Self-guided tour of Krakow powered by smf. Krakow in two days: the main attractions of the city that you need to see. Accommodation in Krakow

Krakow is a very convenient city for transit tourists. The main attractions, according to the subtle guidebooks, are concentrated on the "Royal Road". It starts on the northern border of the Old Town, passes through the central Market Square of Krakow, and goes to the Royal Castle.

Therefore, tourist groups passing through Krakow can explore most of what is written in the guidebook in just a couple of hours, check off the cultural program, and continue their journey further.

However, a couple of hours is enough not because there is nothing to see in the city, but because most guidebooks for foreign tourists are written with “express tourists” in mind.

What you can see in Krakow

It depends, first of all, on how much time you plan to spend in the city.

In 1 hour you can walk from the train station (Krakow Centralny) to the Market Square, take memorable photos, visit St. Mary's Church and look into the Cloth Hall. Maybe even sit in a cafe on the Market Square.

In 2 hours you can walk along Royal Road(the entire tour), enter the territory of the Royal Castle and look into the Cathedral (without visiting other museums). And still have time to sit in a cafe or look into local shops.

In 4 hours you can leisurely walk along Royal Road, explore all the sights you encounter, visit the Royal Castle (without lingering too much in the museums).

There will be time left to visit souvenir shops and have lunch at a restaurant.

If you wish (a strong desire) you can even have time to quickly examine Kazimierz.

In one evening. If you come to Krakow for only one evening, I advise you to spend this evening walking around the Old Town. And when it gets completely dark, you can choose a bar, cafe or restaurant and taste Polish national cuisine there, or just sit on the Market Square with a glass of beer.

For one day . For those who came to Krakow for 1 day. I recommend that after visiting the Old Town, take a trip to Wieliczka.

And after returning, either go to the Royal Castle, or visit Kazimierz, or admire the city from Kosciuszko mound or Krakus, or just take another walk around Old Krakow (not forgetting that by 23:00 the transport no longer works).

In a couple of days. For anyone who comes to Krakow for a couple of days (usually they arrive during the day and leave in the morning), I can advise you to take a tour of Krakow on the first day. Royal Road, during which you can have a snack somewhere and then visit the Royal Castle.

Then, if the sun is still high, you can admire the city from the heights of the Kosciuszko or Krakus mound. The early evening can be spent visiting local shops, and when it starts to get dark, have dinner at a restaurant serving Polish national cuisine.

The next morning you can go to Wieliczka. Then, returning to Krakow, take a walk around Podgórze, and then to Kazimierz.

During these excursions, do not forget to pay attention not only to the monuments, but also to the places where you can have lunch :-).

If you want to visit any museum, it is better to go there immediately upon returning from Wieliczka, because... After lunch, museums usually close.

Then you can walk around the Old Town along Plantam(if you haven’t already done this), and devote the remaining evening to once again going through the places that you especially liked.

On your last evening, you can also go to the Krakow Aquapark (Park Wodny), to the theater or cinema. Young people can choose a student club.

Krakow is not a city that can be explored in two days; in such a short period of time you will hardly be able to see the main attractions.

For those who are going to spend just a few days in beautiful Krakow and don’t want to miss anything interesting, we have compiled a list of all the most beautiful places in Krakow.
If you have more than a few days, then you should definitely see not only the sights of the city, but also its surroundings and, of course, a lot of interesting places that can be reached in just a couple of hours by car, train or bus.

Traveling from Krakow to Wieliczka: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

The city of Wieliczka is located just 16 km from the center of Krakow and is known throughout Europe for its magnificent salt caves. Wieliczka Salt Mine, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have been known since the 11th century and were the largest salt deposit in Europe, and those who owned the mines were the most famous and richest people, because salt in those days was equal in value to gold.

The first excursions to the Wieliczka mines began in the 15th century, and today it is one of the most popular resorts in the country. Hotels have been built here, people buy passes to the salt caves for a few days, a week or a month, because the salt air has a beneficial effect on the body, in particular the respiratory system.

A comfortable double room in a hotel near the salt mines costs approximately 35 euros. Booking.com offers lowest hotel prices.

Visiting the salt mines is only possible with a guide. Excursion in Polish it costs 13 euros, in a foreign language, including Russian - 20 euros.

How to get from Krakow to Wieliczka

You can get there by taxi, train or bus.

By train

address Ticket can buy at the box office station, fare approx. 1 euro. The schedule can be found on the railway website.

By bus

Bus №304 departs from a stop near the Galeria Krakowska shopping center, on Kurniki Street. The final stop is called Wieliczka Kopalnia Soli. You can buy a ticket from the conductor or driver. Travel cost approx. 1.5 euro.

Traveling from Krakow to Ojcowski National Park: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

Ojcow National Park is located 21 km from Krakow and is the smallest but very picturesque natural park in the country.

Read more about the most beautiful parks and gardens in Krakow.

In the park you can walk or ride bicycles, admire the beauty of the mountains and pine trees. Or you can rent a house from local residents and spend a few days tete-a-tete with nature, rocks covered with forest, listening to the blazing songs of cicadas and enjoying the crystal clear air.

Price entrance ticket 2 euros.

How to get from Krakow to Ojcowski National Park

You can get there by car or public transport.

By bus No. 210 (Kraków - Ojców)

There are 4 buses per day. Bus stop located across the street from the Galeria Krakowska shopping center (Pawia 5). Travel time 45 minutes. Travel cost approx. 1.5 euro. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver.

A trip from Krakow to Auschwitz: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

One of the most terrible places in the world, where the most mass murder in the history of mankind was committed, Auschwitz or Auschwitz, lies 68 km from Krakow. Four million innocent people were killed here between 1940 and 1945. Today, on the territory of the former concentration camp there is a museum, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Entrance to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum (this is the official name of the museum) free, only excursions are paid.

You can visit the museum on your own, without a tour, but this is possible before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Acquainted with schedule excursions are available on the official website of the museum.

In order to be sure to get into a group (both independent visitors and as part of an excursion), it is better to register online in advance.

How to get from Krakow to Auschwitz

You can get to Auschwitz by bus or train or transfer.

By train

The train departs from the Main Railway Station ( address: Kraków Główny) several times a day. Ticket can buy at the box office station. Travel cost approx. 2 euros.

By bus

Buses depart from Central Station ( address:ul. Bosacka 18). Tickets can buy at the box office station or drivers. Travel cost approx. 2 euros.

Transfer or taxi

Traveling from Krakow to Katowice: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

The beautiful and diverse city of Katowice is located 81 km from Krakow. The city was founded relatively recently, in the 19th century, but the residents and rulers of the city did not waste time, so Katowice today is both a large industrial center, a paradise for shopping lovers, and a great place for those who like leisurely walks around the city, and for those interested in architecture. In addition, Katowice is known to those who are interested in low cost flights, because this is where a huge number of cheap flights all over Europe take off, for example to Budapest and Prague (from 25 euros), London (from 15 euros), Kyiv (from 30 euros), Minsk (from 90 euros) and Moscow (from 100 euros).

Read more about Katowice Airport.

Find plane tickets from Katowice at the lowest prices on the website aviasales.ru. Aviasales collects offers from hundreds of airlines' websites and offers you the cheapest options. Aviasales is the best and most reliable way to save on air travel.

Elegant squares, interesting museums, unusual sculptures, original cafes and inexpensive hotels make Katowice a popular destination among Poles and visitors to the country.

A comfortable double room in Katowice will cost you about 30-40 euros. Find dozens of inexpensive hotel options using this link on Booking.com.

How to get from Krakow to Katowice

You can get to Katowice from Krakow by train, bus or transfer

By train

address: Kraków Główny) Krakow has regular flights to Zakopane. Travel time approx. 3 hours. Fare 3 euros on the railway lines website.

By bus

Buses depart from Krakow to Katowice PolskiBus. Travel time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes. Travel cost approx. 3.5 euros. Tickets can be purchased online address: Bosacka 18).

By transfer

A large international company offers its clients a huge selection of cars, as well as Russian-speaking drivers who will take you from Krakow to anywhere in Katowice for a fixed amount from 111 euros(depending on the car class). You can calculate the cost of your trip and order a taxi.

Traveling from Krakow to Zakopane: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

The resort town of Zakopane lies 109 km from Krakow. The beauty of Zakopane is known far beyond the borders of Poland. Millions of tourists from all over Europe come here every year. In summer amateurs come to Zakopane ecotourism and walks along winding forest paths, of course - a comfortable room for two in a hotel surrounded by mountains costs only 20-40 euros. Find more budget hotel deals at this link on Booking.com.

In winter, Zakopane is filled with outdoor enthusiasts who have at their disposal 10 ski resorts, among which the most famous and high-mountainous are resorts Kasprowy Wierch, Gubalowka and Nosal.

How to get from Krakow to Zakopane

You can get here by car or public transport.

By train

Every day from the Main Railway Station ( address: Kraków Główny) Krakow has regular flights to Zakopane. Travel time 4 hours. Travel cost approx. 3.5 euros. Tickets can be purchased at the station ticket office or on the railway lines website.

Traveling from Krakow to Częstochowa: is it worth going, how to get there and how much does it cost?

Among the famous attractions of Częstochowa are the old market square with a beautiful town hall, ancient churches and churches, and a match factory. Czestochowa is a great idea for a short trip from Krakow: beautiful houses, narrow streets and inexpensive hotels and cafes. The cost of a double hotel in the city center will cost you approximately 25-30 euros. Find dozens of inexpensive hotel deals using this link on Booking.com.

How to get from Krakow to Czestochowa

You can get to Częstochowa by public transport, car or transfer.

By train

There are regular trains from Krakow to Czestochowa that depart from Krakow Central Station (address: Kraków Główny). Travel time 2-4 hours. Travel cost approx. 10 euros. Tickets can be purchased at the station ticket office. The schedule can be found on the railway website.

By bus

PolskiBus departs from Krakow to Częstochowa. Travel time is approximately 3 hours. Travel cost approx. 7 euros. Tickets can be purchased online. Buses depart from the Central Bus Station ( address: Bosacka 18).

By transfer

Related articles that may interest you:

	Krakow is not just a city with amazing architecture. This is a city that is located on the banks of a wide river framed by green hillsides. It's easy to find a green island to relax here. We will tell you about the most popular parks and gardens in Krakow. Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University Ogród Botaniczny Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego address: ul. Mikołaja Kopernika 27 Founded in 1752, this incredibly beautiful garden is one of the favorite places to relax among locals and visitors to the city.
	Krakow is a unique city, the unofficial capital of Poland. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in subsequent years. The city was built so skillfully that the center of Krakow was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The heart of the city is Market Square, where there is a beautiful St. Mary's Church, a monument to Adam Mickiewicz, luxurious shopping arcades of the Cloth Hall, the city hall and the original sculpture “Bound Eros” or simply “Head” - a favorite place for photographs among city guests. We have developed for you an interesting route through the most beautiful sights of Krakow...
	Before walking around a new city, it is best to first examine it from above - to see how the streets are located, where the main attractions are located, in a word, to get a general idea. We offer you an overview of the city's observation platforms. Wawel Castle Wawel Castle is located on a hill so that the Polish kings, walking through the palace grounds, could observe what was happening in their domain. Today you too can observe the life of this beautiful city. This is the easiest and almost free way to see the city from above. In principle, a beautiful view opens from any wall of the castle, but...
	When choosing a hotel, pay attention to its location. On the one hand, the further you are from the center, the cheaper the hotel may be; on the other hand, take into account the costs of traveling by public transport or taxi. We wrote more about public transport in Krakow in this article. The central districts of Krakow include the Old Town (Stare miasto), Debniki, Kazimierz, Zwierzyniec. Hotels here are relatively inexpensive and we will tell you about the best of them.

Welcome to the lucky city! While Warsaw suffered greatly during World War II, Krakow managed to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of bygone eras. Perhaps this is why the Poles themselves say that the facts, past and future of the country can be found in Warsaw, but the soul of Poland lives in Krakow.

Basic walk through the Old Town

Small in area, the Old Town houses an incredible amount of architectural masterpieces and cultural treasures. The ideal starting point for the route is the Basilica of St. Florian, the patron saint of Krakow.

If you don’t have much time, you can walk along Fłoriańska Street, stop at the Main Square (Główny Market) and along Grodzka Street to Wawel Hill, where the Royal Castle, the Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas is located for the Poles as the Kremlin is for the Russians).

Walking along this route, you will see all the brightest things.

What should you pay special attention to? Let's talk.

Dungeons of the Main Square (Podziemia)

Can you imagine - dungeons open to the public, and even on the main square?!

In 2010, a special multimedia space was created in the archaeological park, which is located at a depth of 4 meters. Here you can see recreated scenes from the life of Krakow at different times. This, as well as various sounds and installations, perfectly complement the main exhibition of the dungeons - several hundred different archaeological finds.

The exhibition is truly done at a very modern and high level and will be of interest to both adults and children.

Try to reserve tickets online in advance (on the official website: www.bilety.podziemiarynku.com). They can be purchased on site at the box office. The cost of a full ticket is 19 zlotys, a reduced ticket is 16 zlotys. On Tuesdays, admission is free.

Working hours
- from April to October: Wednesday-Sunday: 10.00 - 22.00, Monday: 10.00 - 20.00, Tuesday: 10.00 - 16.00.
— from November to March: Wednesday-Monday: 10.00-20.00, Tuesday: 10.00-16.00.

Fountain Crystal

Walking through the dungeon, in one of the halls you will find yourself under a pyramid fountain, which is located in the square. Take a look at it when you reach the surface. If we can say about a fountain that it has a difficult fate, then this is exactly the case. The fact is that even at the stage of creation it was criticized by famous architects, and after construction was completed in 2010, local residents nicknamed the fountain “The Louvre for the Poor,” and the jury of the “Archi-Shop” competition awarded it the title “worst project of the year.”

Although if you don’t know this whole story, you can even calmly admire the fountain.

Cloth stalls (Shopping arcades)

Already from the 13th century, a brisk trade in provisions, overseas fabrics and other household items was going on under the painted vaults.

Today there are mainly souvenir shops with slightly inflated prices. But it’s definitely worth wandering around here - after all, the Cloth Halls are considered one of the most beautiful shopping arcades in Europe. In addition, even if you don’t plan to buy anything special, this is a great place to go photo hunting and bring back a lot of things from here in the memory of your camera.

St. Mary's Church

Here it is, the pearl of the square! The interior decoration of the church is quite different from our usual ideas about religious buildings. The paintings are done in an unusually rich, bright palette.

Founded in the 13th century, it was rebuilt several times and has features of the Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles.

You can enter the cathedral itself for free, but if the tower has already undergone renovations, we recommend that you go up to look at the old city from above. The cost of tickets is 15 full and 10 reduced (benefits only up to 18 years old).

Royal (Wawel) Castle

Inside the castle there is a museum displaying valuable paintings and furniture from bygone centuries.

There are a total of 5 permanent exhibitions, each of which requires a separate ticket. We assume that you will be interested in choosing one of three:
A) Royal Reception Rooms (in Polish - Reprezentacyjne Komnaty Królewskie),
b) Private quarters (Prywatne Apartamenty Królewskie),
V) Treasury and armory (Skarbiec Koronny i Zbrojownia ).

You should budget at least 1-2 hours for each exhibition.

Here are the opening hours and ticket prices:

Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas

Erected in the 14th century, the walls of the cathedral saw the coronations of most Polish kings, and the remains of the most significant of them are still located here. Among them are the heroes Tadeusz Kościuszko, Józef Pilsudski, Józef Poniatowski, Queen Jadwiga, Stefan Batory, Jan Sobieski, August the Strong. The poets Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, as well as President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, who tragically died in 2010 in a plane crash near Smolensk, are also buried here.

Read more about — if you are traveling to Krakow, then Wieliczka is definitely worth planning!

Aviation Museum

This is the largest aviation museum in Poland. It is located on one of the old airfields. There are more than 150 types of airplanes, helicopters and gliders on display here. Some of the exhibits exist in a single copy. All exhibits are in excellent condition, because the museum workers are true fans of their work.

Working hours: from May to September - Tuesday - Sunday - 9.00-17.00, closed Monday.
Ticket prices: 15 and 7 zlotys. Admission is free on Tuesdays.
Arrival: from the Dworzec Główny stop: tram 4 or 10 to the Muzeum Lotnictwa stop (about 10 minutes).

Schindler's Factory Museum

A museum that is quite difficult to visit, but has extraordinary historical significance. Factory manager Oskar Schindler, unlike other entrepreneurs, hired more than 1,000 Jews during World War II and subsequently saved their lives by preventing them from going to concentration camps. The story of this hero is known to us from the story by Thomas Keneally and its film adaptation by S. Spielberg “Schindler’s List”.

Working hours:
From April to October: Monday 10.00-16.00 (first Monday of the month - until 14.00), Tuesday-Sunday 09.00-20.00.
From November to March: Monday 10.00-14.00, Tuesday-Sunday 10.00-18.00.
Ticket prices: 21 zloty (full), 16 (preferential). On Mondays admission is free.
Arrival: by tram number 3 or 24 from the Dworzec Główny stop to Plac Bohaterów Getta (8 minutes).

Jewish Quarter Kazimierz

Nowadays it is an area of ​​artistic cafes and cozy architecture. This is a great place to grab a bite to eat.

Each of us has repeatedly heard that Krakow is a real pearl of central Europe. The phrase sounds extremely banal, but, nevertheless, it is a fact. The city is ideal for spending a weekend here, and, if you remember the current exchange rate of the euro, it is especially heartwarming that this currency is still not in use in Poland. They still use the good old zloty here, which allows you to save a lot on your trip. We’ll tell you right now about what you absolutely need to see in Krakow in a couple of days.

The history of the city goes back more than a thousand years, and, by the way, for almost half of this time - from 1038 to 1596 - it was the capital of Poland. Of course, Krakow has long since resigned as the capital, but it has become a kind of cultural capital of the country; Polish musicians, artists and other cultural figures lived here at different times. However, why did they live? Many artists live in Krakow to this day.

The medieval center of Krakow with cobblestone streets, small charming streets, many churches and buildings of varying degrees of pomp, unlike other Polish cities, for example, Warsaw, was miraculously not destroyed during the Second World War, and this, despite the fact that Nazi troops partially mined it during their retreat.

That is why it is so pleasant to walk here, looking at the architectural beauty, occasionally stopping only to visit museums and local restaurants.

FIRST DAY: OLD TOWN - OLD MASTO (STARE MIASTO W KRAKOWIE)

Spend your first day in Krakow in the Old Town, on the Market Square with the Town Hall Tower and a number of cute cafes and restaurants. It is here that fairs are regularly held on weekends, where you can buy handicrafts, as well as delicious takeaway food.

But if you won’t surprise our people with all sorts of wooden spoons, wicker baskets and other souvenirs - something similar can always be found in the shops that are set up during the holidays and on our Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, then local food is a completely different matter.

For example, here you can have a snack on charcoal-grilled smoked Oscypek cheese, wrapped in bacon and with prunes, or the same cheese, only with cranberry sauce, or pies with a variety of fillings (from cottage cheese with potatoes to cabbage), or maybe a slice homemade bread with lard - a mixture of melted lard and cracklings.

And don’t forget about Krakow obvarzanki - braided bagels with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or baked cheese. All this looks very authentic, but it tastes delicious!

In the center of the market square there is a 16th-century building in the Renaissance style - cloth rows with vaulted galleries (they, however, were added to the building almost three centuries later).

Now it would be more logical to call this building souvenir rows - inside there are many shops with magnets, mugs, photographs and other things that tourists love to bring home. And, of course, there are a lot of tourists here too.

Right behind the cloth rows stands the monument to Adam Mickiewicz, on the pedestal and steps of which not only tourists, but also local residents love to sit and communicate with each other.

It is especially densely crowded with people in the late afternoon, when everyone goes for a walk. There is also a very small church of St. Wojciech (Kosciol Sw. Wojciecha) with a copper dome, built in the 11th century.

On the left, behind the cloth rows, there is a beautiful Gothic basilica of the 14th century - the Basilica of the Virgin Mary, its second name is St. Mary's Church (Kosciot Mariacki). The asymmetrical towers of the basilica are considered one of the symbols of Krakow, so they can often be seen on local souvenirs.

Important point! Tourists can enter the church through the side entrance from St. Mary's Square, but only parishioners who come to mass enter the basilica through the main entrance (from the side of its facade). On the road from the market square to Wawel Castle you can also see the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364. By the way, the great Nicolaus Copernicus worked and created his famous treatise within its walls.

CHURCH OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL (KOSCIOL SW. PIOTRA I SW. PAWLA)

If you go further south, towards Wawel Hill, then on Grodzka Street you can find the beautiful Baroque building of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Kosciol Sw. Piotra i Sw. Pawla). It can be easily recognized by the long row of statues on the pediment - these are the 12 apostles.

This is one of the oldest buildings in Krakow, which can be seen with the naked eye; it was built at the beginning of the 17th century.

SECOND DAY: WAWEL CASTL AND KAZIMERZ AREA

The entire first half of the second day is worth exploring the Wawel Castle - this is another symbol of Krakow, and, whatever, the whole of Poland. A real medieval fortress located on a hill on the southern side of the Planty Park surrounding the Old Town. Its construction began in 1038, and since then massive fortress walls, watchtowers, a cathedral, a royal castle have appeared here - in general, everything without which it is unthinkable to imagine a real fortress.

The castle was rebuilt several times, and the last changes to its design were made in the first half of the 16th century under King Sigismund the Old. In fact, the castle was then rebuilt under the strict guidance of architects Francesco Florentin and Bartolomeo Berecci, and this is exactly how we see it now. Well, the main part of the current fortress walls of the castle was built a century later - under King Vladislav IV Vasa.

When going to Wawel Castle, remember that here you will definitely encounter crowds of tourists like you, so it is better to order tickets to visit the castle, the Armory and the Royal Treasury in advance on the official website of the museum at http://www .wawel.krakow.pl/pl. And be prepared to spend at least half a day walking around the castle grounds and visiting museums.

It is important to remember that tickets are valid for a specific time, so it is better not to be late. However, even if this happens, the ticket taker, shaking his head reproachfully and making a note in his journal, will still let you in. If you want to listen to a story about each of the museum's exhibits, order an audio guide. It costs about 20 zlotys and is available in many languages, including Russian.

Wawel Castle remained the main residence and coronation site of Polish monarchs until 1734, that is, even almost a hundred years after the capital was moved to Warsaw. Today it is a huge museum with almost seventy rooms, a building with magnificent royal apartments decorated with 16th-century Flemish tapestries collected by King Zygmunt. In short, it is not surprising that Wawel Castle is considered one of the most luxurious in Central Europe.

The royal state rooms and some of the royal private apartments are open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30 to 16.00. The halls themselves have been beautifully restored, and although much of the original furniture has not been preserved, walking here still provides an insight into royal life. It is a pity that photography is strictly prohibited in the castle, but photographs can hardly convey the beauty of the decoration of the royal chambers.

However, the first thing you will see when you enter the territory of Wawel Castle is the Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas. Huge bones hang above its entrance. According to the existing legend, these are the bones of a mammoth, found on this site before the construction of the cathedral, and it is they that protect the cathedral, the castle, and the whole of Krakow from enemies.

Polish kings were crowned and buried in the cathedral for more than 400 years. It was built in the 11th-12th centuries, but was partially destroyed - only part of the tower of the Silver Bells and the crypt of St. Leonard remained from the original construction. The building we see now appeared much later - in the 14th century. In the very center of the cathedral you can see the Altar of the Fatherland, on which the kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth laid military trophies. In addition, the cathedral contains royal stone sarcophagi and the tomb of King Casimir Jagiellon.

ROYAL TREASURY AND ARMORY

Here you can see a huge royal collection of weapons, armor and a variety of military trophies - all this you will find when you go down into the vaulted halls of the castle. One of the most impressive exhibits in the museum is the Szczerbiec sword, which was used for many centuries during the coronations of Polish kings.

DRAGON CAVE

In one of the towers of the fortress wall of Wawel Castle there is a small karst cave - the Dragon Cave, which can be visited for just a few zlotys from May to November. The ticket is purchased directly before entering the tower. There is a legend that the dragon Smok Wawelski lived in this cave, terrifying the entire area.

In the photo: children attack the dragon monument

After going down the narrow spiral staircase into the cave, you will then come out onto the banks of the Vistula, straight to the dragon monument, near which children always play. By the way, the dragon is not scary at all!

In the afternoon, head to Kazimierz, Krakow's old Jewish district, which has long been a suburb of the city. Jews, persecuted throughout Europe, received refuge in Krakow in the mid-14th century, and another century later, King Jan Olbrecht resettled the entire Jewish population in Kazimierz. Later, as Krakow grew, the suburb became a full-fledged urban area. It is easily accessible on foot from the Old Town, just past the Wawel Castle, and if you are not in the mood for walks, then there is a tram that runs here.

There are many old, shabby buildings and synagogues preserved from the war - however, only eight of them remain out of thirty. Even further, beyond the Vistula, there is a Jewish ghetto, where in 1941-1943 the Nazis drove all Krakow Jews (Starowischlna Street, Podgórze district). The Museum of Folk Memory has been operating here for a long time, telling about life in the ghetto, and during the war, this building housed a pharmacy. So overall this area looks a little depressing.

In the photo: the oldest synagogue in Krakow

Although recently, according to residents of Krakow, Kazimierz is coming to life again, gradually turning into a fashionable party place. New bars, cafes and restaurants are opening here, of course, with a Jewish flavor - the menu always includes kosher dishes, and musicians play fantasies on the theme “7-40”.

If your legs are not yet completely falling off by the evening, pay attention to the clubs that, after dark, open their doors in the alleys radiating like rays from the Market Square. There are many entertainment venues here for every taste, and you can unmistakably identify a popular place by the young people crowding at the entrance.

Did you like the material? Join us on facebook

Maria Caushan- Professional journalist and PR specialist, I travel for my own pleasure. For some time now I have been trying to figure out how to simultaneously satisfy my interest in world architecture and extreme sports, my love for warm regions and snow-capped peaks.

Although we visited Krakow on the way back from Slovenia home to St. Petersburg, I decided to write about it now in order to logically complete the series of articles about Poland.

Krakow has been the capital of Poland for over 500 years and is home to about 25% of all the country's museums. Krakow's Old Town and the Jewish district of Kazimierz were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List back in 1978. At that time, there were only 12 other places on the planet on the list. Krakow was included in the list along with the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Now the World Heritage List includes about 900 places.

The most important attractions of Krakow are the Old Town in the Plantow ring (a park on the site of the former city walls), if you look at the map, this place is clearly visible, the adjacent Wawel Castle, the Jewish district of Kazimierz and the Schindler factory. It is offered to go around all these places on a special excursion transport for only 140 zlotys (about 32 €), but it is quite possible to get around all this on foot, excluding only the Schindler factory. It is located on the other side of the Vistula, a little to the side. If you do not want to visit the museum, now located in the building of the former Schindler factory, then there is no great need to go there; the building itself is not interesting from the outside.

Excursion transport in Krakow

You may want to find yourself excursions in Russian around Krakow. To do this, I would recommend that you read the article - Four sites that specialize in selecting excursions around the world.

In Krakow, tourists are given rides on the most beautiful horse-drawn carriages, but it’s scary to think how much this pleasure could cost if an excursion on a motorized chaise costs 32 € per person.

Very close to Krakow there is the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, Stanislaw Lem's Experiment Garden, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, the former Auschwitz. But in one day, alas, it is impossible to embrace the immensity, you can only run along the most significant sights of the city center, look at the huge Polish churches, ancient streets, and enjoy the excellent panorama of the Vistula, opening from the walls of Wawel. When we visited Krakow, a Catholic youth festival was being held there, perhaps that’s why there were simply so many people in the city. It was practically impossible to enter the churches; the crowd began already at the door.

We took the tram to the Kraków Główny stop and walked around the city center all day. There is no metro in Krakow (the population is only 700 thousand), but the tram service is very well developed. The organization of public transport is very similar to what I described in the article. Tickets can be bought directly from the machine inside the tram; the language can be selected in Russian. At the Kraków Główny station, there is a “Tourist Information” office, where you can get a free map of the city center with marked attractions and other brochures.

The very first thing that appeared before our eyes was the monumental theater building.

Krakow Market Square

Krakow has the largest medieval square in Europe (200x200 m). The square itself was created in 1257, simultaneously with the granting of Magdeburg Law to Krakow. And to this day, the square has retained its commercial significance, although now only food and souvenirs are sold on it, no live goats and chickens, as was the case during the Middle Ages. And as it should be in a decent market, of course, artists perform in order to keep potential buyers longer.

The Church of St. Mary (St. Mary's Church) and the Church of St. Adabelbert were founded before the formation of the Main Market Square, and the Cloth Hall (Cloth Hall) and the town hall later than this date. Until the beginning of the 19th century, there was a cemetery around the St. Mary’s Church right on the square. And right under the Market Square there is now a Dungeon Museum, since the square is so old, much has gone underground and the historical exhibition has been set up right there.

The Church of St. Adabelbert also went underground. which is not surprising at her age, you can also go down into the church’s dungeon for a fee. St. Adalbert's Church is the oldest in Krakow and one of the smallest. It is believed that it was founded in the 10th century. The church acquired its modern appearance in the 18th century.

The youngest monument on the old Market Square is the monument to the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, erected just in 1898; for the Poles, Mickiewicz is the same as Pushkin for us. By the way, Mitskevich was well acquainted with Russian writers, including Pushkin, then they lived in the same country.

When you look at the cute colorful houses surrounding the square, you can’t tell that they are 500-600 years old. We went into one store, it turned out that behind the ancient facade there was a modern shopping center, which very harmoniously combines modern retail equipment and very ancient walls, with ancient masonry visible in places.

Cloth rows

The Cloth Hall was first built on the market square in the 13th century, during the time of Casemir the Great, but the 108-meter building fell into oblivion as a result of a fire in 1555. The cloth halls were rebuilt in a much more impressive form with stairs and a loggia, and the cloth rows acquired the appearance that we can see now in the 19th century. Inside, on the ground floor there are numerous souvenir shops, and on the second floor there is a gallery of 19th-century art, part of the National Museum of Krakow.

St. Mary's Church

One of the main decorations of the Main Market Square in Krakow is certainly the St. Mary's Church, famous for its medieval wooden altar by Wit Stwosz. The altar was shown in the program “Heads and Tails”. Unfortunately, we were not able to see this miracle. The church was packed with people. Photography is prohibited there. The interior makes an indelible impression, the starry sky is depicted on the vault and there is practically not a single section of the walls or ceiling inside the church that is not painted. The inside of the St. Mary's Church is almost entirely multi-colored.

There are many streets radiating from the market square, but two of them stand out - Florianska and Grozdska, which were once part of the Royal Road.

Florianskaya street

Florianska Street is one of the oldest in Krakow, where you could write a book about every house; one end ends at the Florianska Gate. At the moment, this is the only gate preserved in Krakow; previously there were 8 and 47 towers.

Medieval walls adjoin the Florian Gate. The total length of the walls was about 3 km. In the 19th century, most of the city walls were demolished by the Austrian authorities after the partition of Poland, they were rightly afraid. that the rioters could hide behind them. In place of the destroyed walls, a park was laid out - Planty.

Restaurant Yama Mihalika

In the evening we went to the famous Krakow restaurant Jama Michalika, also located on Florianska Street. The establishment is over 100 years old and has been awarded a separate article on Wikipedia. The point is that on the Internet it is written that entrance to the folklore show costs some money, but they didn’t charge us anything, we only paid for the food. We didn’t know about the show in advance at all, we just found the address of the restaurant in the guidebook and that’s it.

It's pretty dark inside, so we didn't get any photos, but we did get a video. The food is tasty, but not enough, the portions could have been larger. Therefore, if you want to eat a lot, you need to choose another place, and if you want to watch Polish folk dances, then Michalik’s Pit is not even bad.

Barbican

The Barbican came to European military architecture from the Arab world. Usually the Barbican was built into the walls of the city. The Krakow barbican stands about 100 meters from the city walls as a separate structure, just opposite the Florian Gate. The thickness of the walls of the Barbican in some places reaches three meters, and there are about 130 embrasures on the sides.

Grozdskaya street

Then we continued our walk along the former Royal Route, connecting the Florian Gate and Wawel Castle. On Grozdskaya Street we were surprised by the Pod Aniolami restaurant, which decorates its interior with bunches of overgrown dill. In Krakow, in addition to traditional restaurants serving Polish and Italian cuisine, which will surprise no one anywhere, there are also restaurants serving Georgian and Ukrainian cuisine.

The Church of Peter and Paul is located on Grozdskaya Street. This is one of the first buildings in Krakow built in the Baroque style, decorated with the splendor typical of the Jesuits. For a short time at the beginning of the 19th century it was an Orthodox church.

What surprised me most were the Polish nuns. They organized numerous events on the streets as part of the Catholic Youth Festival, sang and simply promoted faith in God in two languages ​​in turn, first part of the speech was spoken in Polish, then repeated in English, and all this without the help of translators. It seemed that men in Poland do not become monks, only women and all with knowledge of foreign languages.

Wawel

Wawel Castle has sacred significance for the history of Poland; Polish statehood was born at this place; all Polish kings were crowned in the Cathedral and many of them are still buried there. Unfortunately, almost nothing remains in the castle from the Middle Ages; first, the Swedes ravaged Wawel during the Swedish Flood (1655-1660), and then the Austrians, who inherited Krakow after the partition of Poland, set up barracks in the castle. The Swedish flood is artistically described in the novel “The Flood” by G. Sienkiewicz; a film of the same name was made based on the novel. Therefore, everything that can be seen there is the result of careful restoration.

The Bernardine Gate was built already during the years of occupation during the Second World War to protect the German Governor General who settled in Wawel.

In summer the castle is very beautiful, there are greenery and flowers all around. And in the building covered with ivy there are ticket offices where you can buy tickets to museums located on Wawel. There were queues at the box office. We didn’t go to museums, because they say you need to spend about 5 hours for this event, which is not realistic in the format of visiting Krakow in one day.

The layout of the lock clearly demonstrates its structure.

You can enter the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and Wenceslas for free, you only need to pay for using the audio guide; there is a ticket office in the building opposite. Inside the cathedral there are many sarcophagi of kings and saints, as well as the graves of famous Polish poets, political figures, even President Lech Kaczynski and his wife are buried there; they died as a result of the Smolensk plane crash in 2010.

John Paul II was born in a village near Krakow and spent many years of his life in the city, studying at the Jagiellonian University, so a monument to him was erected next to the Cathedral. John Paul II became the first Slav in the history of the papacy and the first Pole on the Roman throne; before that, only Italians were elevated to high rank.

The palace houses museum exhibitions.

We looked at the Vistula from the cave of the legendary Krakow dragon; entry into the cave itself is only possible with tickets, but after Postojna the tiny Krakow cave could hardly surprise us. On the largest boat on the pier there is a restaurant “Stefan Batory”, this historical character is very popular in Poland.

Right under the walls of the castle on the banks of the Vistula, already at the end of the 20th century, a monument to the legendary Krakow dragon was erected. A dragon breathes fire for just one coin; you can even make a dragon breathe fire using an SMS sent to a specific number. Numerous tourists climb onto the pedestal and take pictures with the fire-breathing dragon; the pebble of the pedestal could make it more comfortable to climb onto it.

It turns out that Krakow hosts a film festival and even has its own Walk of Fame, it is located very close to the dragon monument.

Kazimierz, Jewish city

We honestly walked around the Kazimierz district, a former Jewish city, and did not find anything interesting there, except for the strange Catholic churches. The Jewish ghetto during World War II was located on the other side of the Vistula and has nothing to do with Kazimierz. In addition, during the war the quarter was almost destroyed and all that can be seen is the result of restoration work. The synagogues there are small and unprepossessing, the houses are shabby in appearance, and all the architectural monuments look like ordinary houses, not at all remarkable in appearance. The Jewish Quarter of Krakow is much less interesting. And Jewish Square reminded me very much of St. Petersburg Aprashka in its worst version, just a dirty and shabby shopping area, where in unsanitary conditions you will be offered street food.

I think so, Kazimierz became more popular among tourists thanks to Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List”. Fans of abandoned buildings and artistic ruins will love it there.

But the Catholic churches located in Kazimierz are very impressive, as always huge and very richly decorated.

In the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret, we witnessed the veneration of St. Rita, her day was just celebrated. In the church there were simply crowds of people with roses, symbols of the saint. The entire church was filled with people and they began to sell roses already on the approaches to the church. The sight of so many believers with roses amazed us. By the way, it is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret that is considered the largest Gothic church in Krakow. It is not possible to photograph it entirely on a narrow, densely built-up street; you will have to take my word for it, the church is really huge.

Very close to the huge Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret is the Baroque Church of St. Stanislaus on Skalka, i.e. on the hill. According to legend, the Polish king Boleslaw the Bold in 1079 killed and cut into pieces the body of Archbishop Stanislaw of Krakow and threw the remains into a pond.

The body of Saint Stanislaus, cut into pieces, miraculously grew back together, like Poland, which was first divided and then united again. The pond into which the saint’s remains were thrown was beautified and now it looks almost like a memorial.

This is where I will finish my story about Krakow, although we also took a walk through Planty Park.

In contrast to Warsaw, it seemed to us that Krakow was much more popular with tourists; there were much more people on the streets. Of course, Krakow contains a lot of architectural and historical monuments, and the city was not heavily destroyed during the last war, unlike Warsaw. For a more detailed inspection, you should probably plan at least 5 days in order to have time to go to the salt mine, visit museums, and eat delicious Polish dishes in restaurants.