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Previous issues for Krakow

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Poland : Krakow - November 2007

Country Code: Dial for Poland

Krakow is Poland’s most compact and walkable city and November is a glorious time to visit. You can take advantage of the cooler weather by wandering around the historic cobbled streets before ducking into a café for some grzaniec (hot spiced wine), a fabulously autumnal drink. Michelle Smith wraps up warm

Getting around

Balice Airport

Bus: Radtur runs regular buses into the city centre. A single journey costs about €1,90/PLN 7 and takes 30 minutes.
Taxi: A taxi costs around €13/PLN 50 and takes about 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The main office is at 1 Rynek Główny (tel. , krakow.pl). Orbis (41 Rynek Główny) also provides lots of useful information.

Old Town and Rynek

This heart of the city bustles with energy and is as gothically beautiful as it is culturally rich.

Sleep soundly – Just a 10-minute walk from the central square, the modern Atrium Hotel (7 ul. Krzywa, tel. , hotelatrium.com.pl, rooms from €75/PLN 285) is great value for money. The Home & Travel (5a/1 ul. Wroc[0142]awska, tel. , hometravel.pl, rooms from €34/PLN 130) is also centrally located and offers large rooms and free sweets.

Culture vultures – Stanis[0142]aw Wyspianski has remained one of Krakow’s best-loved sons. Find out what the fuss is about at the Wyspianski Museum (11 ul. Szczepanska) to see his renowned art nouveau pieces, then follow up with a visit to St. Francis’ Basilica (ul. Florianska) to see his most famous – and most controversial – work. Entitled Let It Be, the eight stained glass windows at the back of the church show an image of God emerging from cosmic chaos and embarking on the act of creation. To get the full effect, walk to the altar and then turn around – and be sure to go on a sunny day!

Must eat – For perfect pierogi (dumplings) stuffed with wild rabbit, head to Copernicus (16 ul. Kanonicza, tel. ). Alternatively, Farina (16 ul. sw. Marka, tel. ) serves fresh fish cooked in the traditional Polish style.

Must drink – Krakow has some excellent jazz bars, but three are worth a special mention. Boogie (9 ul. Szpitalna) and Showtime (28 Rynek G[0142]ówny) both offer live music every night and come complete with the mandatory smoke-filled atmosphere. But the city’s best-known jazz club is U Muniaka (3 ul. Florianska), which is nestled in the cellar of a 14th-century building.

Dance the night away – Hidden deep underground is the crypt-like Club Frantic (5 ul. Szewska), where you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic night out. Equally excellent – though much harder to get into, thanks to its stringent door policy – is Fusion Club (15 ul. Florianska). The club is fairly exclusive and pulls in a sophisticated crowd, so make an effort.

Shop til you drop – Krakow’s best buys are in the Sukiennice (Draper’s Hall) in the Rynek. Pick up Polish amber, wood carvings, hand-painted eggs and iconographic art. For the perfect Christmas gift, visit Calik Gallery (7 Rynek G[0142]ówny) for gorgeous and totally original hand-made and hand-painted ornaments.

Kazimierz

Krakow’s Jewish quarter is packed with artsy cafés and galleries and at night the district’s restaurants and bars come alive.

Sleep soundly – If you’re on a budget, it’s hard to beat Wrona (7 ul. Piwna, tel. , noclegkrakow.pl, rooms from €21/ PLN 80) a charming, sunny guest house close to the tram. Alternatively, the elegant Hotel Karmel (15 ul. Kupa, tel. , karmel. com.pl, rooms from €55/PLN 208) is lovely and peaceful.

Culture vultures – Highly recommended is the much-ignored suburb of Podgorze. Its park was made famous by the iconic scene with the red-coated girl in Schindler’s List. There’s a little square with a neogothic church here, too. Also worth visiting is Oskar Schindler’s Emalia factory (4 Lipowa) where hundreds of lives were saved during World War II.

Must drink – For a taste of the weird-yet-wonderful, visit Absynt (26/28 ul. Miodowa) and contemplate the lurking glass owl over a beer. At the opposite end of the bar spectrum, Enzo (9 ul. Bozego Cia[0142]a) has an ultra-sleek interior and a stylish clientele.

Dance the night away – Head to Club Clu (10 ul. Szeroka) for salsa dancing until the small hours amongst a beautiful crowd. Pozytywka (12 ul. Bozego Ciala) plays dance music and hosts artist’s exhibitions.

Compiled by Michelle Smith

Previous issues for Krakow

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

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