If you’re planning a trip to Europe(or anywhere really), you should put Poland on your list for a plethora of reasons. Eastern Europe is far cheaper than Western Europe, has less tourists (something I’m always looking for), and is vastly underrated.
If you’re lucky enough to make it to Krakow on your journey, there are a few things you shouldn’t miss. When I went to Poland, I was mainly going because Auschwitz had become the number one place I wanted to see. I thought Krakow would be a small, boring city. Boy was I wrong. The biggest mistake I made my entire trip was not seeing more of Poland and staying such a short time.
The first great thing about Krakow is the bus station is a few blocks from the main square, so getting around is very convenient. They have a bus chain, Polskibus that has some outrageously cheap tickets to other cities in Poland and Europe. I was only able to stay a few days, but I’m always recommending Krakow to anyone taking a trip to Europe.
There were plenty of vegan options for food in the city and it is even cheaper than other European countries to eat. They have eateries open at all hours and I was able to get a burger(vegan of course), coleslaw, French fries, and a smoothie for about $10. Can’t find a better deal than that.
These are the things you should do:
1. Auschwitz-Berkenau
A no brainer if you’re even close to the area. I chose Krakow because it was almost equidistance as Katowice to Auschwitz, but had easier transportation to the camps. It takes around 1.5 hours to get there, and you have several options. I opted to get a guided tour that picks you up at your hotel, takes you there, and lets you skip the line. Guided tours cost around $35-$40, and some give student discounts. There are also local buses that will take longer and require more thought, but cost maybe $10 plus entry.
I don’t want to make it sound like any other touristy experience, though. I’m a huge history nerd, so seeing first hand what I’ve read and watched documentaries about was surreal. The tour guide also provided information we couldn’t have gotten from a book. An unfortunate tenant of the tour was the guide brushing off the sex slavery that occurred there as “less important than other atrocities,” which I disagree with. The worst part of the experience was hearing from someone in our tour group, whose parents had both been prisoners in Auschwitz(they luckily survived), and how it affected her childhood. It’s something I won’t soon forget
My mom had visited some years before I was born and told me about the stark contrast of the site from today. Over 2 million people visited in 2016, and the need for heightened security, long lines, and sometimes less than respectful people are omnipresent. When she was there, it was deserted, winter, there was no security, no entrance, no people. Even more jarring when you think about it.
2. Main Square and architecture
When I visited, it was the height of season and people were everywhere. There was a festival going on every day we were there, with handmade goods and performers in the main square, which according to a tour guide is one of the oldest untouched from WWII left in the world. The square has a market smack dab in the middle with trinkets and doodads for friends and family. I bought a small box engraved with the city scape on it for about $3.50. The side streets from the main square have plenty of food, beer, local vodka(very strong), and really great architecture dating back hundreds of years. It’s definitely worth it to walk along the city wall and feel the history.
There’s also a (short) trumpet performance from one of the churches windows every day. Go and find out why, it’s a great story.
3. Free Tour
I took a free guided tour the first day I got there. It would have been much more enjoyable if I had not taken an overnight bus the night before from Budapest and gotten absolutely no sleep. The tour was several hours long and culminated at the castle, which is atop a very, very, high hill.
While I almost fell asleep several times, the knowledge the guide had was outstanding, and you can’t beat free. He started in the main square, and walked us through the centuries of history of Poland, adding in jokes and urban legends that only a local would know. This company has tours throughout large cities in Europe and if you search free tour Krakow, it’s the first result.
4. Bar Crawl
The bar crawl in Krakow is the best I’ve ever been on, and that’s coming from an avid bar lover. I got a coupon from the tour I was on for 10% off, which made both even better, and spent no more than $15. That’s right folks. $15 for all you can drink. Dangerous. My friend (who did not go on the free tour but was delighted about the bar crawl) and I, had a one hour open bar with about 75 other excited travelers, went to 3 awesome bars in town with free entry and a drink at each one…and we got to skip the line.
We were able to sample some local beers and liquors and ended up at an underground club that was packed with locals. The guides were a mix of locals and for some reason solely Canadians, who made the experience a great time and gave us a lot of recommendations.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to stay in Poland as long as I would have liked, but I will definitely be back, especially when it costs less than $20 to get there from neighboring cities and countries. From what I heard, Krakow is more lively and has more history than Warsaw, but I will be judge of that on my next trip.
