Krakow - what a wonderful place
Flew with Sky Europe from Manchester- very good airline on the thursday afternoon and checked into the Hotel Sympozium a 4* hotel on the outskirts of the centre.The cost for 5 nights was approx£180.00 for a modern double room inc breakfast. Very good hotel even taking into account its location
Also handy for a Tesco hypermarket across the road which had some great bargains compared to the UK
Best way to travel into centre was by taxi approx£3.50- taxis travel at 75mph no matter how many cars are on the road
after checking in went to Rynek Square - amazing Had a 3 course meal at the Sphinx cafe on the square - very modern and international. Knewwe were on a winner when the bill inc drinks only came to
£13.00
Friday trip on the river - bit dissapointing as there was not much to see then spent the rest of the day finding our bearings
Saturday trip to Auschwitz-Birkeau which was very serious/emotional but a place you must visit to see what apened in WW2
Sunday trip on the golf buggies round the town and the jewish quarter with a very informative guide who spoke good english
Monday visit to Wawel castle and the cathedral, tickets to the castle are free on a Monday but very limited so you must get there early morning
To fill the remaining time we had to partake in various drinks and meals - all at great low prices
Two restaurants that stand out are the Metropolitan which isa good quality place - drinks ,3 course meal(fillet steak) and bottle wine approx £40 for 2,
and the Chlopskie Jadlo in the old town near Wawel which is an old fashioned eatery serving local polish food- beetroot soup,dumplins,pork potatoes and cabbage -sounds basic but it was a great meal
Beer varied in price from 45p per pint to 90p per pint and the vodka was totally different to what we buy in the UK drunk neat and in one shot
Taking into account the great weather, lovely city,great people,good food and drink this was one of the best weekend breaks we have had and will definitely make return visit
Hi rabrown, glad to know you had a great time.. so did my workmates..they couldn't believe how cheap it was.My friends ate at the Sphinx and Chlopskie Jadlo last year and enjoyed it. A restaurant which both sets of people recommended was the Wierzynek on the Rynek Square (maybe next time for you) and I want to try it too.This is a very famous restaurant and has an upper restaurant area which is verty posh and a lower cafe type area which is less posh but still posh! 
I can't just wait....I have also seen a lovely ununsual restaurant on the web called the Cherubino which I want to try. I don't think we'll do Auschwitz (hubby's not keen) but I think we will go and visit the Wieliczka salt mines and we are staying in Zakopane for 3 nights.
I can't just wait....I have also seen a lovely ununsual restaurant on the web called the Cherubino which I want to try. I don't think we'll do Auschwitz (hubby's not keen) but I think we will go and visit the Wieliczka salt mines and we are staying in Zakopane for 3 nights.
wow, roll on August, up Ireland
Tinka14, you say your friends visited Krakow in February, how cold was it? I imagine it would be absolutely freezing then. I really want to visit Krakow and our options timewise are either November this year or February next. We have a week to play with next February so that would be a better time to go but I'm not sure I can cope with the extreme temperatures!!!
Retsina, Krakow was cold..very! It got down to about -10 to - 15 at night and temperatures not much above 0 C in the daytime and it snowed! My friend was happy because she wanted it to snow and be all romantic...I advised her to take her thermals, she did but her hubby had to buy some warmer clothing when he was there as he didn;t think it would be that cold! She wanted to go in Feb as it's her birthday on the 2nd.It could be warmer to go in November but only just!
whats the best month weather wise to visit Krakow?
hi coininban
when we were in krakow at the end of may the weather was 85-90 degs every day- some people got heat stroke
we were told by one of the locals that krakow has 2extremes of weather , very cold in the winter months to very hot summer months
its a great city to visit and the weather was a greatbonus when we were there as we were expecting it to be cooler than the uk
when we were in krakow at the end of may the weather was 85-90 degs every day- some people got heat stroke
we were told by one of the locals that krakow has 2extremes of weather , very cold in the winter months to very hot summer months
its a great city to visit and the weather was a greatbonus when we were there as we were expecting it to be cooler than the uk
I always used to visit Poland in the summer months, July to September and don't remember seeing too much rain. 
I hope we'll get some lovely summer weather when we go on our hols next month to Warsaw, Krakow and Zakopane. 
I hope we'll get some lovely summer weather when we go on our hols next month to Warsaw, Krakow and Zakopane.
I might aim at March/April cos I need coolish weather to explore and the two extremes of very hot/cold sound a bit tough to cope with! 
thanks for all the info - I will be learning as I plan for my trip!
thanks for all the info - I will be learning as I plan for my trip!
have visited krakow in may and loved the fact that it was warm and sunny which i didn't expect and it was nice to lie on the river bank when we were taking a break from siteseeing and get a tan!!
loads of good restaurants - there is a great mexican restaurant just off the square which was very cheap and the staff were lovely. would recommend the trips to wieliczka salt mines and auschwitz. they can be booked at the office on the square - near the bank if i remember rightly. paid approx £8 for wieliczka and £12 for auschwitz. the jagiellonian university in the centre of krakow is stunning and well worth a visit!!
loads of good restaurants - there is a great mexican restaurant just off the square which was very cheap and the staff were lovely. would recommend the trips to wieliczka salt mines and auschwitz. they can be booked at the office on the square - near the bank if i remember rightly. paid approx £8 for wieliczka and £12 for auschwitz. the jagiellonian university in the centre of krakow is stunning and well worth a visit!!
Hi Eveyone,
Going to Krakow 26th July for 9 days. Staying in apartment near the castle. Anyone got good, cheap places to eat? Any other info would be welcome. We want to visit Warsaw, Zakopane, salt mines and the concentration camp areas.
Thanks!!!!!!
Pat
Going to Krakow 26th July for 9 days. Staying in apartment near the castle. Anyone got good, cheap places to eat? Any other info would be welcome. We want to visit Warsaw, Zakopane, salt mines and the concentration camp areas.
Thanks!!!!!!
Pat
Pat
you can read my report about our visit at the end of May this year in a previous report- its a great city with plenty todo and plenty of cheap food nd drink - enjoy!!!!
you can read my report about our visit at the end of May this year in a previous report- its a great city with plenty todo and plenty of cheap food nd drink - enjoy!!!!
Hi Pat
I loved Krakow, you will love everything about it, cannot specify any places as such as they were all good.
The only disappointment I have had with Poland and I have been twice, was staying in Warsaw after staying in Karkow and Wroclow that year to arrive in Warsaw after that was depressing we found some good places but on the whole did not like it. Also stayed the following year in Gdnask and Poznan and loved there.
Enjoy, I am off to Croatia and Bosnia on Sunday.
Linda
I loved Krakow, you will love everything about it, cannot specify any places as such as they were all good.
The only disappointment I have had with Poland and I have been twice, was staying in Warsaw after staying in Karkow and Wroclow that year to arrive in Warsaw after that was depressing we found some good places but on the whole did not like it. Also stayed the following year in Gdnask and Poznan and loved there.
Enjoy, I am off to Croatia and Bosnia on Sunday.
Linda
Hi!
I'd be very grateful for any recommendations of good hotels in central Krakow. We're going at Christmas, so are looking for somewhere warm, and with my old mum, so a lift is essential!
thanks!
Susan
I'd be very grateful for any recommendations of good hotels in central Krakow. We're going at Christmas, so are looking for somewhere warm, and with my old mum, so a lift is essential!
thanks!
Susan
Hi adelphi....depends what sort of budget you are looking at, you might consider the Elektor, Francuski or the Grand,all in the old town and all top class, not sure if they have lifts but if you try and find them on the web, i'm sure you could find out. An excellent website to find out loads of info on hotels in Krakow and loads more is http://www.inyourpocket.com just look in destinations and select Krakow.
I stayed at the Atrium hotel which is very close to the centre and it did have a lift although I'm not sure the breakfasts would warm you on a cold day!
I stayed at the Atrium hotel which is very close to the centre and it did have a lift although I'm not sure the breakfasts would warm you on a cold day!
Have you been to the Krakow Christmas market and/or the Christmas crib displays? Please share your experiences and recommendations.
I found this on the EasyJet web site :-
Krakow Cribs
- Every year there is a competition to build the most magnificent crib. The Polish crib resembles the sort of castle that you might find in Eastern fairytales. The competing cribs are placed under the Mickiewicz statue in the middle of the Square on the first Thursday of December. If you're not in town that morning, visit the Krakow History Museum on the other side of the square where the best examples are displayed all year round (35 Rynek Glowny).
Copyright Easyjet.
We are off to Krakow this Wednesday for a five day trip. I will try and look into that exhibition and tell you about it when we return.
Krakow Cribs
- Every year there is a competition to build the most magnificent crib. The Polish crib resembles the sort of castle that you might find in Eastern fairytales. The competing cribs are placed under the Mickiewicz statue in the middle of the Square on the first Thursday of December. If you're not in town that morning, visit the Krakow History Museum on the other side of the square where the best examples are displayed all year round (35 Rynek Glowny).
Copyright Easyjet.
We are off to Krakow this Wednesday for a five day trip. I will try and look into that exhibition and tell you about it when we return.
Thanks Trisantona - also ideas of places to stay would help.
These websites are great in looking at and booking hotels in Poland, http://www.yourpoland.co.uk very good rates found on here, try http://www.krakowlife.com and http://www.inyourpocket.com just go into destinations and click on Krakow.
Tinka14
Tinka14
Just back from a wonderful trip to Krakow. We did manage to have a look at the cribs in the museum located on the main square. There are about a dozen of them located in the lobby and up the stairs. As the Easyjet article says , they resemble fairy-tale castles and are brightly decorated , with symbols of Poland , such as the the eagle and the national flag. Some have internal illumination and have moving parts. The actual manger/stable only makes up a small part of the overall construction , and is usually located in one "room" of the castle. Even so they are very interesting to look at and well worth a visit.
As to accommodation we rented an apartment from Old Town Apartments http://www.warsawshotel.com/. This was located just off the main square , was clean and comfortable and cost €300 for four nights. The company also arranged taxis to and from the airport and a basic food pack waiting for us when we arrived. Recommended
As to accommodation we rented an apartment from Old Town Apartments http://www.warsawshotel.com/. This was located just off the main square , was clean and comfortable and cost €300 for four nights. The company also arranged taxis to and from the airport and a basic food pack waiting for us when we arrived. Recommended
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