World City Guide

Mini Guide of Cracow

City Overview

Cracow (Krakow), long heralded as ‘The New Prague’, is now well established as a major tourist destination. At the height of summer, Poland’s fourth largest city throngs with tour groups, all manner of tourist tack and countless pavement cafs that seem to occupy every cobble of the main square. Out of season, late at night or even in the first slivers of morning light, it is clear why so many people flock to visit. This magical city, situated in the southeast of the country, between the Jura uplands and the Tatra Mountains, on the banks of the Wisla (Vistula) River, has one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Dozens of churches cover almost every architectural period and are surrounded by monasteries and abbeys – walking through the Old Town streets is like drifting back through the musty pages of a historical novel.

The city has largely been left intact since the Tartar raids of the 13th century, which accounts for the largely unspoilt Old Town – now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Laid out in 1257, the Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) is one of the largest medieval market squares in Europe – as well as a remarkable set piece fronted by elegant faades. It is dominated by the 16th-century Sukiennice (Cloth Hall), which continues to perform its role as a trading centre with lively market stalls and pavement cafs in and around the building. The surrounding lanes of the Stare Miasto (Old Town) are ringed by the Planty, a leafy, linear park that follows the line of the Old Town walls. The voluminous hulk of Wawel Hill, to the south, is home to Wawel Castle, the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to the early 17th century. It was at this location, in 1000 AD, that the bishopric of Cracow was established and the Cathedral remains the spiritual home of Poland.

One area that has seen traumatic times is the Kazimierz district. For centuries it was a centre of Jewish culture, until the Nazis killed most of its residents and deported many of the survivors to the wartime ghetto of Podgorze and thence to nearby Auschwitz. Kazimierz had largely fallen into decline since World War II, but the area is undergoing something of a renaissance in response to the renewed interest brought about by the film Schindler’s List. The Jewish culture of the area is being revived, with lively art galleries, kosher restaurants and regular cultural events, such as Klezmer concerts (see Culture). In fact, Cracow’s cultural attractions in general are manifest, with almost a quarter of Poland’s museum holdings housed here and the city’s cultural scene is without equal in Poland – the city was justifiably named as one of the nine European Cities of Culture in 2000.

The city’s cultural heritage is mirrored in its intellectual achievements – the Jagiellonian University is the oldest in Poland. The student population of the city numbers over 100,000 and it fires a lively nightlife scene that burns brightly in the atmospheric cellar bars away from the tourists above. Cracow has sharply contrasting seasons with cold, snowy winters and ‘fresh’ springs and autumns. Visitors should beware of the locals’ use of the word ‘fresh’ – an optimistic reference to blatantly cold weather. The labyrinthine cellars of the Old Town are an ideal place to escape the winter chill. However, come summer, the quintessential Cracow experience is relaxing in a pavement caf on the main square enjoying one of the long and balmy nights.

The number of tourists to Cracow has increased significantly in recent years, partly due to the introduction of easier visa regulations, and also because of the media coverage the city received in the international press in the months leading to Poland assession to the EU in May 2004. The death of Pope John Paul II (born Karola Wojtyly) in April 2005 is likely to bring even more pilgrims to the city where he lived for several years and which he served as archbishop and then cardinal before leaving for Rome to start his Pontificate in October 1978.

Getting There By Air

Krakow-Balice (John Paul II) International Airport (KRK)
Tel: (012) 639 3000.
Website: www.lotnisko-balice.pl

Cracow’s small airport is 11km (7 miles) west of the city centre (journey time – 20 minutes) and has been upgraded to accommodate the larger transatlantic planes. Although it is Poland’s second largest international airport, most international flights go to Warsaw, which is the largest.

Major airlines: LOT Polish Airlines (tel: (012) 285 5070 or (0800) 300 952/3; website: www.lot.com) is the national carrier, with services to some 40 countries and domestic flights to other Polish cities. Other airlines include Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, BMI, British Airways, easyjet, Lufthansa, SAS, Sky Europe and Swiss.

Approximate flight times to Cracow: From London is 2 hours 35 minutes; from New York is 8 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 13 hours (plus transfer); from Toronto is 8 hours 25 minutes and from Sydney is 25 hours (plus stopover and transfer).

Airport facilities: These include a bar, a restaurant and cafe, bureaux de change, banks, ATMs, 24-hour first aid and duty-free shops, a post office and an information desk. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz.

Business facilities: There is a executive lounge for business-class passengers and traveller-club members.

Transport to the city: The MPK (website: www.mpk.krakow.pl) buses 192 and 208 go to the Main Railway Station (regular departures; journey time – 25 minutes). Taxis are available too (journey time – 15-20 minutes).

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Poland uses standard international traffic signs. Major routes have the prefix ‘E’ and motorways ‘A’. Speed limits are 130kph (81mph) on the motorways, 100-110kph (62-68mph) on main roads and 60kph (37mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. Seat belts must be worn. Vehicles should be equipped with a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and warning triangle, and headlights must be on at all times from 1 October to 1 March. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.02%.

The legal driving age in Poland is 17 years. International Driving Permits and European and US national driving licences are accepted for the first six months in Poland. Drivers should carry their vehicle registration documents and Green Card insurance.

Information about road travel can be obtained at border crossings and from the Polish Motoring Association (PZM), ulica Jozefa Dietla 67 (tel: (022) 849 9361/2; website: www.pzm.pl).

Emergency breakdown service:
The emergency number for ambulance and the police is 112.
Garages with 24 hour breakdown service include Ascan (tel: (012) 640 9022 or 648 8025); Dobrzyski Andrzej (tel: (012) 421 5861) and Pomoc Drogowa (tel: (012) 981).

Routes to the city: The north-south E77 links Cracow with Warsaw and Gdansk in the north and Zakopane and the Slovak border in the south. The east-west E40 arrives from Lviv in Ukraine in the east and then goes west through Wroclaw and Katowice to Dresden in Germany (partly the A4 motorway). To the southwest, the Czech Republic is easily reached via the E75.

Approximate driving times to Cracow: From Wroclaw – 4 hours 30 minutes; Warsaw – 5 hours 15 minutes; and Prague – 9 hours.

Coach services: The Dworzec PKS (Central Bus Station; tel: (012) 300 300 120) is on ulica Worcella, opposite the main railway station, northeast of the Old Town. The main carriers are the state-owned PKS (tel: (012) 449 7500 or 411 7022; website: www.pks.pl or www.pks.krakow.pl) and Polski-Express (tel: (022) 844 5555; website: www.polskiexpress.pl). Services are available throughout Poland and from European destinations, such as Berlin, Kiev, Lviv, Prague and Vienna.

Getting There By Rail

Polskie Koleje Panstwowe (PKP) (Polish Railways) (website: www.pkp.com.pl) operates increasingly clean and efficient trains on the Polish rail network. The best are the InterCity and EuroCity (EC) trains. Tickets can be purchased at the station or through Orbis tourist offices. Information (in Polish) can be obtained from national rail enquiries (tel: (022) 9436).

The Dworzec Glowny (Main Railway Station; tel: (012) 624 5439) is located at plac Dworcowy 1. The station has 24-hour left-luggage facilities.

Rail services: EuroCity and InterCity trains arrive from Warsaw (journey time – 2 hours 30 minutes), Vienna (7 hours 30 minutes), Prague (8 hours), Berlin (8 hours 30 minutes) and Budapest (10 hours). Care should be taken on some night train routes as thieves operate.

Transport to the city: The station is a short walk northeast of the Old Town. Taxis are available on the upper level above the platforms and in front of the station.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Cracow is served by a network of bus and tram routes operated by MPK (website: www.mpk.krakow.pl) between 0500 and 2300. Local trains serve the outer suburbs.

Bus and tram tickets are cheap, but if a change of vehicle is required, it is better to buy a one-hour ticket. The charge for buses that cross the city limits is higher. Night buses are also available. Tickets may be purchased at kiosks or at retail outlets or from the driver (although this costs extra). Tickets should be punched in the boxes inside the bus or tram. A ticket must be punched for each large piece of luggage (free with a pass). For information on municipal public transport call (012) 9150.

Passes are available for one day and one week. Students will be offered a 50% reduction on standard prices upon presentation of an ISIC card. Anyone caught without a valid ticket will receive an on-the-spot fine.

Taxis
Taxis are metered and can be found at taxi ranks, which are located in most of the squares on the perimeter of the Old Town. Alternatively, taxis can be hailed on the street – those with a hail-light and displaying a telephone number and company name usually charge reasonable rates. Others are to be avoided.

However, it is usually cheapest to order a taxi by telephone. Reputable companies include: Barbakan Taxi (tel: (012) 9661), Express Taxi (tel: (012) 9629 or (0800) 11 11 11), Mega Taxi (tel: (012) 9625) and Wawel Taxi (tel: (012) 9666 or (0800) 400 400). It is a good idea to check how much the trip will cost before entering the taxi. Rates go up after 2200 and on Sundays. There is no baggage charge and a tip of 10% is appreciated.

Driving in the City
The city centre is mostly closed to traffic and there are only a few car parks in the immediate vicinity. There is one near Wawel on ulica Powisle, and others on ulica Karmelicka, plac Biskupi and plac Szczepanski. Parking is charged by the hour or by the day, but it is often difficult to find a space. Visitors may be able to get a temporary parking permit from their hotel. It may also be possible for non-guests to get a space at one of the Orbis hotels (Continental, Cracovia or Wanda). Parking on the street can be problematic due to the various parking restrictions, especially near the centre. Traffic can be heavy and this is exacerbated by narrow streets and trams. Traffic jams regularly occur on the ring of the Aleje, which encircles the Planty.

Car Hire
Both Avis, ulica Lubicz 23 (tel: (012) 629 6108; website: www.avis.com), and Hertz, Hotel Cracovia, aleja Focha 1 (tel: (012) 429 6262; website: www.hertz.com), have rental offices in the city. Other operators include Budget, ulica Radzikowskiego 99/101 (tel: (012) 637 0089; website: www.budgetrentacar.com), and Joka, ulica Starowislna 13 (tel: (012) 429 6630; website: www.joka.com.pl). National also have a desk at the airport (tel: (012) 639 3286; website: www.nationalcar.com.pl).

Drivers must be at least 23 years old and have a valid driver’s licence and International Driving Permit.

Bicycle Hire
The branch of the Jordan Tourist Bureau, ulica Dluga 9 (tel/fax: (012) 421 2125), provides bicycles for hire. A passport and a deposit are required.

Business

Business Etiquette
Letters of introduction are extremely useful for establishing contact with businesses in Poland, where practices are still quite formal. Meetings should be by appointment. Presentations should be thoroughly prepared and, at a minimum, the executive summary should be translated into Polish. Decisions are often by committee, so negotiations may be protracted and a deal cannot be confirmed until all parties have signed.

Until familiarity has been established, a person’s title and surname should be used in addressing them. Handshaking is customary and business cards (preferably translated) should be exchanged with all participants at a meeting. To make a good impression, the wearing of conservative business suits is recommended.

Breakfast meetings are rare, despite the fact that the business day begins early, but business lunches and dinners are popular (Poles love to stay up late, talking and drinking). The person who issues the invitation is generally the one who pays the bill. It is important for visitors to make sure that if giving a gift of flowers, there should always be an odd number.

Government offices are open 0830-1630. Traditionally, offices in major industries were open 0700-1500, but many are now adapting to more Western business hours (even 0830-1700). Some businesses may open on Saturday morning as well.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Cracow is very easy to navigate on foot as most of the main sights are located within the Planty, a leafy park that forms a green belt around the historic centre or Stare Miasto (Old Town). The epicentre of tourist Cracow is the Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square), one of Europe’s most impressive public spaces, which is overrun by tourists during the high season. Relaxing in a pavement caf here is a good way to get acquainted with the city. Away from the main square busy Grodzka leads towards Wzgorze Wawelskie (Wawel Hill), the buttress where Cracow’s castle complex overlooks the city. It was here that the Polish Kings ruled from the 14th to 17th centuries and there is enough to see to occupy at least a day or two, including the Castle itself, the State Rooms, Treasury and Armoury, Royal Tombs and Wawel Cathedral.

Ten minutes’ walk from Wawel is the district of Kazimierz, southeast of the Old Town, where the city’s sizeable Jewish population used to prosper before the Nazis arrived. There is little of sightseeing merit on the other bank of the sleepy Wisla River (Vistula River), apart from the old wartime Jewish ghetto of Podgorze, an area which has received an ever-growing number of visitors since the release of Schindler’s List in 1993.

Tourist Information
Cracow Tourist Information Centre
Ulica Szpitalna 25 (Kiosk on Planty)
Tel: (012) 432 0110/0060.
Website: www.krakow.pl
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 0900-1700 (Oct-May), Mon-Sun 0800-2000 (Jun-Sep).

There is also a tourist info centre on ulica Jozefa 7 for the Kazimierz District (tel: (012) 422 0471) and one on os. Centrum B (tel: (012) 685 5900) for Nowa Huta District. In high season, there is also a tourist information centre in the Town Hall Tower on the main market square.

A cultural centre, offering a full tourist information service to Cracow and the Malopolska Region, is located at ulica Sw Jana 2 (tel: (012) 421 7787). Jordan, ulica Pawia 8 (tel: (012) 422 6091), also offer information and tours.

The Malopolska Tourist Information Centre
Rynek Glowny 1/3 (main market square)
Tel: (012) 421 7706.
Website: www.mcit.pl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1400.

Passes
The Krakow Tourist Card, available for two or three days, entitles the holder to free travel on city buses and trams (including bus 192 to the airport) and to free entry in up to 32 Krakow museums. For more information visit www.krakowcard.com

Key Attractions

Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square)
Dating from 1257, this was one of the largest market squares in medieval Europe. Occupying the centre of the square, the Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) is filled with market stalls in its vaulted ground-floor passages. Along the sides of the building, pavement cafs draw locals and tourists alike. A branch of the National Museum (see below) is upstairs.

Surrounding the square are impressive period houses and two of the city’s most important churches. Kosciol sw Wojciecha (St Adalbert’s Church) dates from the 10th century and is the oldest extant church in Cracow, but it is the Gothic Kosciol Mariacki (St Mary’s Church), with its twin spires, that really catches the eye. Within this church is the 15th-century Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa and Wit Stwosz’s large stone crucifix and wooden polyptych, The Dormition of the Virgin of 1477-89, the largest Gothic altar in Europe. Above the organ loft, the church also boasts excellent 14th-century stained glass and Art Nouveau works by Wyspianski and Mehoffer. The taller of the two towers was the city’s watch-tower and every hour the heynal is played by the town trumpeter, who cuts off the last note to commemorate the death of a trumpeter killed by a Turkish arrow.

Also on the square is the Wieza ratuszowa (Town Tower) – the only surviving part of the town hall, which dates from the 14th century.

St Mary’s Church
Rynek Glowny
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1150-1800, Sun 1400-1800.
Free admission, charge to see the altar.

Zamek Krolewski (Royal Castle)
From the year 1000, when the bishopric of Cracow was established, Wzgorze Wawelskie (Wawel Hill) has been at the heart of Poland’s history. Located at Wawel, the Royal Castle was the seat of Poland’s kings from the 11th to the early 17th century. The majority of the castle is Renaissance in style (1504-35), although Romanesque and Gothic elements remain. Today, it is a museum, and among the treasures in the historic interior of the State Rooms is a collection of 16th-century Flemish tapestries, paintings and period furniture. Other separate sections of the castle open to the public include the Royal Private Apartments and the Crown Treasury and Armoury. Also worth a look is The Lost Wawel exhibit, which showcases the excavated remains of Wawel’s original buildings, including the foundations of the oldest known church in Poland, the early 11th-century Rotunda of St Felix and St Adauctus. The Museum of Oriental Art (west wing) has an excellent collection of Near and Far Eastern art, including important 17th-century Turkish items. More whimsical is the Dragon’s Den, a karstic cave reached by a spiral staircase, where Prince Gracchus (Krak) supposedly killed the Wawel dragon.

Wawel 5
Tel: (012) 422 5155 ext. 291.
Website: www.wawel.krakow.pl
Opening hours: Wawel Hill: daily 0600-2000 (Apr-Sep); daily 0600-1700 (Oct-Mar). Attractions: Mon 1930-1200, Tues and Fri 0930-1600, Wed and Thurs 0930-1500, Sat 0930-1500 and Sun 1000-1500. Royal Apartments and Oriental Art closed Mon. Dragon’s Den: daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge; concessions available; free Mon (where open) except Dragon’s Den.

Katedra Wawelska (Wawel Cathedral)
Part of Wawel, this cathedral, also known as the Archcathedral Church of SS Venceslaus and Stanislaus or the Royal Cathedral – is the coronation site and burial place of almost all of Poland’s monarchs. It was built in the early 11th century by King Boleslaw the Brave after Cracow was made a bishopric. Although there are Romanesque elements, the overall impact is determined by the 14th-century Gothic structure. The relics of St Stanislaw, the patron saint of Cracow and Poland, are kept here. Of the many royal chapels, the Renaissance Chapel of King Zygmunt (Sigismund) stands out. It is possible to climb the tower to see the 11-tonne Zygmunt Bell and enjoy the fine view.

Wawel 3
Tel: (012) 422 5155.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1215-1700 (May-Sep); Mon-Sat 0900-1500, Sun 1215-1500 (Nov-Mar).
Admission charge; concessions available.

Muzeum Narodowe (National Museum)
The museum’s large collection is located in a number of separate buildings, including the Czartoryski Museum (see below). The Main Building houses a collection of decorative art, 20th-century Polish art and Polish arms and national colours, in addition to temporary exhibitions. The Gallery in the Cloth Hall, Rynek Glowny 1/3 (tel: (012) 422 1166) exhibits 19th-century Polish art and temporary exhibitions.

Aleja 3 Maja 1
Tel: (012) 295 5500.
Website: www.muzeum.krakow.pl (Polish only)
Opening hours: (Main building) Tues-Thur and Sun 1000-1530, Fri-Sat 1000-1800; (Cloth Hall) Tues, Thur and Sat 1000-1530, Wed and Fri 1000-1800.
Admission charge; concessions available; free Sun.

Muzeum Czartoryskich (Czartoryski Museum)
A large collection of ancient art from Greece and Egypt, as well as Oriental artefacts, weapons and Turkish carpets can be found here. European paintings and sculpture cover the 13th to 18th centuries – the most famous works here are Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine and Rembrandt’s Landscape with the Good Samaritan.

Ulica sw Jana 19
Tel: (012) 422 5566.
Website: www.muzeum-czartoryskich.krakow.pl (Polish only)
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1550 (Fri until 1800).
Admission charge; concessions available; free Sun.

Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa (History Museum of the City of Cracow)
This museum’s collection is spread over a number of sites. The branch in Rynek Glowny occupies three burgher houses and displays objects from Cracow’s earliest times. Other galleries showcase a collection of portraiture and antique clocks.

Krzysztofory Palace
Rynek Glowny 35
Tel: (012) 422 9922.
Website: www.mhk.pl (Polish only)
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 0900-1530, Thurs 1100-1800.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Stara Synagoga or Alte Shul (Old Synagogue)
Kazimierz was originally a separate town, only merging with Cracow in 1868. Here the memories of the Jewish community who lived in the Kazimierz district for centuries (up until the Holocaust) are collected in physical form. Part of the Historical Museum of the City of Cracow, the Old Synagogue houses a permanent exhibit – Tradition and Culture of Polish Jews. The Synagogue was built in the early 15th century and reconstructed with Renaissance aspects by the Florentine architect, Matteo Gucci, after the fire of 1574. The surrounding area had been largely ignored until Steven Spielberg’s film, Schindler’s List (1993), drew attention to the Kazimierz (there are also a number of sites around the former wartime ghetto, south of the Vistula River, which are included in tours). The only two functioning synagogues in Cracow (the Remuh Synagoga, ulica Szeroka 40, with cemetery attached, and the Isaak Synagoga, ulica Kupa 18, which shows documentary films) are located nearby.

Ulica Szeroka 24
Tel/fax: (012) 422 0962.
Opening hours: Mon 1000-1400, Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge; concessions available; free Mon.

Muzeum Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego (Jagiellonian University Museum)
Housed in the mid-15th-century Collegium Maius, the oldest building of the Cracow Academy (the university’s forerunner) this museum is home to an eclectic collection. The University was founded in 1364 and reformed by King Wladyslaw Jagiello in 1400. Visits are by guided tour only, which includes important rooms and reconstructed professors’ chambers, as well as significant historical objects, such as astronomical instruments that may have been used by Copernicus.

Ulica Jagiellonska 15
Tel: (012) 422 0549.
Website: www.uj.edu.pl/muzeum
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100-1500, Sat 1100-1400 (last entry 40 minutes before closing time); closed Sun and holidays.
Admission charge; concessions available; free Sat.

Further Distractions

Muzeum Archidiecezjalne (Archdiocesan Museum)
Sacral art from the Cracow Archdiocese, 13th-century paintings and Pope John Paul II’s room (he lived here twice) are among the attractions in this 14th-century canonic house. A number of the presents received by the late Polish pontiff in his role as pope from various world leaders are also on display.

Ulica Kanonicza 19-21
Tel: (012) 421 8963 or 628 8211.
Website: www.diecezja.krakow.pl (Polish only)
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 1000-1600, Sat-Sun 1000-1500.
Admission charge; concessions available.

Centrum Sztuki i Techniki Japonskiej Manggha (‘Manggha’ Centre of Japanese Art and Technology)
While its appearance may be at odds with Cracow’s many historic buildings, this centre has one of the continent’s finest collection of ancient Japanese art housed in a sleek, glass and concrete building designed by Arata Isozaki. The collection was created by Felix ‘Manggha’ Jasienski (1861-1929), who first discovered Japenese art while studying in Paris in the 1880s. He adopted the pseudonym ‘Manggha’ from a transliteration of the Japenese ‘manga’ – the title of Hokusu’s famous series of sketches. He collected throughout his life and bestowed the collection to the National Museum in 1920. However, there was no place to show it until the new museum was opened in 1994.

Ulica M Konopnickiej 26
Tel: (012) 267 2703.
Website: www.manggha.krakow.pl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge; concessions available; free Sun.

Nowa Huta (New Town)
Although all traces of Communist rule are being systematically erased from the Old Town, those with an interest in ‘Real Socialist’ architecture can travel out of town to the model Soviet suburb of Nowa Huta. Tours are run by PTTK Association (tel: (012) 643 7905).

This ‘New Town’, with its wide boulevards, geometrically ordered streets and imposing buildings, extends from the Central Square (Plac Centralny). Yet while it characterises Communist architectural style, it also displays the Poles’ resistance to certain aspects of Communism – as can be witnessed by the Church of the Virgin Mary Queen of Poland (designed by Wojciech Peitrzyk), constructed between 1967 and 1977 in the Bienczyce Quarter.

Not everything in Nowa Huta is new. The Church of St Bartholomew (located at ulica Klasztorna, just in front of the 18th-century Cistercian Abbey), built by Maciej Maczka, dates from 1466 and is Poland’s only surviving example of a medieval wooden church. Now part of the European Culture Programme, the church houses some beautiful 14th-century wall paintings and a sculpture of Jesus. According to a local belief, hair is said to sprout from the head of the statue. The church is open 24 hours.

Also worth a visit is Centrum, the Gallery of Nowa Huta Cultural Centre, located at aleja Jana Pawla II (tel: (012) 644 2863).

Nowohuckie Centrum Kultury (Centre of Culture in Nowa Huta)
Aleja Jana Pawla II 232
Tel: (012) 644 0266.
Website: www.nh.pl or www.nck.krakow.pl

Tours of the City

Cracow’s Old Town is compact and easy to wander around but a guided walking tour will enrich the experience. Guide Cracow (tel: (012) 422 2851; website: www.guide-cracow.pl) offer a wide selection of tours on foot, tailored to suit a variety of interests, from architecture to literature and famous people. Seasonal tours are also available. Wedrowiec (tel: (012) 292 72 75; website: www.wedrowiec.krakow.pl) and Jan-Pol, Westerplatte 15 (tel: (012) 411 9964; website: www.janpol.com) also offers guided tours of the old town.

Cracow Tours (website: www.crakowtours.pl) organise various bus trips to the most popular sites within and near Krakow, including daily city tours, Jewish Krakow, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz, and even a day trip to Zakopane. Stay Poland (tel: 022 829 4072; website: www.staypoland.com) offers 12 thematic tours of the city, including royal Krakow, legendary Krakow (recommended for families) and papal Krakow.

Boat tours on the Vistula River offer great views of Wawel Castle; and the caf on the boat is a delightful place to relax. Departures are from south of Wawel (near the Most Grunwaldzki) from May to September.

In season, Rynek Glowny is overrun with horse-drawn carts (dorozkis), brought in to please the tourist masses. Trotting across the cobbles, though, is something of an essential experience for first-time visitors. A relatively new sight on Cracow’s streets are the glorified golf carts that now ferry visitors around the Old Town, Wavel Castle, Kazimierz and Skalka Monastery. More information from Jordan Information Centre (tel: (012) 421 2125).

Excursions

For a Half Day

Wieliczka: The Royal Salt Mine at Wieliczka is a unique underground town, located 10km (6 miles) southeast of Cracow, which dates from the late 13th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the chambers is the Chapel of St Antony, where the first Mass was held before the miners started work in 1698, and the 1896 Chapel of Blessed Kinga, which features sculptures carved from the salt, and is lit by chandeliers whose crystals are made of salt. Kingas remains were placed in the main altar in 1994 and she was canonized to celebrate John Paul IIs visit in 1999. The Muzeum Zup Krakowskich (Cracow Salt-Works Museum) comprises exhibitions within the mine and in the Salt-Works Castle. A two-and-a-half-hour tour takes in the chambers, caverns and underground lakes of the mine; visitors can also descend directly to the exhibit by lift. The temperature is a steady 14C (57F) and warm clothing is advised. Tours are available daily, 0730-1930 from mid-April to mid-October or 0800-1600 during the rest of the year. Regular trains (as well as the Lux Bus) run from Cracows Main Railway Station to the site, while coaches and excursion tours are also readily available. The Cracow Salt-Works Museum, ulica Zamkowa 8 (tel: (012) 422 1947; website: www.muzeum.wieliczka.pl) can provide further information. Admission is charged (non-professional use of cameras is extra).

For a Whole Day

Auschwitz-Birkenau: Oswiecim (Auschwitz) concentration camp is located 70km (43 miles) from Cracow and is an essential day trip, as it brings home the horrors of Nazi rule and the Holocaust perhaps more than anywhere else in the world. Auschwitz was actually three camps (Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau and Auschwitz III-Monowitz) with 40 sub-camps. Today, the preserved buildings of the first camp house displays of photographs and personal articles (from hair to shoes, suitcases and pots and pans), which evoke the tragedy of individuals. Many visitors never make the effort to go onto the second camp, Auschwitz II (Birkenau), but this is the extermination camp where four million victims of Nazi Germany were murdered, many led straight from their cattle trucks into the gas chambers. It is at Birkenau that the sheer scale of the tragedy is most evident, although it has few of the visitor facilities of Auschwitz itself.

The Auschwitz Memorial Museum, ulica Wiezniow Oswiecimia 20 (tel: (033) 843 2022; website: www.auschwitz-muzeum.oswiecim.pl) is open seven days a week from 0800 (closing time varies seasonally between 1500 and 1900) and is free of charge.

Many operators in Cracow offer coach tours, and there are also regular coach and rail services from the city. Bus travel is available between the camps.

Sport

Shopping

Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square) still performs its medieval function that its name suggests. The Cloth Hall in particular is a good place to find all manner of souvenirs and Polish handicrafts, such as lace, dolls and leather goods, as well as high-quality, reasonably priced amber jewellery. The Cepelia stores, on ulica Bracka, and the range of shops clustering around the Hotel Cracovia, are also worth a visit for Polish handicrafts. The section of the Old Town wall on ulica Florianska is given over to local artists, who present works of varying quality for sale. As the influx of Western tourists brings more money into the city, the number of smart boutiques continues to grow, especially on ulica Florianska, and, to a lesser extent, on ulica Szewska.

The colourful, vegetable market Stary Kleparz (open from 0700 until dusk) at Rynek Kleparski, just to the north of the Old Town, is one of the oldest markets in Poland, dating back to the 14th century. A little further north, around plac Nowy Kleparz, at the end of ulica Dluga, the longest street in Cracow, is another vegetable market (open from 0700 until dusk) – although not quite so cheap as its older cousin. Cracow’s biggest flea market (open Sunday 0700-1300) is located at plac Nowy Kazimierz.

Large supermarkets, such as Carrefour, ulica Zakopianska 62, Geant, ulica Bora Komorowskiego 37, Hit, ulica Wielicka 259, and the 24-hour Tesco, ulica Kapelanka 56, usually offer the best prices for traditional Polish products, such as vodka and Krowki (literally ‘Little Cow’) sweets.

Opening hours vary considerably and many shops tend to open and close later than in Western European countries. Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 1000/1100 to 1800/2000 and Saturday 1000 to 1300/1600. Shopping malls, hypermarkets and the larger shops are often open seven days a week and there are also a number of 24-hour shops. VAT is 22%. Tax-free shopping is available at various venues displaying the ‘Tax Free Shopping’ sign (tel: (022) 853 3755; website: www.globalrefund.pl).

Culture

Cracow’s rich intellectual, spiritual and artistic life has received worldwide attention, thanks to its selection as one of the nine European Cities of Culture in 2000. This special year was overseen by the patronage of Cracow’s leading cultural residents: the film and theatre director Andrzej Wajda, the poets Wislawa Szymborska and Czeslaw Milosz, and the composer Krzysztof Penderecki, who won a Grammy Award in 1988. Cracow has long been Poland’s cultural capital but the city’s broad range of culture and the appeal of Cracow’s artistic life have taken off since this year-long arts extravaganza and now more and more events take place all around the city.

Information on cultural events and tickets are available from the Centrum Informacji Kulturalnej (Cultural Information Centre), ulica sw Jana 2 (tel: (012) 421 7787; website: www.animatec.com/karnet). There is a culture information centre in central Cracow at Sukiennice, Rynek Glowny 1/3 (tel: (012) 421 7706; website: www.mcit.pl). The Cultural Information Centre publishes a monthly magazine, Karnet, which has listings in English and Polish.

Music: Cracow’s musical heritage goes back to the liturgical music of the 11th-century Cathedral School. Liszt and Brahms gave concerts in Wawel Castle’s Saxon Room, Szymanowski is buried in Skalka Church and Paderewski made a bequest to the university. The Cracow Academy of Music continues to produce high-calibre musicians. The Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Panstwowa Filharmonia im Szymanowskiego (Szymanowski State Philharmonic), ulica Zwierzyniecka 1 (tel: (012) 422 9477). The Capella Cracoviensis choir gives special concerts in the Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) and a number of Cracow’s churches, in addition to their performances at the Philharmonic Hall.

Opera performances take place on Sunday and Monday in the impressive Teatr im Juliusza Slowackiego (Juliusz Slowacki National Slowacki Theatre), plac sw Ducha 1 (tel: (012) 424 4500; website: www.slowacki.krakow.pl), which echoes the Paris Opera. The Cracow Operetta performs at the Scena Opretkowa (Operetta Stage), ulica Lubicz 48 (tel: (012) 421 4200).

The Music in Old Cracow festival and the Tyniec Organ Recitals, in an 11th-century Benedictine abbey in the nearby village of Tyniec, have both been running for over a quarter of a century. Much newer, but rapidly gaining in popularity, is the annual Easter Ludwig van Beethoven Festival, inaugurated as part of the Krakow 2000 festival and featuring works by Beethoven and other composers. The summer Jazz Masters Festival features local and international performers.

Theatre: Cracow has a rich dramatic history – the Aktorzy Teatru Cricot 2, ulica Kanoniczna 5 (tel: (012) 292 9290), was renowned as the place to see the works of avant-garde director Tadeusz Kantor, while the Teatr im. Juliusza Slowackiego or Slowacki Theatre, plac Sw Ducha 1 (tel: (012) 422 4575), was the venue for the premiers of Stanislaw Wyspianski’s plays. Today, both classic and avant-garde works are staged there.

The Teatr Stary im Heleny Modrzejewskiej (Old Theatre) is Cracow’s foremost theatre company and performances are on one of three stages. The main stage is at ulica Jagiellonska 5 (tel: (012) 422 8020 or 422 4040 for bookings). Teatr Ludowy, Osiedle Teatralne 34 (tel: (012) 680 2100), retains its socialist name (The People’s Theatre). It also retains the sparse (for some, plain ugly) interiors of Poland’s Communist past but this is where radical new plays or cutting-edge adaptations of the classics are performed. Tickets may be purchased Tuesday to Saturday 1600-1800 and two hours before the performance.

Dance: In addition to ballet at the Slowacki Theatre, the city is a good place to see performances during the Cracow Ballet Meetings in November.

Film: Film buffs should time their visit to Cracow to coincide with some of the annual festivals, such as the Polish and International Festival of Commercials and Advertisements in March (Poland was the proud winner at Cannes International Advertising Festival in June 2000), the International Short Film Festival and Polish Short Film Festival in May, or the Etiud International Film Festival in November.

Almost all films shown in Cracow’s cinemas are in the original language, with Polish subtitles. Cracow’s screens include ARS, ulica sw Jana 6 (tel: (012) 421 4199; website: www.ars.pl), a very elegant cinema just off the market square, and the Kijow (the biggest cinema in town) behind the Hotel Cracovia, Krasinskiego 34 (tel: (012) 422 3093). There is also a new IMAX, aleja Pokoju 44 (tel: (012) 290 9090; website: www.kinoimax.pl/krakow). Pasaz, Rynek Glowny 9 (in the old commercial passage leading from the corner of Grodzka and the Rynek to ulica Stolarska) shows A-movie features a few weeks or months after their release, and Mikro, ulica Lea 5 (tel: (012) 634 2897) is the place to go for arthouse movies.

Literary Notes: There are two winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature closely associated with Cracow. Firstly, Czeslaw Milosz, the author of The Captive Mind (1953), who died recently (Aug 2004). Secondly, the poet Wislawa Szymborska, whose literary debut began with I Seek the World (1945), published in the supplement Fight (Walka) of Cracow’s daily newspaper, and was followed by the runaway success That’s What we Live For (1952) and many subsequent collections of poetry. The leading Polish science fiction writer and author of Solaris (1961), Stanislaw Lem, studied at Cracow’s Jagiellonian University. Although it is Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List (1993) that has so dramatically raised awareness of Cracow’s former Jewish population, it was Schindler’s Ark (which won the Booker Prize in 1982), by Thomas Kenneally, that first told the story. A good recent history of the city is Zdislaw Zygulski’s Cracow: An Illustrated History (2001).

To learn more about Krakow, visit http://letters.krakow.pl

Nightlife

The combination of a large student population and an increasing number of tourist visitors means that the nightlife scene in Cracow has hotted up considerably over the last few years. The epicentre of nightlife is on and around Rynek Glowny, with pavement cafs a popular place to begin an evening. Distinctions between cafs, restaurants, bars and clubs tend to blur a bit, especially later in the evening when cosy cellar bars become party zones complete with booming dance music and sweaty dancefloors. Live music tends to be rock or jazz, but there are occasionally more off-beat shows. Bars have tended to close fairly early in the past but more and more are opening until 0200 or even 0400. A cover charge may sometimes apply. The minimum drinking age in Poland is 18, and it is illegal to sell alcohol to someone who appears to be drunk. The average price of a beer in a bar is between ZL5 and ZL8, but wine is more expensive.

Bars: Every week sees the launch of a new caf or a pub, so keeping up with what’s happening in the city can be a bit of a challenge. Check the local press or websites such as www.cracowonline.com or www.cracow-life.com for the latest hip venues.

One of the best of the cellar pubs is CK Browar, Podwale 6-7, a lively pub with stone walls and lots of nooks and crannies to hide away in. An artsy, Bohemian hangout is Nowy Kuzyn, Maly Rynek 4, with its 1970s-style decor, funky furniture and trance sounds. More traditional pubs include Piwnica Pod Baranami, Rynek Glowny 27, with its cheap beer, and Pub Popularny, ulica Grodzka 31, with its rock music and strong beer. Bastylia Bar on Stolarska 3 is a trendy pub with giant screen TV and good vodkas, and they also serve food.

Casinos: There is a branch of Casinos Poland in the Hotel Novotel Bronowice at aleja Armii Krajowej 11. The hotels Forum, ulica Marii Konopnickiej 28, and Pod Roza, ulica Florianska 14, also have casinos that are open to the public. There is also a big casino in Hotel Cracovia on Krasinskiego 34. The minimum age for entrance is 18 years – passports are required. At very least, a suit and tie or the equivalent is the standard dress code for hotel casinos.

Clubs: Cracow’s club scene has improved vastly in recent years, with new clubs opening all the time. Party goers tend to move from one spot to the next as the night goes on. One of the hottest dance clubs at the moment is Club Fusion (website: www.clubfusion.pl) at ulica Florianska 15, although Kredens, Rynek Glowny 12, a cavernous cellar club, has a well established reputation for dance music too. Caryca, ulica Wielopol 15, has smoky, laid-back interiors and smooth sounds, while Buddha Bar & Garden at Rynek Glowny 6 (right on the Grand Square) offers oriental dcor and atmosphere. Frantic (website: www.frantic.pl), also in the Old Town at ulica Szewska 5, attracts a young crowd with its funky dcor: it has two dancefloors and three bars. And Zoom Club, new on the scene for 2005, is one of the places to check out at the weekend, with visiting hip house DJs from all over Poland. Kitsch, ulica Wielopole 15 (website: www.kitsch.pl) meanwhile, is the best gay friendly spot in town.

Live Music: Jazz is popular in the city and some of the cellar bars make for the perfect environment in which to hear bands. Klub U Louisa, 13 Rynek Glowny on the main square (website: www.ulouisa.com) is one of the oldest places of its kind in Cracow, and one of the most famous. Indigo, ulica Sw Tomasza 17, is another smoky cellar perfect to listen to jazz music in relaxed surroundings. Stalowe Magnolie (Steel Magnolias), ulica Sw Jana 15, is open from 1800 to dawn – jazz ends at midnight and recorded house music begins. The Klezmer Hois (Klezmer House) restaurant, ulica Szeroka 6 (website: www.klezmer-hois.cracow.pl) in Kazimierz, offers nightly Klezmer (a combination of traditional Jewish music and 1920s jazz) from one of three bands, as well as other music on occasion. Many of the city’s bars and clubs have live music one night a week. Peweks, ulica Sw Tomasza 11a, is a cult Cracow hangout well worth checking out, while Ludu Dubu, ulica Wielopole 5, is a retro club in an old 19th century townhouse just outside the Old Town. Popular with students, it offers a wide range of music.

City Statistics

Location: Malopolska province, southeastern Poland.
Country dialling code: 48.
Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temp: 4C (39F).
Average July temp: 27C (80.5F).
Annual rainfall: 558mm (22 inches).

Special Events

Wawel Evenings, Jan, classical music concerts at the Castle (website: www.filharmonia.krakow.pl)
Krakow Theatrical Reminiscences, Mar, various venues (website: www.rotunda.pl)
Constitution Day, patriotic parades and festivities, 3 May, throughout the city
Student’s Song Festival, early May, various venues
St Stanislaw Procession, May, from Wawel to Skalta
Cracow Film Festival, May/Jun, various venues (website: www.cracowfilmfestival.pl)
Summer Festival of Opera and Operetta, early Jun
Wianki, midsummer festival with girls floating wreaths of magic herbs and candles on the Visitula River, St John’s Day, June 24
Jewish Culture Festival, Jun-Jul, Kazimierz (website: www.jewishfestival.pl)
Summer Jazz Festival, Jul, various venues
International Street Theatre Festival, early Jul, throughout the city
Folk Art Fair, late Aug, Old Town
Festival of Old Polish Operas, mid-Sep, various venues
Cracow Jazz Jamboree, Nov, various venues
Cracow Ballet Meetings, Nov, various venues (website: www.nck.krakow.pl)
Independence Day, patriotic displays around the city, mid-Nov, throughout the city
Szopki Krakowskie, contest for the most beautiful Cracow Christmas nativity scene, Dec, Rynek Glowny
Jazz Juniors, international competition of young jazz groups, Dec, various venues
Christmas Day, 25 Dec, throughout the city
New Year’s Eve, 31 Dec, Rynek Glowny
International Silent Film Festival, Dec, various venues (website: www.kinopodbaranami.pl)

Cost of Living

1 Polish Zloty (ZL) = 0.17; US$0.32; C$0.40; A$0.42; 0.25
Currency conversion rates as of Feb 2005