Krakow

T

Thetfordboys

Member
The wife and Daughter is thinking of going to Krakow. Possibly end of March this year.
To see concentration camps
So any help would be appreciated
 
Lovely spot.
The square on a night is decent
Auschwitz
Salt Mines
Pinball museum
Couple of footy grounds to go have a look at
There are a couple of shooting ranges too

I dare say the shooting, pinball and football won't interest them, but the rest probably will. They'll enjoy it
 
Did this a few years back. Krakow is a fantastic city, Auschwitz one of the best (is that the right word?) visits I've made.

A few observations/bits of advice - nothing too specific as it was a few years ago so possibly wouldn't still be correct now anyway.

Auschwitz - we got a bus there from the main station, was fairly straightforward. Auschwitz you book ahead and pick a slot - worth doing this and going early. Was still relatively quiet when we were there. If you want to go round on your own rather than with a guide you needed to book a slot before 1000, so worth knowing depending on your preference. We did it without a guide as we wanted to do it at our own pace, but each to their own.

Don't know how long they're planning on going for, but if it's a few days, plan for Auschwitz to be in the middle. It's a pretty overwhelming experience, so having a day or two afterwards in Krakow was a good way of getting back to normal.

And Krakow is a fantastic city - very compact so everything's walkable, even has a sort of pedestrian ring road called the Planty - it's a park that circles the old city, you can easily complete the whole thing in an hour or two. I ate better in Krakow than anywhere else I've ever been - loads of great fresh, local produce and at the time it was ridiculously cheap.
 
Great city to visit. Plenty to do.
Worth booking in advance for the Schindler museum, as it gets busy.
Enjoyed the salt mines(you need to be ok with walking and lots of steps).
Loads of bars and restaurants around the main square and reasonably priced.
 
If staying a few nights a day trip out to Zakapane is good. Picturesque ski resort.
Our trip see a few sights on the way and visited the outdoor thermal baths on the way back.
 
I loved it. Went about 5-6 years ago for my mates 30th. Stayed in an Air b’n’b apartment 10 minutes walk from the main square.

We did Auschwitz and Salt mines in one day - morning / afternoon.

I wouldn’t recommend that, certainly not with a hangover like I had. Auschwitz and Birkenau are sobering experiences.

Half way through the salt mine walk, I’d had my fill for the day so definitely worth doing them separately.

Nightlife was very good as well as food choices. I mainly stuck to the local options. Had a very nice Pork Nuckle on the main square! 👍
 
Krakow is a wonderful place for a 2-4 night break.
Salt Mines really are worth it.
The Square and inside the walls are lovely, the food and drink is pretty good.
River boat in summer is nice.
Wife wouldn't go to Auschwitz - sorry to have missed it.
It just had a nice feel to it as a city.
Airport is also pretty good and the flight easy.
 
Definitely get a guide for Auschwitz/Birkenau, it's well worth the extra money. Prepare to be overwhelmed by the bloody awful place, but it's a must do if you go to Krakow. The Jewish Quarter is worth a visit and can be coupled with the Schindler Museum as they are close by. Try to eat and drink one or two streets back from the main square, it's a fair bit cheaper. Try to find the Zloty bar to try the different vodkas. It might be a bit more than a Zloty now though, as it's 6 years since I was last there. If it's not too cold there are some nice walks along the river, with Boat Bars at regular intervals. I think Jet2 fly from Newcastle on Mondays and Fridays.
 
I would second a lot of what's put above but you must get one of these from the Jewish Quarter. I missed out and still regret it.

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Really is worth getting a guide for auschwitz, the place is huge and a lot of it would be difficult to properly understand without a guide.
Taxis are so cheap so you could get a private transfer from Krakow for not much more than a coach transfer. Use Bolt for taxis, unbelievably cheap and you won’t event wait more than a few minutes for a pick up

The usual attractions, salt mines, Zakapane etc all well worth doing. It’s a brilliant city break
 
Amazing city. One of the best in Europe!

Agree on others saying pay extra for a tour guide during visiting the camps. Worth the extra.
 
this post couldnt have come any better timing for me! off there in next couple weeks for 4 nights! Auschwitz is on our list along with schindlers musuem! grateful for all the other suggestions!
 
We got a private transfer from the airport and also used the same company to arrange our visits to both camps and the salt mines. Well worth having the private transport and them sorting out all the tours.
 
j44peo said:
this post couldnt have come any better timing for me! off there in next couple weeks for 4 nights! Auschwitz is on our list along with schindlers musuem! grateful for all the other suggestions!
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Try to book the tours in advance if you can. Otherwise there's a risk of being disappointed if you do it too short notice.
 
I worked in Krakow just before lockdown for a few months. Couple of hints.

Firstly get your wife to download the BOLT app, it's an Uber type app. It allows you to book cabs and they are generally cheaper than airport transfers. You can also use it to rent e-scooters, which are nice to travel around the park that borders the city center. It's good fun and cuts down on walking.

Secondly, for Schindlers factory, if you want to spend time going round, don't do the guided tour. The lady that did ours was a grandaughter of a survivor so she talked with passion and it was great, but she moved very quickly through the exibits. It is a very moving experience listening to the guides talk about Poland under soviet rule.

Book aushwitz early, it can get very busy, do it a couple of weeks before going. I have heard people give quite mixed reviews. I found the experience moving, but some didn't.

I thought the salt mines were just OK and wouldn't do it again.

A short walk from the city center is the Museum of Illusion. It's great to while away an hour or two, and it's cheap.

If your wife or daughter are into it there are a couple of bunny and cat cafes. The cats wander round the cafe but with the rabbits you have to pay a small fee to go into the pen area to pet them. Again these are just on the edge of the old city center.

For food and drink, stay away from the square. There are some english bars that show footie, 442, Bulldog and the premier league pub. If either of your ladies likes vodka, book the vodka bar, they have hundreds of different flavoured vodkas.

For drinks, generally, find some polish bars, they are cheaper and generally friendly. They do tend to be in basements in the city center.

There is a mall just on the edge of the old city center, worth a visit if the ladies like shopping. It's a bit cheaper than here.

The architecture is stunning and largely untouched by the war as the Nazi's just walked in.

Do not fly with Whizz Air.
 
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