My adventure continues with the beautiful delight that is Kraków, Poland. I have to admit after the visit we had in Berlin, I was almost sure I would be disappointed with my visit to Poland in comparison. But I was blown away as we wandered into the Old Town of Kraków, dragging our suitcases and feeling very sticky! I could have happily stayed in the Old Town for the entire stay. I've never seen a town like it. There are so many little side streets, nooks and crannies to discover, that each visit is just as charming and new as the last.
Where did I stay and how long for?
We stayed (again with brother and mum) in a hostel called Location Aparthostel for 4 nights. The room we stayed in was very spacious, and although it was a slightly longer journey to the bathroom, it was a lovely place to stay. The staff were friendly and so kind. We were accidentally placed in the wrong room, and the receptionist felt so terrible that we woke the next morning to find that she had bought us crossaints and coffee!
Highlights
Ice cream and a jazz bar in the Old Town (not at the same time!), the visit to Auschwitz and the salt Mines. (Which doesn't leave much left!)
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| Old Town |
The Itinerary
28th May - We arrived in Kraków by train, at around 6pm. It was a huge relief to finally arrive, as there was a little confusion with the last few stops of the train. Long story short, I ended up getting off at the wrong station and getting into a bit of a panic struggling to get back on again! It took a while for me to calm down as I was feeling some anxiety but it's a mistake that's been made at the beginning of the trip, and I'll be sure to triple check everything else from now on!
As I wasn't feeling my best, we decided to just head out for a quick bite to eat and then have an early night. Seeing the Old Town for the first time was definitely a mood changer. I began to immediately perk up after strolling the cobblestone streets and looking at what the town had to offer. After wandering for a while we stopped at a little pizza Place, as it was quick and the other restaurants were quite fancy. This was another amazing pizza place, and I've not even gotten as far as Italy yet! They served such a huge variety of toppings, including individual calzones! I ended up getting a bolognaise flavour calzone, which was delicious and definitely the comfort food that I needed. After dinner, we treated ourselves to some ice cream from, in my opinion, the best ice cream parlour on the square. (I can't remember the name but it's the one with crowds of people swarming round it). I got caramel flavour, and what looked like strawberry shortcake, as it had little pieces of biscuit in it. It was to die for! We then headed home and had an early night, ready to wake up fresh in the morning.
29th May - As every day in Berlin was jam packed full of activities, we decided to have a relaxing day of wandering and getting lost in the many streets of the Old Town. We walked through the Cloth Hall, admiring Traditional Polish dress, jewellery and children's toys. We walked up to the Mury Obronne, giving a fantastic view of the pretty streets. We then had a quick look around the Barbican before grabbing some lunch. In the evening we went out for dinner before grabbing a few drinks at a Jazz Bar and listening to this music :)
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| Nearby Park |
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| Barbican |
30th May - We took a day trip to Auschwitz. This has always been something on my bucket list. World War II and the holocaust was always something that really interested me in school and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go and learn more about the terrible history. It was very sad and difficult to see the living conditions, the objects and possessions on display and most of all, the gas chambers. But I'm really glad I went. It's such an important part of history, I think it's something everyone should see given the opportunity.
31st May - We took a day trip to the Salt Mines. This was such a cool place to visit. We were down more than 50 floors and what fascinated me the most were the sculptures that were completed by hand, by the minors in their spare time. There was even a beautiful church. The walls were covered in religious scenes and the chandeliers were made out of salt crystals.
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| How many floors?! |
In the afternoon we headed over to Schindlers Factory, but we had just missed the cut off for entry. As I was leaving early the next day, I had no time to come back again in the morning. But we did take a quick look at the last remaining fragments of the Ghetto Wall.
1st June - After a quick breakfast in the sun, I made my way up to the train station to start my solo adventure and another full day of travelling. My train went from Kraków to Katowice and from Katowice to Vienna.
Top Tips/Recommendations for Kraków
- Walk up to the Mury Obronne for some great snapping opportunities
- Find the ice cream place with the swarm of people around it! It's the place to be!
- Take a day trip to Auschwitz.
I will definitely return to Poland soon. It may turn out to be one of my favourite places.
dużo miłości,
Franki xxx
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