How many days is enough?

Three days will cover the old town, Kazimierz and Wawel. A fourth day allows a visit to Nowa Huta or the Wieliczka salt mine, which is a day trip. For a relaxed pace, plan on four nights.

Is Kraków expensive?

It is cheap by Western European standards but no longer Eastern European cheap. A meal in a restaurant costs 30–60 zł, a dorm bed 40–80 zł, a bus ticket about 6 zł. Tourist sites and hotels have raised prices, but it is still a budget destination.

Yes. The main sights are within a 30-minute walk of each other. Kazimierz, Wawel and the old town fit easily on a day's walk. Walking is faster than the tram for most visitors, because the centre is small and closed to much traffic.

Do people speak English?

Yes, in the tourist areas and in any place that serves tourists. The younger generation speaks English well, and many menus and signs are in both Polish and English, at least in the old town. In residential districts you may need a phrasebook.

Is Kraków safe at night?

The centre is safe. You see groups of people walking back from bars late at night without trouble. Keep an eye on your wallet on crowded trams and in the square, and avoid walking alone in the empty park areas very early in the morning.

Is Kraków worth it in winter?

December is the worst of winter, but the Christmas market on the square makes it busy and atmospheric. January and February are cold and grey but the city is quiet and cheaper. If you want to freeze properly in Poland's coldest month, February is the time.

Kraków, Lesser Poland, Poland travel guide, printable

Kraków is a medieval city in southern Poland that was not destroyed in the Second World War, so its old streets, churches and cellars remain in place. The city is small enough to know on foot, with the castle, the old town and the Jewish quarter within a twenty-minute walk of each other. Its quiet courtyards and long coffee stops give it a slower rhythm than you might expect of a city that lost its capital status to Warsaw in 1596 and never got it back.

When to go

Spring: The weather is changeable in April and May, with mild days and cold rain. The city is not yet crowded, and hotel prices are lower than in summer. Parks and riverside walks are at their best. This is the season I would pick, before the summer hordes arrive.
Summer: Warm, often hot, with buses and trams full and queues at the main sights. The long daylight pushes evenings outdoors, and the city doubles its population with tourists. Prices are at their highest; advance booking is essential for museums and restaurants.
Autumn: Cool, damp, and often foggy from October. The leaves do turn in the Planty park and Kazimierz, but expect grey skies. This is the season for cheap flights, sleeping in, and a calm visit to the castle, at the cost of rain.
Winter: Cold and dark, with occasional snow. The Christmas market on the main square is packed in December, and early January is quieter. The old town has a particular stillness under snow. February is the coldest month and the least eventful; if you do not like cold, avoid it.

Getting your bearings

Kraków lies on the Wisła river. The old town, Stare Miasto, sits on the north bank, surrounded by a ring of parkland called the Planty. At its centre is the Rynek Główny, a large market square; St Mary's Basilica is at its north-east corner and the Cloth Hall in the middle. Wawel Hill, with the castle and cathedral, is a 15-minute walk south-west of the square. Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter, lies east of the old town, a 20-minute walk from the square. Podgórze sits across the river from Kazimierz. From any of these, you can walk to the others in under half an hour.

Getting around

Walking is the best way around the old town and Kazimierz; the distances are short and the streets are closed to much traffic. For Podgórze or farther afield, trams are the most used mode. Tickets are shared by trams and buses and can be bought at machines at most stops and on some trams. A 20-minute ticket costs around 6 zł, a 60-minute ticket about 8 zł, and a 24-hour ticket about 18 zł. Be sure to validate the ticket in the machine on board.

Where to stay

Stare Miasto: The old town is the tourist core: the Rynek Główny, the Cloth Hall, St Mary's Basilica and the city's main museums. It is the loudest and most expensive part of the city, with thousands of visitors during the day, though it empties at night. Staying here means being steps from the sights and among the noise.
Kazimierz: The former Jewish quarter, south-east of the old town. It has synagogues and cemeteries, but also cafes, bars and galleries on narrow streets. It is the place to stay if you want nightlife and food courtyards, and it is a 20-minute walk from the castle. Rooms are cheaper than in Stare Miasto.
Podgórze: Across the Wisła in the south. This is where the Nazis made a ghetto in the Second World War; the area now has memorial sites and industrial museums, including the Schindler factory. It is quiet, residential, and increasingly popular for short stays, with a good view of Wawel from the riverbank. It is a 30-minute walk from the main square.
Nowa Huta: A planned socialist-realist district from the 1950s, built as a separate town of steel workers, now part of Kraków. It is known for wide avenues, a central square called Plac Centralny, and the remains of the Lenin steelworks. It is a long tram ride from the centre and not practical for a short visit, but it gives a different picture of the city if you have a spare afternoon.

A day here

A day in the old town and Kazimierz

Rynek GłównyStart at the main square in the morning, before the crowds. Look at the Cloth Hall from the outside for free, then go in to see the market stalls. Climb St Mary's tower for a view over the square, or enter the church itself; the tower costs about 15 zł and is busy. Half an hour to an hour.
Wawel CastleWalk 15 minutes from the square to the castle hill. The grounds are free, the main courtyard is also free, but the State Rooms and the royal cathedral require separate tickets, around 30 zł each. This is the quietest time of day for the castle. Budget two hours for the grounds and the state rooms.
Pierogi in KazimierzLeave the castle and cross Stradom to Kazimierz for lunch. Look for a bar mleczny (milk bar) for a cheap meal of pierogi, or a place on Szeroka street. Lunch costs 20–40 zł. Sit long enough to rest your feet.
Kazimierz synagogues and streetsSpend the afternoon wandering Kazimierz. The Remuh Synagogue and cemetery cost around 20 zł; the Galicia Jewish Museum is informative but costs separately. The streets themselves are the main attraction, with red-brick tenements and small parks. Two hours briskly, a whole afternoon if you stop in cafes.
Plac NowyEnd the day at Plac Nowy in Kazimierz, a round square with a low building in the middle that becomes a food stand for zapiekanka in the evening. Eat one standing there, then choose a bar for the night. The area fills up with locals and tourists after dinner. Budget one hour.

Eating

Obwarzanek: A ring-shaped bread, boiled and baked, sold from carts on street corners with seeds on top. It costs around 3 zł and is the standard snack for walking between sights. Buy one warm from a cart; the cold ones are wasted.
Pierogi: Polish dumplings, filled with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, meat, or fruit. You will find them on almost every menu. Eat them in a milk bar (bar mleczny) for a cheap and filling lunch. Prices start around 15 zł for a plate of six.
Zapiekanka: A halved baguette with mushrooms and cheese, grilled, then topped with sauce. The classic version is served at night at Plac Nowy in Kazimierz. It costs 10–15 zł and is the food of late night rather than fine dining.
Żurek: A sour rye soup, often served in a bread bowl with sausage and egg. It is on most traditional menus in the old town, but the versions differ. It is best in winter. A bowl costs 20–30 zł in a restaurant, less in a milk bar.
Bigos: A hunter's stew of sauerkraut, meat, dried mushrooms and sometimes prunes, cooked for hours. It is served as a main dish with bread. It is heavy food for a cold day, not a summer first choice. Around 25 zł.
Milk bar (bar mleczny): These are subsidised cafeterias serving Polish home cooking: soups, cutlets, dumplings, compote. The best known in the centre are near the main square, but any one will do. Meals cost 15–30 zł. They close early, around 20:00, so go for lunch.

Practical

Money: The currency is the złoty (PLN). Cards are accepted almost everywhere in the centre, but carry some cash for street vendors and smaller bars. 1 złoty exchanges to about 25 euro cents. ATMs are plentiful. Hotels and hostels are cheap by Western European standards, as are meals and local beer.
Transport: Trams and buses share a ticket system. Buy tickets from machines at stops or on some trams; a 20-minute ticket costs about 6 zł, a 60-minute about 8 zł, a 24-hour about 18 zł. Validate the ticket in the machine on board.
Safety: Street crime in the centre is low. The most common problem is pickpocketing on trams and in the main square, especially in summer and around the Christmas market. At night, the old town is well lit and busy until midnight. The area around the main railway station can be rougher, but it is not dangerous in the usual sense.
Opening hours: Shops in the old town are usually open from 10:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and until 15:00 or later on Saturdays. Supermarkets in the outskirts open 06:00 to 23:00. Museums: most are closed on Mondays, and many close early on Sundays. The main square's churches are open on Sunday but may restrict visits during Mass.
Seasons: Summer is the peak season: hot, crowded and the most expensive. Spring and autumn have mild days and fewer tourists, as do the first weeks of December with the Christmas market. Winter is cold and dark, but the city is quiet and at least one month (January) has the lowest prices. The best all-round time is May and September.

Worth knowing

The bugle call from the tower of St Mary's Basilica cuts off mid-melody every hour; the legend says a Mongol arrow killed the trumpeter. Listen at noon.
Wawel Hill has a carving of a dragon on the riverside path that breathes fire every few minutes.
Many museums, including Wawel and the Main Market Square underground, need online tickets in summer. Book a day ahead.
The Cloth Hall is a shopping arcade on the main square. You can walk through it; the upper floor is a museum.
Most restaurants in Kazimierz don't open for the kitchen until 13:00. Breakfast is usually served at cafes, not restaurants.
The main square is big. It is not a scam, but there are many people handing out flyers; just ignore them.

Questions

How many days is enough?: Three days will cover the old town, Kazimierz and Wawel. A fourth day allows a visit to Nowa Huta or the Wieliczka salt mine, which is a day trip. For a relaxed pace, plan on four nights.
Is Kraków expensive?: It is cheap by Western European standards but no longer Eastern European cheap. A meal in a restaurant costs 30–60 zł, a dorm bed 40–80 zł, a bus ticket about 6 zł. Tourist sites and hotels have raised prices, but it is still a budget destination.
Is it walkable?: Yes. The main sights are within a 30-minute walk of each other. Kazimierz, Wawel and the old town fit easily on a day's walk. Walking is faster than the tram for most visitors, because the centre is small and closed to much traffic.
Do people speak English?: Yes, in the tourist areas and in any place that serves tourists. The younger generation speaks English well, and many menus and signs are in both Polish and English, at least in the old town. In residential districts you may need a phrasebook.
Is Kraków safe at night?: The centre is safe. You see groups of people walking back from bars late at night without trouble. Keep an eye on your wallet on crowded trams and in the square, and avoid walking alone in the empty park areas very early in the morning.
Is Kraków worth it in winter?: December is the worst of winter, but the Christmas market on the square makes it busy and atmospheric. January and February are cold and grey but the city is quiet and cheaper. If you want to freeze properly in Poland's coldest month, February is the time.