Krakow Attractions: A winter afternoon in Krakow

Krakow, the culture capital of Poland is a vibrant city with many culturally rich highlights. Krakow attractions include the old city quarter with charming cobbled streets, gardens, churches and museums. Being an affordable European city, there are many places to visit in Krakow.

While Warsaw in the capital of Poland, Krakow is known as the party capital of Poland and I was excited to visit it during my work trip. Poland was never really on my European countries to visit list but only when I read about its rich culture and history I came to know how unique and charming Krakow really was. 

I was especially hooked to Krakow old town and was looking forward to visiting Krakow in December, because of the Christmas markets. Christmas in Poland is an amazing time because less crowds makes it more easy to access and afford. 

Me and my colleague took a flixbus from Dabrowa Gornicza at 10am and reached Krakow old town in little over an hour through the national highway. We got down at Kraków Glówny underground transportation centre and walked through the Galeria Krakowska mall to get to the old quarter of Krakow. Just follow the signs inside the mall and you won’t get lost.

I was able to visit many fantastic Krakow attractions in less time. So, I have put together a list of some of the best things to do in Krakow.

MUST VISIT KRAKOW ATTRACTIONS

Krakow Old Town

Krakow Old Town looks like a vintage postcard, with its cobbled streets, beautiful architecture, horse carts around the church in the old quarter and Christmas festivities. No wonder it is one of the best places to visit in Krakow.

Main Square in Krakow

Locally known as Rynek Główny (Polish name) it dates back to the 13th Century. There was so much happening in the square due to the Christmas markets that I kept wondering how it would look without any shops and food stalls. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants selling the traditional Polish delicacies overlooking the square. 

The Main Market Square in Krakow is the largest medieval square in Europe and has been the perfect place for people to get together for many centuries. In the center of the square is the beautiful Renaissance-style cloth hall, which now houses a museum.

Surrounding the hall are numerous cafes and restaurants, making it the perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee, watch people go by or simply photograph the architecture all around. You can also catch a live street show in one of the corners with artists performing on various costumes.

The square is also home to the stunning St. Mary’s Basilica, dating back to the 14th century.

Cloth Hall Krakow

When we are talking about must see in Krakow, the cloth hall has to feature on the list. This magnificent building was once the center of the city’s thriving trade in cloth and other textiles.

One of the biggest attractions in Krakow, the cloth hall now houses a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of the cloth industry in Krakow. 

In the summer, the courtyard is filled with people enjoying the warm weather, and on weekends, it is filled with musicians busking for the crowds. In winters, it becomes the hosting space for Krakow Christmas market.

If you love collecting souvenirs then this is a place to collect all sorts of Knick knacks and trinkets for Krakow.

Krakow Attractions – Cloth Hall in Krakow | CC: Adam Hill from Pixabay

St. Mary’s Basilica

The most iconic architecture of Krakow old town in the main square is St Mary’s church with two towers with an interior that’s simply stunning, full of colour and intricate details and decorations. The church has a separate entrance from the south for tourists and a main entrance for devotees to pray. The tourist ticket costs 10 Polish złoty. I entered around the Sunday mass and there was a huge crowd so no one was on the counter to sell tickets.

Get blown away with beautiful and intricately painted glass windows and the wooden Veit Stoss Altar. The craftsmanship and the details of everything in the interior of the church is outstanding and you can’t help but wonder ‘How’ it was done with so much skill in those days.

Grunwald Monument and Plac Matejki

We walked through the Plac Matejki square and paid respects to the Grunwald monument to reach the Barbican south of the street. 

Dominated by the Grunwald Monument, Plac Matejki is one of the visually striking squares in the city especially because of the lack of large crowds. The Grunwald Memorial, commemorating the Battle of Grunwald, fought between the joint armies of Poland and Lithuania against the Teutonic Knights, is considered to be one of the greatest battles in medieval Europe. A defining moment in Polish history, the battle was immortalized in Krakow with the unveiling of this weighty monument.

The Barbican 

Built in Gothic style, the Barbican was built at the end of the 15th century to protect Krakow’s main entrance and was connected to the Floriańska Gate. Kraków Barbican is topped by seven turrets and includes 130 defensive slots used by archers and riflemen. In the present day, the Barbican hosts special events and can be visited as an outdoor museum from April until the end of October.

Floriańska Gate – Entrace on Krakow Old Town

Across the Barbican, stands the iconic Floriańska Gate. This is one of the old city gates that has survived till date. In the olden times, the gate marked as the entry point for royal processions into the city. You cannot miss the open art gallery just past the gate wherein local artists showcase and sell the beautiful paintings.

The Underground Art Museum

It is an underground museum which showcases findings of the excavations that took place a decade ago. This hi-tech museum takes visitors under the surface of the market square to experience the city’s entire history. The museum has a cap of 300 people at a time, so it is best to book a ticket in advance, especially if you are visiting on the weekend.. This can be done either online or from the information office, opposite side of the Cloth Hall from the museum entrance.

The Head

Among Krakow’s most well known landmarks, this sculpture titled ‘ Eros Bendato’ affectionately known as the Head, is a popular meeting place and it also serves as a photographic backdrop for every tourist who visits Krakow for the first time.

MUST TRY FOOD IN KRAKOW

Obwarzanek

Known as Polish pretzel, they are circular in shape and eaten daily,  and that is why it features as Krakow’s staple street foods. You’ll find stands all over the city and offer a quick bite to fill your stomach while strolling around the city. The most common ones are available with sesame, plain, poppy seed or cheese.

Zapiekanka 

It is a Polish open sandwich made of half of a baguette topped with mushrooms, cheese. It is available in various toppings.

Mulled wine

Locally known as Grzaniec Galicyjski is a spiced warm wine. A comforting drink in the cold weather it can definitely go well with Obwarzanek.

WHERE TO STAY IN KRAKOW

Krakow’s old town is the most popular area to stay in. However, hotels are generally more affordable outside the old city walls.

I did not stay in Krakow as I only spent an afternoon but based on my research and recommendations from friends these are the following options. The Old Town or Jewish Quarter are the best places to stay in Krakow as most places would be walking distance. Good hostels in Krakow are Bubble Hostel  and Green Hostel.

Krakow is perfect for a weekend visit however if you wish to travel slow then 4-5 days is a good time to explore all parts of the city without rushing.

SUSTAINABLE TIPS FOR KRAKOW ATTARCTIONS

• Krakow has efficient public transport – tram and bus, so use it instead of calling an Uber. Most places are in walking distance. Time to burn the Christmas calories, i say!
• There are many companies who offer walking tours which start from the old square. It is best to register with before or you can also join them at last moment. They last a little over 4 hours so come with a lot of time in hand. They tell you the history and walk you through the popular places of the town. All this for a small tip at the end of the tour.
• Do tip the walking tour guides, they are generally part time students and that is the only way they earn. Ideally 5 euro per person is the least you should give.
• Respect the memorials, museums, walls and old architectural buildings by not sitting on them for photo opportunity.
• Enjoy the local food. Everywhere is Poland, I did not face a problem finding vegetarian food. There are lot of vegetarian as well as vegan food cafes in Krakow.