hubs east of Berlin. Here is a brief look at this ever changing city!
Moravia, Bohemia and Piast Polska
Settlements on Krakow’s Wawel Hill, home of the city castle, have existed since the stone age. Legend has it that a polish prince by the name of Krakus founded the city over the cave of a dragon named Smok. On the hill Krakus founded a caste and the city was born. The city was taken by Great Moravia, the precursor to the Czechoslovak state and the subsequently taken by a duke of Bohemia, a precursor to the Czech Republic, in 955 A.D.
In 1038 the city became part of Poland under the Piast Dynasty of kings ushering a construction boom. Krakow was the seat of the Polish government and the Royal Castle along with many of the city landmarks were constructed at this time.
Tatar Invasion, Casimir and the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth
In 1241, life in the city comes to an abrupt halt. From the east ride in the Mongol Tartars. Fierce warriors they burn must of the town to the ground, sacking the city before moving on to other central European nations such as Hungary and their Transylvanian Holdings. The treat from the Tatars would not be suppressed and they returned twice again in 1258 and 1287. Their last attempt was repelled after a city wall was constructed.
Under King Casimir III of Poland (“The Great”), the city developed rapidly. A new royal city called Kazimierz, a suburb of the old town was built in his honour along with a university. The institute of learning was the second oldest in central Europe.
The city would reach the apex of its importance as the capital of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the Jagiellon dynasty. The city was a member of the trading Hanseatic League and one of the most important trading centers in central Europe.
Renaissance, Resistance and Partition
The renaissance saw the rise of the famed Jewish population of Krakow, mostly concentrated in the Kazimierz district. A rash of beautiful renaissance buildings (and later baroque buildings) were erected throughout the city, as Krakow and the commonwealth maintained its grip over their territories. This came to an abrupt end in 1572 with the end of the Jagiellon dynasty. The old king left his lands without an heir and succession passed to a host of foreign powers.
The kingdom was subsequently involved in a series of wars with Sweden that would devastate the country; destabilizing the monarchy and decimating the economy. In 1586, the capital of the country was moved from Krakow to Warsaw, where it remains to this day.
The kingdom slowly disintegrated from the 16th century to the 18th century, with the large country being partitioned twice between the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prussia and Russia. Sensing their sovereignty slipping away, Tadeusz Kościuszko led the country into revolt against the foreign powers, the traitorous nobility and the lame king who would not defend his nation. This child of the french enlightenment was a hero of the American Revolution and a veteran of the Continental army. A dear friend of US president Thomas Jefferson, I have included a link to his exploits oversees in my Philadelphia article. Tadeusz recruited heavily from the peasantry and petty nobility of Lesser Poland (the region of Krakow), promising to end serfdom in Poland among many other reforms. The battle of Racławice fought to the north of the city helped galvanize the nation, the revolt spreading to the rest of the county. Although the revolt was eventually crushed and Kosciuszko exiled it laid out the groundwork for a new polish state in the 20th century. The nail in the country’s coffin happened with the third and final partition of Poland in 1795 and Poland was no more.
Napoleon swept through Austrian territory before his ill fated invasion of Russia. He incorporated Krakow along with much of Poland in his Duchy of Warsaw, a puppet state. Krakow was briefly a Free City after the congress of Vienna in 1815 restored national borders to what they were pre-napoleon but Austria would annex the city. It did however retain a certain degree of autonomy under the Austro-Hungarian state of Galicia.
The Modern World (20th and 21st Century)
The start of the 20th century was epitomized by the exhilaration felt by many due to the rapid technological progress that gripped much of the word, and had finally pierced into the agrarian lands of central and Eastern Europe. The Austrians built streetcars and the city was privy to running water. At the outbreak of the First World War Józef Piłsudsk, the polish politician and national hero created the precursor to the Polish Legions in Krakow in order to fight for independence. The disappointment that followed the First World War in many western nations did not affect Krakow and other polish lands, after 123 years after the heroic uprising of Kościuszko they had finally regained their nation. Lands formerly under Russian, German and Austrian dominion were no longer neglected and the standard of living increased sharply. During the little known Polish-Soviet war (1919-1920), Joseph Stalin commanded the southern front heading towards Krakow but was checked a the polish city of Lwow (Lviv Ukraine today). He is noted for his cowardice and disobedience when he refused to move his troops for an assault on Warsaw. Krakow remained well behind the battle lines. After the war Krakow became a major academic center for independent Poland.
During the Second World War, Krakow witnessed its darkest chapter. It became the capital of a German administrative district of Poland and as such was a focal point of Germany’s logistic efforts. It was ruled by Hans Frank, a cruel politician (even by Nazi standards) who would herald a germanization policy in Lesser Poland. Street names were replaced with German ones and the Jews were packed in ghettos before being shipped off to their deaths at Auschwitz. His efforts were not only concentrated on the Jews, he envisioned a city – Pole free, a new German history with a new German history to fit Hitler’s narrative. Further information about life in the ghetto will be provided as part of this post. In 1943 the ghetto was liquidated.
Unlike the rest of Poland Krakow had escaped the end of the war mostly unscathed, but was looted by both retreating Nazi soldiers and soviet soldiers. When the soviets entered the city they arrested any Poles associated with the government in exile. After the war, the USSR controlled Polish People’s Republic took over the city and cracked down on intellectual and academic dissent. The city was then transformed from a pretty university town to and an industrial center when the government built the Lenin Steelworks, one of the largest such plants in the world. They also attempted to build socialist realist suburbs such as Nowa Huta. Ironically both of these would be home to much of the anti-communist activity during the 1990’s. Today the city is a leading tourism center and is improving its reputation as a major center of pollution.
The Legend of the Wavel Dragon
Smok, the Dragon of Wawel hill, appeared in the lands of King Krakus, prince of Poland, demanding the ransom of weekly cattle to feed on or he would feast on the human inhabitants of the city. This dragon makes his home in a cave in the hill, a menacing threat to the townspeople. It was slain by the king and his songs by a clever ruse; by feeding the monster a calf skin with flammable substances, set on fire. The dragon died from ingesting this cocktail letting out one last fiery breath.
At the base of the castle, on the Vistula waterfront promenade you can find a statue of the dragon. As a gimmick the statue lets out a fiery burst from its mouth imitating the death cry of the beast. This display happens every few minutes!
What to do in Krakow?
To make exploring Krakow easy for you, the reader, I have broken down the city by district or related sections. Before you start here is a little context on the city of Krakow itself:
At the turn of the 20th century Krakow was a shadow of its former self. A dusty agricultural settlement, its circular shaped medieval old town had not yet developed suburbs, keeping somewhat of a village feel despite its historic significance. Despite this, south-western Poland would be ripe for industrial development under both Nazi Germany and the USSR after it. We will start with the history of the old town, a city relatively unchanged since the golden age of Krakow.
Although it may be easy to miss it this lengthy post, you should absolutely visit a Milk Bar, communist era canteens that remain popular to a certain extent.
Old Town
Layout
As mentioned previously, the almost intact old town retains the old world charms of the kingdom of Poland, earning it a UNESCO designation. The district is built around a public plaza containing the St. Mary’s Cathedral. It was built north of the Vistula river and was surrounded by thick stone walls, now replaced by a linear park. From cathedral square you can follow Grodzka street south towards the river bank until you reach Wawel Castle. From the castle a long bend in the river southwards begins. Between Wavel castle and the river you will find in Kazimierz, formally its own free royal city and the old heart of Jewish Krakow. The land south beyond the Vistula is the former industrial suburbs of the city, where much of the city factories were located and later the Jewish ghetto.
Note on the Royal Route: While in Krakow you may hear talk about the Royal Route. This is the procession way taken by the royal float during during events like coronations, festivals and visits from dignitaries. The route takes the walker past many of the most important monuments in Krakow. It runs from St. Florian’s Church outside the city walls though St. Florian’s Gate in the north end and from there the procession runs though the main square, past St. Mary’s Basillica down Grodzka street towards the castle. For more information about coronation routes read my post on Bratislava.
St. Mary’s Basilica and Main Square
The soaring masonry bell towers of the church loom tall above the old town. Like many of the cathedrals of Europe, it is built in Gothic style and is considered among the best example of Gothic religious architecture in Poland. The original building that stood here was destroyed by the mongol invasion of Poland in 1241 A.D. It was rebuilt during the 14th century with additions proceeding throughout the next few centuries.
Everyday, at each hour, you can stop by the hear the district St. Mary’s Trumpet Call. These distinct anthems were used to signal the opening and closings of city gates, a call is made in each cardinal direction roughly corresponding to the four city gates. You will immediately notice that the trumpet call ends abruptly mid note. This specific five note anthem ties into the history of the city, the broken note is a tribute to the trumpeteer on duty during the 1241 Tatar invasion of Poland. Seeing the enemy approach the city, he called on the gates to close with his trumpet but was shot by an enemy arrow mid note.
The basilica is built on the north-eastern corner of the large square shaped main plaza. The square is lined by colorful and ornate buildings, now serving as restaurants. Their patios extend far our onto the square! At the center of the space you will find Krakow’s Cloth Hall (Sukiennice). A makeshift market existed here since the 13th century but after a fire ripped though the building it was replaced by a masterpiece of renaissance architecture in the 15th century. Although Sukiennice refers to the trade of textiles, a commodity that the city was well known for, other goods were exchanged here including salt from Wieliczka, wax, leather as well as products from the orient such as silk and spices. The building was renovated during the Austrian occupation of the city and the ground level alcoves were added. Today you can browse shops inside the building, or alternatively visit the Art Collection located on the upper floors.
In 1794, Tadeusz Kościuszko took an oath of loyalty to the Polish nation in front of the market square in front of the cloth hall. His failed insurrection against the partition of his country began in Krakow and became one of the defining events in Polish history.
In the south-west quadrant of the square, where Grodska street begins, you will find the Church of St. Adalbert or St. Wojciech. A pretty 11th century Romanesque church with a baroque dome, it is one of the oldest stone built places of worship in Poland.
Behind the Cloth hall (to the west) you will find the Gothic Town Hall Tower, dating from the 14th century it is the only part remaining of the old city hall demolished in the 19th century. Climb up top to get a panoramic view of the city.
A second public space can be found in the backside of the Basilica of St. Mary. This one is deserted, often devoid of tourists despite its proximity to the basilica. You will find Church of St. Barbara In Krakow here. It is often referred to as to small square but is named Mały Rynek Square. It housed a minor market as far back as 1257 and was somewhat of a butcher’s market. Butcher’s were replaced by antiques and eventually horse drawn carts. Under communist rule it was tuned into a car park but has recently (2007) resumed its role as an important pedestrian space.
Although one could wander around the pretty streets of the old town for hours, I recommend doing a few things, the first of which is to try polish cuisine . For those interested in traditional polish cooking you will have access to a plethora of quality restaurants to pick from serving dishes ranging from dozens of varieties of pierogies to Borscht, a beetroot soup. An interesting dining experience could also involve visiting a Milk Bar, these communist era canteens provided quality food at a low price in a cafeteria style environment and remain popular to a certain extent throughout Poland.
You should also walk the perimeter of the old city wall, not only is the area well shaded for those warm summer days but you can also spot several remnants of the old fortifications and many pieces of public art. Little is left of these except for two pieces at the north end the Kraków Barbican & St. Florian’s Gate. Other buildings of note include the Collegium Maius, Kraków the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, dating from the 14th century. It is the first university building in Poland and was once called the astrologer Nicolaus Copernicus a student. You should also check out the Juliusz Słowacki Theater, a masterpiece of 19th baroque art century architecture.
Wawel Royal District
The area south of the city square begins to narrow after you pass Dominikański (Dominican) street until you reach the castle. This area revolves around two major arteries, the primary being Grodska, a street serving as a procession way from the main square to the castle and a side street called Kanonicza. At the intersection of Dominican street and Grodska you will find a masonry church called the Basilica of Holy Trinity. Built in Gothic style, it dates from 1223 and belongs to the Dominican Order (Hence Dominican Street!). Hyacinth of Poland is buried here.
Following Grodska down towards the castle you will encounter many important religious structures and assorted buildings including the Roccoco styled Stadnicki Palace, the Jesuit Collegium, the seventeenth century baroque St. Peter and Paul church, the 11th century Romanesque St. Andrew’s Church (Built as a fortress church!), St. Martin’s Church a seventeenth century Lutheran place of warship, the bishop’s palace and culminating at the Church of St. Giles.
On Kanonicza you will find many buildings related to the Jesuit Collegium, an institution started to rival the secular Jagiellonian University. Here you will find the dean’s house as well as many well preserved medieval homes. In the Bishops palace, a brightly painted neoclassical building, you will find a museum dedicated to Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II). The famous Krakow preacher would become the rock star Pope and the first non-Italian pope in hundreds of years.
When you reach the Church of St. Giles, you will see Wawel Hill rise up. The church dates from the 11th century and blends in seamlessly with the battlements of the castle looming above it.
A long ramp will take you up to the fortifications themselves. Like much of old Krakow it was conceived by Casimir III the Great. You will find an elaborate campus of buildings including the Wawel cathedral.
The campus consists of a number of buildings indifferent styles including Romanesque (11th/12th century), Gothic (13th/14th century) and Renaissance (13th/15th century).
At the center of the castle is a large green space where you can admire the buildings. Many of the original polish structures were town down during the Austrian occupation of the city and some were severely neglected after the Polish capital was moved to Warsaw.
The undeniable masterpiece of the campus is the Wawel Cathedral. This ornate Gothic structure was completed in the 11th century. It is a national symbol and the place where John Paul conducted his first mass in 1946.
As the traditional place of coronation for the polish kings and as such housed the treasury and crown jewels. Inside the cathedral you will find dragon bones hanging. Believed to be Smok Wawelski’s they are actually fossilized mammoth or whale remnants. You will a;so find a treasure trove of religious art as well as as many royals buried in the crypt. These include prominent kings the like of Casimir III the Great, Casimir IV, Sigismund I the Old, Sigismund II Augustus, and many more. Two saints are also buried here along with national heroes such as romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz, war hero & president in exile Władysław Sikorski, a hero of two worlds Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish Republic general and politician Józef Piłsudski (a personal favourite!!!) and Polish president Lech Kaczyński who did in a tragic plane crash. Before you leave take a look at the Sigismund Chapel located on the side of the cathedral. It is considered the best piece of renaissance architecture in Poland.
Along the Vistula waterfront, at the base of the castle, you will find the Polska walk of fame and the previously mentioned fire-breathing Wawel Dragon Statue. Here stars are cast of famous Polish entertainers along with their hand-prints. This includes filmmaker Roman Polanki. Oddly enough you will find a star for Canadian signer Celine Dion.
Jewish Kazimierz
Founded by King Casimir III in the 14th century, Kazimierz is Krakow’s traditional Jewish district. The district was once separated from the rest of Krakow by a Branch of the Vistula river. A major remnant of Casimir’s new royal city is the Corpus Christi Basilica at the Wilnoca Plaza. Buried in the chapel is Bartolommeo Berrecci, an Italian architect know for his work under the Jagiellonians dynasty in Poland. He was the designer of Sigismund Chapel and many of the buildings on Wawel hill. Since the city was a granted privileges in line with the Magdeburg Law, it grew quickly an a wall was constructed around it.
Jewish life in Krakow began in Kazimierz under Casimir himself (the district is named after him). The Polish state (and later the Polish Lithuanian-Commonwealth) has always granted minority and religious rights but they where enhanced by Casimir III, as such the city’s Jews mingled freeing with the citizens of Krakow. After a disastrous fire in the old town many Jews moved to Kazimierz and formed their own associations in an area behind a wall, later torn down by the Austrians in the 18th century. This area was called the Oppidum Judaeorum. With the wall gone, Jews moved outside the crowded district but the concentration of synagogues (120 overall) meant that many returned for their prayers. Although life in the district came crashing down during the Second World War, it is once again buzzing with life.
Some parts of the district may seem familiar to you. If you have seen the movie Schindler’s List, you will realize that it was filmed here. What Schindler’s list got wrong is that the district was actually evacuated of all its Jews early in the occupation. They were forced out into Podgórze, south of the city, an area where there was little housing and services such as running water, more on that later. A tour can be had of the district exploring either Jewish culture throughout the centuries or alternatively retracing scene location from the movie.
By the 21st century, many wealthy Jews had moved out of the district, as such only the poorer and the ultra orthodox remained. This ensured that the area was not redeveloped and much of the 18th century buildings still stand, giving the district an air of authenticity.
Must visits while in the district include the old synagogue, built in the 15th century and Okrąglak. The later is a round building, housing a produce market. Built in 1900, it was leased to the Jewish community in 1927. It now again serves as a market. It is built in Nowy (New) Square and is referred to as Żydowski (Jewish).
The lively square is host to a market and some of the best restaurants and bars in the city (for more info read nightlife!).
Podgórze and Southern Suburbs
South of the Vistula river you will find an old industrial area that was once host to some of the greatest horrors of the Second World War. This area is referred to as Podgórze and it served as the Jewish ghetto during the Second World War after the Jews were kicked out of there homes elsewhere in the city. Crossing the bridge from Kazimierz you will come across Ghetto Heroes Square, a memorial to the many who lost their lives here. You can also find a fragment of the ghetto wall. Built with tombstones from Jewish graves (the streets were paved with them), Jews were practically being entombed alive. The Jews lived in cramped conditions in the overcrowded ghetto. Continuing south you will find Krakus mound.
Slightly to the east you will find Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, the main reason to visit the district. This attraction get very busy during peak season so be sure to book in advance. Beside this building you will find a museum of contemporary art.
The factory was built in 1937 by three Jewish entrepreneurs and subsequently bought by Oskar Schindler when their business was ruined by the German occupation of city. He employed Itzhak Stern as his accountant and hired Jews as slave lobar. These Jews were then considered essential to the war effort and were saved from being sent to Auschwitz, the new concentration camp built in Silesia. The governor of Krakow Hans Frank (He lived in Wawel castle during the occupation) put a cruel and immoral madman Amon Göth in charge of building the Płaszów concentration camp. When completed in 1943 the ghetto was liquidated and workers were transferred to the new camp. Non workers were sent to Auschwitz. Conditions were pour in the camp but many of the Jews continued to live. The camp were closed in 1944 and they began to liquidate prisoners at Auschwitz. Hence why Schindler moved his workers to Czechoslovakia. Amon, an arbitrary man, was know for his cruelty and I encourage you to read more about him.
If you plan on visiting the camp I recommend stopping at the red house, Amon Goth’s villa. The once gruesome killing ground blends into a modern suburb. There is a memorial if you are interested.
After the movie put Krakow on the tourist radar the city bought the factory and turned it into a museum. Don’t be fooled by the name, this may be the Schindler factory but the museum speaks very little of him. The exhibition cover the history of the occupation of the city, from 1939 to 1945 and is worth the trip. Inside the factory they go though the early staged on the occupation and how things slowly got worst for both Jews and even polish civilians. One exhibit even recreates a train station and the changing of the city names to German. Another shows Schindler’s office and displays the items produced here including many pots and pans. There is even a recreated ghetto apartment! A hall at the end of the tour displays Schindler’s List on a wall for all to see as well as pictures of Schindler’s survivors. On the walls you will also find quotes displaying the rare acts of kindness show towards the Jews during this time, a rare ray of light in this morbid museum.
Nowa Huta
This socialist realist suburb was constructed in 1949 by the communist Polish government installed by Stalin… as an experiment. After loosing a referendum in 1945, the socialist used the construction of this facility along with the Vladimir Lenin Steelworks in the goal of social engineering the demographics of the city. Krakow was viewed as a bourgeois student city and the industrial jobs, it was hoped would bring the proletariat to the city in support of the communist government. There was no reason for an industrial suburb in Krakow, coal had to be imported from nearby Silesia, the actual industrial heartland, iron from the Soviet Union. This led to the collapse of industry in the 1980’s when it was realized that it was not an efficient spot for this type of industry.
Architecturally the suburb was built in Stalinist style and embraced the values of state planning and state sponsored communist. This meant that there was no Roman Catholic churches, creating much unease with the religious inhabitants of the town, after all Poles are staunch Catholics. Case in point, violent clashes took place over the illegal erection of a wood cross in the neighbourhood during the 1950’s. Pope John Paul II took part in demonstrations against the government re-erecting crosses and holding outdoor masses, even in pour weather. Although a little rough around the edges, the neighbourhood offers an insight on a fully planned Soviet city. There are wide boulevards, concrete tenements lining them, large public spaces and a semi circular town square built around public transit and meant to resemble Paris (concrete Paris maybe 😉 ).
The irony of the project is that the project used to undermine Polish pre-communist identity ended up as one of the largest centers of anti-communist resistance with many members of the suburbs, including many of its steelworker joining the Solidarity trade union.
Four (4) Mounds of Krakow
Four earthen mounds have been erected throughout in Krakow, two of them are ancient (Krakus, Wanda) and two are modern (Kosciuszko, Piłsudski).
Kościuszko’s Mound
Located in the western quadrant of the city this massive earthen mound was erected in 1823 by the citizens Krakow for their revolutionary hero. It is the most impressive of the mounds and if you were to pick one to visit it should be this one. It was originally planned to be part of a suburb for the serfs that foungh with Kościuszko but that plan was thwarted by the Austrians who used it as part of their defensive system. Using the mound as a lookout and erecting a wall around it. To compensate for a demolished church, a new one was built into this wall.
Krakus Mound
Built in the southern part of the city, not far from Podgórze, this tumulus mound honours the legendary Polish king. It consists of a wooden core covered in dirt, apparently brought over by the citizens of the city in their sleeves.
Wanda’s Mound
This mound is located in Mogiła near Nowa Hutna and honors princess Wanda, daughter of Krakus. She committed suicide to avoid marrying a German.
Piłsudski’s Mound
The newest of the mounds it is sometimes referred to as Freedom or Independence mound. It is the tallest of them all and is located in the west end of the city. It was completed in 1937, shortly after the death of the polish statesmen of the same name. At the top is a memorial to the Polish Legions that built the mound in honour of their commander. Soil from every battlefield Poles fought in during world War I was used during the construction. Hans Frank, the German governor during the Second World War ordered it destroyed but did not have the manpower or resources to carry it out. During communist, the government viewed it as a symbol of capitalist Poland and desecrated the ground, obstructed its view and removing it from history books.
Other attractions
Wieliczka Salt Mines
Krakow has been known since ancient times for its mineral salt deposits. Although it does not sport the city’s name, the town of Wieliczka just east of Krakow, is practically part of the modern city limits.The town has placed an oversized part in Krakow’s development, the wealth of its royal mines fuelling the rise of its bigger cousin.
The royal salt mines operated from the 13th century to 2007 before becoming a guided museum today. It is composed of horizontal channels superimposed up to 327 meters in depth. The mine was developed by Casimir III. To protect his valuable resource he constructed the Saltworks Castle around witch the town itself is built. Dozens of statues have been carved into the salt rock.
Much like the Turda salt mine Romania, machinery is on display inside the facility such as horse powered equipment.
The most striking feature is a chapel carved into the salt rock (one of a total of 4!). This chapel is built around a great hall and is said to have some of the best acoustics in Europe.
other attractions include underground lakes, including a navigable Chanel!
The Chanel is built for boating and is a king of love tunnel
Nightlife
Patios
Krakow is a city with an active patio scene scene in the summer, when tourism fills the city with short term residents. The main square is the center of this activity but patios serving alcohol can be found strewn across the city.
Clubs and Bars
Micro Breweries, Clubs, Pubs and Bars can be found clustered throughout the old town. A busy cluster of such establishments can be found near Szczepański square and its light up fountains but they can be found on almost any street. Keep your eyes peeled for karaoke!
I also recommend a night out in in the Jewish quarter, it has a lively nightlife scene. One of my favourite bars is located in Nowy Square, its name is Alchemia. The dark wood interior is a jazz bar lit by candles, the wax dripping all over the place. This quirky and lively hangout makes for an authentic Polish night out.
If you want a good list of polish beers to try, read my post here.
Tytano
My favourite nightlife district in Europe is Tytano. A former tobacco factory, the complex is a staggering 15000 square kilometres. One could say that it is practically a whole neighbourhood into itself! It is in fact the largest uniform industrial complexes inside the Krakow city center. Built in 1876, during the reign of Franz Joseph at the time of the Austrian occupation of Galicia, the complex was called Kaiserliche Koenigliche Tabakfabrik. At one time 1000 people worked inside the complex, operating though two world wars and communist. The cigarette manufacturing operation closed its doors in 2002.
The industrial buildings have been turned into a collective of artist and businesses, where you can find a dozen businesses operations centered around the main factory campus building. Many smaller buildings in turn surround that buildings giving its the feel of a giant courtyard.
Here you will find a nightclub along with restaurants and craft breweries. My favourite is a place called Weźże Krafta. It has a patio and an indoor space. I had a few IPA’s and a wonderful Cherry Cider. One of the best ciders I have ever tried. If you have a chance to try an apple cider they are excellent as well, as polish apples have a great reputation throughout Europe.
Day Trips
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Contrarily to popular belief, Auschwitz is not one single concentration camp but actually a complex of forty. The camps are for mostly for polish Jews but also for many Poles and other groups such as Homosexuals, To learn more about the killing fields of Poland ran by Nazi Germany read my article here.
Zakopane
Have you been to Zakopane? You really must go to Zakopane! God bless polish people, every one of them you meet will ask you the same question. This adorable town nested in the verdant Tatras Mountains is a favourite vacation sport for the average Polish person, even more so that the Baltic beaches at Sopot. For more information click here.
Conclusion
Krakow is a busy city filled with drunk tourists during the summer months. This can be a lot of fun but leads to waiting in line and being crowded at tourist sites. It also stops you from being spontaneous as many attractions require booking in advance. I recommend visiting once during summer to party and to come a second time during fall to have a quieter cultural experience. Trust me Poland is a big country and requires a few visits to see properly!
