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Poland : Krakow - June 2008

Country Code: Dial for Poland

June is one of the best months to visit Krakow – the city’s lush foliage is in full bloom, the Old Town Square is bustling with street life and the locals decamp to the riverbank near Wawel Castle to picnic, sunbathe and generally enjoy life. Michelle Smith joins them

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

The Rynek (Old Town Square) is the best place to be in the summer months, when many of the cafés and bars set up outdoor patios. It’s a great place to relax and soak up the city’s atmosphere.

Sleep soundly – Krakow’s centre has something for every budget. The cheapish and very cheerful Guest Rooms Wislna (5/8 ul. Wislna, tel. , wislna.com, rooms from €50/PLN 170) is popular with tour groups, while the mid-range Amber (10 ul. Garbarska, tel. , amber-krakow.pl, rooms from €103/ PLN 250) appeals to couples and business travellers. For a real taste of luxury, book a room at the city’s only boutique hotel, Pugetow (15a ul. Starowislna, tel. , donimirski.com, rooms from €162/PLN 550). It’s worth calling to enquire about prices as there are often special offers.

Culture vultures – Contemporary art lovers will like Turlej Gallery, which prides itself on discovering up-and-coming Polish artists. It exhibits paintings, sculpture, architecture and photography. For something more traditional, Saint Catherine’s Church (7 ul. Augustianska) is widely acknowledged to be Krakow’s most beautiful Gothic church. If the weather is good, take a stroll around the Planty, known as ‘the lungs of the city’. This park forms a green ring around the Old Town and marks the areas where a defensive wall used to stand. Today, of the fortification’s original seven gateways and 47 towers, only the Florianska Gate and Barbakan still stand.

Must eat – Head down to the Wisa River and board Mauretania, a restaurant on a boat which serves up great pasta and salmon. For those of you who prefer to stay on terra firma, Aqua e Vino (5/10 ul. Wislna, tel. ) is the city’s newest (and some say best) Italian offering. Its cooling lemon sorbet with vodka is just the thing in June.

Must drink – The recently opened Boogie and U Muniaka (3 ul. Florianska) are both sultry, cave-like cellar clubs that stage outstanding live music nightly.

JEWISH KRAKOW – KAZIMIERZ

A visit to the other side of the river is now almost mandatory – some of Krakow’s best nightlife is to be found in the former Jewish Quarter and new hotels, bars and clubs are springing up all the time.

Sleep soundly – Tournet (rooms from €44/PLN 150) is clean, bright and convenient. Secesja’s (24 ul. Paulinska, tel. , hotelsecesja.krakow.pl, rooms from €88/PLN 300) rooms have bay windows with incredible views.

Culture vultures – With 135 photos by award-winning photo-journalist Chris Schwarz on permanent display, the Galica Jewish Museum is a must-see. Schwarz’s images of post-World War II Jewish Krakow are harrowing and moving. Isaac’s Synagogue (18 ul. Kupa) is Kazimerz’s most beautiful synagogue. It also shows films and exhibits photos of pre-war Jewish life in Krakow.

Must drink – All done out in black and red, Opium has two fantastic outdoor bars, one a rooftop terrace and the other in a courtyard. Stajnia’s (12 ul. Józefa) massive bar is in Kazimerz’s loveliest courtyard. Drinks here flow until sunrise.

Dance the night away – One of the few clubs with an outdoor courtyard, Music Bar 9 is the obvious choice for dancing under the stars. Next door is the brand new Goraczka (7 ul. Szewska), which stays open until 5am.

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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