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A WEEKEND BREAK IN... KRAKOW!
BY NEIL BATHO
With an abundance of budget flights from the UK, moving
history and a modern buzz, Krakow in Poland makes for an
interesting city break. We visited in early November for a
two night visit and were blessed with amazing weather and
fabulous company. So, to get around this fabulous city, if you don’t fancy walking,
it isn’t difficult as there are buses, taxis and the public tram
system. There are stunning horse-drawn carriages that will take
you on various sight-seeing tours, which start and stop in the
Main Square. Prices vary, but a truly lovely experience.
Flying from Liverpool airport, the flight is a mere 2 hours 10
minutes and the transfer from Krakow Airport to our hotel
(Holiday Inn Krakow, situated 5 minutes from the Main Town
Square) a 30-minute taxi journey which gave us the opportunity
to sit back and enjoy the extreme contrasts of the city. As we were on a tight time schedule, we opted to visit
Auschwitz which is a 1 ½ hour journey from Krakow. The
infamous ‘Auschwitz’ is made up of several camps that served
different purposes. The camps that are most well-known, and
the ones our visit took in, were Auschwitz I and Auschwitz
II – Birkenau. Originally used for the internment of political
prisoners it later served as a place where the Nazis developed
the means to commit some of the worst atrocities in human
history. The camp is now a museum charting the history of the
camps and housing exhibits that visually illustrate the sheer
scale of the atrocities committed. An emotional day for us all.
During the Second World War much of Krakow was destroyed
by bombing from both sides. The initial impression is of any
other modern city. As you approach The Vistula River, which
runs through Krakow, you notice the architecture beginning
to change. The first building you see that truly gives you a hint
of what to expect as you enter the old part of the city, is Wawel
Castle. Originally built during the 13th century it has been
added too over the proceeding centuries, providing a mixture of
gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture is breath-taking.
Crossing the bridge into the old town the mixture of Gothic and
Baroque buildings. Fortunately, much of the old town was left
untouched by the Second World War and any new buildings
have been constructed to blend in with the old.
The Main Grand Square (Rynek Glowny) is one of the largest
in Europe and is stunning with the Cloth Hall dominating the
main market square. In one corner of the square is the Old
Town Hall clock tower which on the strike of the hour, a bugle
call can be heard from all corners, playing a signal trumpet
melody - known and dear to every Pole.
A short walk from the square is the Barbican, close to one of the
gates into the city it was built to house the soldiers responsible
for guarding the entrance to the city. Overhanging the road is a
large wooden balcony, it wasn’t hard to imagine soldiers stood
along it watching everyone entering and leaving the city. Other
places in the city, that we unfortunately did not have the time
to see, include the Jewish Ghetto, Schindler’s Factory and the
gorgeous Wawel Castle which all come highly recommended.
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Amidst the stunning architecture, deeply steeped history there
is also an abundance of places to eat and drink in Krakow and
whatever you taste in food and drink it is all well catered for.
Our first evening with our party of eleven dined at the lovely
‘Corse’ (located in the Old Town and on the Michelin Food
Guide), predominantly French but with a Polish influence,
eclectic and fabulous. The level of service and the quality of
food was excellent. Wine, however isn’t cheap. Local beer is very
reasonably priced and there are plenty of different varieties of
Vodka or ‘Wodka’ as they say in ‘Polska’ to sample… but beware
it is pretty strong!
Our other dining recommendations are Corleone (Old Town)
and the fabulous ‘Bonerowska’ (located on the Main Square)
where we spent our final afternoon soaking up the atmosphere
of Krakow and all it has to offer.
If you are looking for a short getaway, stunning architecture and
a friendly laid back feel then Krakow is an ideal place to visit.
Be quick though!…prices are starting to creep up but the city
itself remains good value for the UK tourist and it is truly
beautiful and also notably one of the cleanest places we have
visited in Europe!