Krakow: Hidden Gem of the East

Way back in November or December, a lot of the major airlines were having “Black Friday” sales. I decided to hop on that and get some flights that were cheaper than normal. I knew that in March, I would have a long weekend break, but where to go? Do I go to a new country or somewhere I had already been? Finally I made my decision.

Where did I choose to go? Krakow, Poland! I visited Poland about three years ago, so I was a little unsure of going back. It was so cold when I went to Warsaw! Still, people had told me that Krakow was much more beautiful than Warsaw because everything was still original.

That is true. In 1944, Warsaw was almost completely destroyed after a failed uprising. Hitler personally declared that the city should be razed to the ground. Krakow, on the other hand, was considered by the Nazis to really be a German city. Back in the Middle Ages, Krakow was founded by a Pole with the help of German merchants. They came to the city and set up shop in the popular Market Square. Because of this reason, Krakow stayed relatively untouched by the war. 

It was still cold, but nearly as freezing as my time in Warsaw. For this reason, I was able to do some more walking, although I had come down with a cold just days before so I wasn’t able to do as much as I would have normally done.

Wawel Castle

One of the major highlights of the city if Wawel Castle. According to legend, a dragon once made its home in a cave underneath the castle. It could only be satisfied by eating the local virgins. One day, a man named Krak stuffed sulphur into a sheep and gave the sheep to the dragon to eat. The dragon ate the sheep, and then felt so thirsty that he went to the river for a drink of water. This caused a reaction in the dragon’s tummy, so he died.

Nowadays, you can see three bones that remain from the dragon outside the cathedral. Although, now that we can test DNA, we know that these three bones come not from a dragon, but rather three very different animals: a rhino, a wooly mammoth, and whale. 

The castle itself sits on a hill overlooking the river in the city. You can go inside and visit the staterooms, but unfortunately for me, these were closed for remodeling. If you are interested in some art, you can also visit some art in the castle, but that wasn’t for me.

Instead, I paid probably the equivalent of about €5 for a ticket and an audio guide for the cathedral. If you don’t want to pay, you can go and have a peek at the cathedral. With the ticket, though, you can see so much more. You can climb the bell tower for a look over the city. My favorite part were the chapels built for the different families that ruled over Poland. Poland’s royal family line died out hundreds of years ago, but they used to elect a king. Because of this, even a Swede ruled over Poland.

Under the church, you can get a glimpse of the crypts. These sit under the family chapels. You can see the tomb of several famous Poles, including one named Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

I had never heard of him before, but he helped the US during the Revolutionary War and even has bridges and monuments in the US now. 

Don’t forget to take a walk by the river to catch the dragon blowing its fire every few minutes!

Remnants of World War II

Although the Nazis never destroyed the city, there are still many things around the city that serve as a reminder of what the Poles had to face during this time. Near Wawel Castle, you can see the former house of Oskar Schindler. If you have time, you can also visit his enamel factory (although the inside is a museum about the history of WWII in Krakow). Oskar Schindler saved about 1,200 Jews in Krakow out the 6,000 that survived. He is held in regard for this, but he also kicked out the Jewish owners of his house to make it his own.

Because I wasn’t feeling that great, I never made it to the Jewish Quarter. Apparently, though, unlike the straight roads of the main city center, the Jewish Quarter is like a maze. From what I’ve read, it seems like a hipster’s paradise.

A Medieval City

Krakow is also a very medieval city. The architecture is very beautiful. One of the main attractions to see is St. Florian’s Gate. Before, it was part of a much larger wall encasing the city. However, now, only two towers remain. It’s a very interesting and medieval part and was used in the case of potential invaders to the city.

Like I said earlier, too, the German merchants created a very large market square. It is one of the largest market squares in Europe. You can still see merchants selling things in the square, and there is an indoor market that sells different souvenirs. I bought myself a pair of Polish-style slippers.

In the middle of market square is St. Mary’s Church. If you want to be a tourist, you have to pay for a ticket. However, there is a section for praying if you want to stick your head inside and take a peek. On the hour, every hour, there is a trumpeter that sticks his trumpet outside the window (four times, one for each corner of the world) and plays a short tune. It cuts off abruptly due to another legend. 

This legend says that the Mongols were coming, and the trumpeter played his trumpet from the tower to warn the people. He did not have time to run, so a sniper-like archer shot him dead, so he never finished the tune. What is the more likely story is that he started the tune and another trumpeter at St. Florian’s Gate finished the end of the tune. These trumpeters work in shifts all day. They are not professional, buy rather apply and (I believe) they are part of the fire brigade.

Food

Since I wasn’t feeling that great, I didn’t eat a lot of food. I actually ate at McDonald’s because I just wasn’t hungry. However, I did make sure to try some Polish treats.

You can’t leave Poland without eating a pierogi. There are many little pierogi shops around the city that make them fresh. The place I went to literally had seven bar stools for its customers. That’s it. 

You could also try some meat options. I had to have a kielbasa! Luckily, Krakow is one of the cheapest cities I have ever visited. I was paying LESS than €4 for each meal. My pierogis and a bottle of Pepsi cost about €3.50. Talk about a money saver!

The Real Reason for Going

When I was debating about going to Krakow or another country I had never been to, there was one thing that was the deciding reason: I really wanted to visit Auschwitz. Originally, I wanted to include Auschwitz into this post, but it deserves its own story. Stay tuned for my experience here.

To sum it up

If you want a CHEAP city vacation in a beautiful city, you have to visit Krakow. I was not sure what to expect by it, but it was a really cute city. It’s not that big, so it’s easy to get around. Everything was really cheap from the food to the Uber. Seriously! I took a few Ubers and they were less than €3! I really recommend visiting this lovely city and not only looking around, but getting to really understand what the Polish people have experienced over the past millennium.