Things to do in Krakow Poland – An insider’s City Guide

Krakow has always been on my bucket list of places to go, so I finally decided to plan a trip and enlisted the help of my good friend Hannah to help with the itinerary so I could make sure I fit all the best places into one weekend! Hannah has been visiting the beautiful city every year (sometimes twice) for the past 10 years, so here’s her low-down on the best things to do in Krakow Poland, including the best food places!

Wawel Castle

The Wawel Castle, known as the political and cultural heart of Poland through the 16th century, it is a must see on your first trip to Krakow. The castle dates back to the 13th Century and was built at the behest of King Casimir lll the Great. Located right in the centre of Krakow, a 5 min walk from the main square – get a tourist map from hotel and you’ll find it really easy!

Schindler’s Factory

If you like your history head to Schindler’s Factory, it’s free on a Monday but really cheap any other day. It’s about a 20 min walk which is quite nice as you go over the river. You can also walk through the Jewish quarter which is good for jewish food (if you’ve ever seen Schindler’s list, you might recognise parts from around here.

Auschwitz and Birkenau

If you are visiting the city, you can’t leave without planning a visit to the Auschwitz concentration camp, the authentic Memorial consists of two parts, Auschwitz and Birkenau. Book on a tour to get the best experience and get a better understanding of the history. Most tours take about half a day, including travelling there an back. Well worth the visit!

Salt mines

Again a big tourist attraction and very nice to do. Located in the town of Wieliczka, within the Kraków metropolitan area. There are lots of stairs (800 steps across the whole tour) so wear comfortable shoes! The little gift shop at the end make the steps worth it, you can purchase salt based beauty products really cheap!

Nowa Huta

If you’re looking for something a bit different, go on a communism tour – we did one to Nowa Huta which was fab! We got picked up in an old red mini bus which was really cool, there are plenty of tourist information outlets you can buy tickets from. Wide avenues, massive buildings, museums and lots of amazing restaurants!

Food in Krakow

There are SO many amazing restaurants you can go to around the main square in Krakow, you’ll be spoilt for choice! So you don’t need recommendations as it’s all fantastic, although I would highly recommend Piano Rouge, it has a warm atmosphere, delicious food, live music most nights and they do amazing cocktails, bonus!

Drinks in Krakow

For the best bars in Krakow, the road nearest the church in the centre is a hot spot, most of them are hidden away so when people are trying to get you down dodgy alleys – it’s usually OK as they’re underground. For clubs in Krakow, they are towards the McDonalds.

Festival Markets

If you’re visiting in around the festival period, Krakow transforms into a beautiful wonderland as its historic streets and houses get wrapped in the snow. The markets usually open towards the end of November and end around end of December (sometimes until early January).

Krakow is on of the best cities to visit all year round and it’s really cheap! Book your flights in advance to get the best deals and look for cheap accomodation on sites like booking.com and airbnb.co.uk.