Things To Do In Krakow
2023, a new year to visit new destinations. Kraków, Poland is one of the top places to visit in Europe, and no trip to Poland is completed without visiting Krakow. Next to it being an amazing place to visit it is also just a short plane right away from the Netherlands and perfect place to meet friends.
For years the city has been one of the main Polish destinations for both local and international travelers who enjoy the mix of historical sites, affordable restaurants, museums and shops. With just two days in Kraków it is just enough to explore the highlights of the city. Here is my list of things to do in Krakow.
Wavel Castle Grounds
You can stroll around the Wavel Castle Grounds for free. Many people just walk around the grounds enjoying the views without actually going inside the castle. The castle grounds open at 6:00 AM so for the early birds also a perfect spot to see sunrise.
The Wavel Castle Grounds house different attractions to see:
- Wavel Cathedral
- Wavel Castle Museum
- Wavel Dragon
The Wavel Dragon is a statue of a fire breathing dragon statue. The legend states that Wawel Dragon was a beast which lived in a den under Wawel Hill and terrorised all the inhabitants of King Krak’s town. The story about the dragon changes based on who you ask on will tell you that the dragon required ransoms of cattle, while other sources insist that it only devoured virgins.
But no one could vanquish the monster, until a young shoemaker Skuba outsmarted the Dragon. He poisoned the dragon by feeding it a ram which hide was full of sulphur and pitch. He married the kings only daughter as a reward.
Rynek Główny
The Main Market Square is in the middle of the Old Town of Kraków. The market square house multiple sights to see:
- The Cloth Hal; once an important trading centrum now a hall filled with souvenir shops.
- Town Hall Tower; is the only remaining part of the old Kraków Town Hall. It’s temporary closed on the moment of writing.
- St. Mary Basilica; a church where you can climb 239 steps to the top of the towers to experience an amazing view over Kraków. Only 10 people are allowed to climb the tower every 30 minutes so reserve your ticket at the ticket office next to the basilica (cost 10 PLN).
- Rynek Underground Museum; descend down to this state of the art museum under the Market Hall.
- Krzysztofory Palace; located on the edge of the square the palace exhibits “Krakow from the beginning, to no end”.
- Badylak’s well; a protest against the crimes of the communists.
Jagiellonian University
As the the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in continuous operation in the world. It is regarded as Poland’s most prestigious academic institution. The university has multiple locations, but the one worth visiting is the Collegium Maius and it’s courtyard.
Zakrzówek
The almost tropical lagoon of Zakrzówek should not be there at all. For a long time the area was a quarry where limestone was extracted. But around 1990 they dug too deep. The miners hit a groundwater reservoir and the entire excavation filled with beautifully clear water.
The azure blue and crystal clear swimming water surrounded by steep rocks and dense vegetation was off limits for years. From the summer of 2022 you can finally swim legitimately and safely in the former excavation. After years of construction, several new facilities have been built.
Zakrzówek is also suitable for a lovely walk. With different paths laid out, it is a popular area among the locals. You will see them riding a bike, running or walking the dog. The ‘hidden lagoon’ Zakrzówek is easily accessible by tram. From the center take tram 18 or 73 and drive for about 15 minutes to the Norymberska stop. From there, walk through Ulica Wyłom into the green.
Cafés
Kraków is infamous for its cafe culture which easily rivals that of celebrated capitals like Paris and Vienna, perhaps even outmatching them pound for pound. Most Cracovian cafes also serve alcohol and the line between cafe and bar can be a blurry one. The ones I listed favour coffee and cake over alcoholic drinks.
I hope you found this post for things to do in Krakow interessting. Krakow is realy nice in combination with a few days in another city, such as Zakopane. Read here more about what to do in Zakopane during the winter time.
