Enchanting Kraków Poland!

Father Bernatek's Bridge at Sunset

Why Poland? Why Kraków? 

We knew we wanted to spend the summer in Europe, but we wanted to be a bit north to avoid an extremely hot summer. Also, we didn't want the typical summer holiday crowds like say. We had seen tons of YouTube videos on Poland and Kraków stood out to us. There seemed to be plenty to keep us busy, in addition, Kraków offered a lot of options for day trips & side trips.

Our plan worked! We loved our summer in Krakow. We did & saw so much, met wonderful people, ate amazing food! We had a truly unforgettable summer! We miss Krakow and can't wait to go back. We love the Polish people! We spent all of June, July and most of August in there with a couple side trips to neighboring cities/areas in Poland.

Getting from the Airport into the city was simple thanks to a great transit system. The train takes you directly to Kraków Głowny, the main train station. From there you can connect to their excellent tram system. We loved how easy and affordable the transit was. More on pricing below.

We arrived at KRK Airport at night on May 30, 2024.  ATL to JFK, JFK to LGW, LGW to KRK (of course there was a delay that turned into a cancellation). Long story short, we were EXHAUSTED, lesson learned. We decided to take an Uber to our Airbnb because of our long travel day. The Uber ride was about $15 if I remember correctly, so we paid a premium over taking the train, but it was well worth the money at the time.

Virgin Atlantic Lounge - JFK Airport

We actually booked two different Airbnb's. Our initial plan of spending half of our time in Krakow and the other half in Warsaw was quickly foiled. We kept hitting dead ends with Warsaw accommodations. The hosts would either not get back to us to answer questions, or we would request to book and they would respond saying they were taking the unit off of Airbnb or renting it long-term instead. Pretty strange, because this happened with 3 different Airbnb's. Anyway, when the world tells us not to go somewhere, we listen. 

We spent our entire summer in Kraków, and we are so glad we did! Our first apartment was booked through mid July. This unit did not have a/c, our second accomodation had a/c and was a bit nicer/bigger (plus it had an amazing balcony). Both apartments were great, but of course we preferred the second one, mostly because of the a/c, but overall it was a nicer unit.

Sunset from our 2nd Airbnb Balcony - Krakow Poland

Both of our accommodations were south of the Vistula River in the Podgorze neighborhood. A simple walk across the bridge led us into the Kazimierz neighborhood. We were extremely happy staying in Podgorze. The perfect mix of local feel and just close enough to Stare Miasto for the main sites and summer events. Since we stay in each place for so long it's important for us to have a more local feel. We aren't on vacation, we want to see the sites, but in small bites. We crave a more local feel, we like to feel what it's like to "live" in each place. Some days are filled with sightseeing, others are low-key and involve the gym and grocery shopping. 

One of the highlights of our trip was meeting new friends. We feel so lucky to have met Lori and her husband. We met her on day 2 of our stay! We were shopping in ACTION (a discount store from the Netherlands). She heard us speaking english. Turns out, she is from the USA and her husband is originally from Poland. They spend half the year in Poland and the other half in the USA. We learned "the ropes of Poland" from them. It was amazing hanging out with them and talking with them numerous times all summer long!

Getting around....

Since we don't have a car we rely on public transit. Europe does public transit so much better than the US. It's actually one of the big reasons for us wanting to spend a lot or our early retirement in Europe and Asia. Karkow public transit is excellent. It's easy and cheap to get to and from town to the airport and tram tickets are $1 to $2. Residents get a much better deal. Also, children under 4 and seniors over 70 ride transit for free, irrespective of where they are from. 

Krakow Poland Tram

If you wanted to take rideshare instead, that was readily available and affordable as well. We prefer walking or taking transit. Especially in the gorgeous summer weather we experienced.

Groceries, Markets & Zabka....

The bulk of our grocery shopping was done at Biedronka. If you know, you know. It stands for Ladybug and it's actually a Portuguese owned company. Biedronka is considered a discount grocery store, admittedly, the prices were excellent. Maybe we are weird, but grocery shopping in a new country is one of our favorite activities. It's chaotic, it's stressful and you always forget something. It is especially challenging when you don't speak the language. But you learn so much! By the time you've gone 3 or 4 times you have the swing of things. 

Biedronka Grocery Haul

Our secondary grocery store, only because it was farther from our Airbnb, was Carrefour (a French owned company). Our nearest large Carrefour store was at Galeria Kazimierz, about a 15 minute walk from our Airbnb. The store was large and had everything we could ever need. Prices were very consistent between stores with Biedronka being the most affordable. 

Our favorite market for fresh fruits and vegetables was Stary Kleparz, near old town. It's Krakow's oldest continuously operating marketplace. There are tons of vendors and a few restaurants there. We enjoyed going and getting our seasonal produce. The quality was excellent and the prices were unbeatable. You could get freshly made pasta there, excellent fresh bread, meat, cheese, etc. Anything you might need to make a high quality meal. If you're feeling peckish, I highly recommend grabbing a sandwich from Focarnia. They make EXCELLENT sandwiches on fresh focaccia bread. The market is open every day except Sunday. But, during the summer, they open one Sunday a month for a food and art fair. There are a lot of different vendors and snacks to choose from on these special Sundays. This runs during the spring/summer/fall season for a few months. 

Stary Kleparz Market - North of Old Town - Krakow Poland

Stary Kleparz wasn't the only market, there was a weekly market in Podgorze as well. We were closer to that market, but we frequented Stary Kleparz.

You can't visit Poland and ignore Zabka. It's a Polish convenience store and it's very popular. There seems to be one on every block too. You can't miss the green glow. We indulged on Zabka hot dogs with Algerian sauce. It's a spicy sauce with onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, mayo, etc. Zabka hot dogs come in a unique bun and go on sale at 8pm, 50% off! They have other hot foods that can be quickly prepared too. Zakba is VERY popular with locals. Aside from the typical convenience store items, you can get those quick items for home too. To my surprise, they had a great little coffee machine too. We had our share of Zabka Flat Whites. The coffee machines worked great and each espresso-based drink got freshly ground beans, just like a coffee shop. It was a cheap, quick and convenient way to get a good cup of coffee!

Zabka Meme - Polish Humor 😆

Gym - Fitness Platinum....

Our health is very important to us and staying fit, flexible and strong is a huge part of it. We walk a lot, but we want more than that. We stick to a 3 day per week weight training routine. Fitness Platinum has multiple locations in Kraków, our nearest location was only about a 10-15 minute walk from our Airbnb. Being travelers, sometimes it is hard to find a gym that will work with us month-to-month, especially larger gyms or gyms with multiple locations. Not the case at all with Fitness Platinum! They offered a no-contract plan for 89 zł per month, the first month we paid and extra 20 zł for a sign up fee. Everything was done online, you could use their app or sign up via their website. We went to the gym and used the computers right outside the gym to sign up. 

Fitness Platinum Gym - Krakow Poland

The gym and equipment was amazing! The facility was huge and had everything we needed in multiples. There was even a sauna, which we love using after our workout! We will definitely rejoin when we return to Kraków. Excellent gym!

Restaurants....

ZaKładka - Bistro de Cracovia - Michelin Star Restaurant

Where do I start here? Restaurants in Krakow are absolutely delicious! No matter what cuisine you choose, you are not going to be disappointed. The best part, you can get anything! In the mood for Korean, Ramen, Sushi, or Thai? No problem! We ate at a Georgian restaurant called "Tbilisuri Restaurant" multiple times, it was excellent! We at a restaurant called Vamos!, a Spanish Tapas style place, and wow! The restaurants in Krakow were all amazing no matter what we chose. It's interesting though, my personal favorite food was Polish food. Specifically at the Bar Młechny's (Milk Bar's). This is where you get home-cooked local comfort food. The fresh dill on the potatoes was so good! We ate at a Ukrainian restaurant and the food was similar Polish cuisine.

Bar Młechny - Milk Bar - Home Cooked Polish Comfort Food

I'd also like to take a moment to talk about the ice cream (Lody) in Krakow. I guess the ice cream in Poland in general from what I understand. I'm a bit of an ice cream connoisseur, self proclaimed. I'm not positive what it was about the ice cream here. I think it just comes down to the freshness and quality of ingredients. But my goodness, it's DELICIOUS. Our favorite ice cream shop was Figle. Emil's was another favorite. Of course there's Good Lood too, there are a bunch of Good Lood locations. Honestly, you can't go wrong.

Figle - The best ice cream I've ever had!

Cafes & Bars....

The cafe culture in Krakow is like nothing I've ever experienced! Adorable cafes with antique furniture set in historic buildings. Most had awesome outdoor courtyard that had tons of shade from large trees. Talk about an amazing way to spend an afternoon. Sipping coffee, tea, wine or a drink on one of the beautiful patios. Truly unforgettable and a huge reason why we enjoyed our time in Krakow so much. Just an amazing vibe! Also the Sernik (Cheesecake), this could almost always be found in the cafes. Unlike cheesecake in the US, Polish cheesecake is much less sweet. The filling is more of a greek yogurt than cream cheese. This makes the dessert more fluffy and less dense. Sernik is lower in fat too. Don't get me wrong, this isn't completely guilt-free, but it is definitely healthier. I loved trying different Sernik desserts at the cafes we went to.

Delicious Coffee & Pistachio Sernik (Cheesecake)

We didn't go to a lot of bars, but the few we visited were great! We had to try a boat bar, there are boats along the Vistula River that you can board and have a drink or even dinner. There are street-level bars that are great for people watching. There are second story bars that have a great vibe. There is are basement jazz bars. You name it, you can find it. Great beer, great mixed drinks, all served up in a unique and beautiful setting. Krakow does it right.

Piwnica Pod Baranami - Jazz Bar - Krakow Poland

Things to do....

Since we visited Krakow in the summer there was just so much going on. It seemed like there was a musical performance or a play many nights in the summer, epsecially on the weekend. We kept an eye out for signs while we walked around to find out about these events. Our friends would also let us know about different things going on in town. We definitely stayed busy. The European Football Championship was going on while we were there. We enjoyed watching a few matches with the locals.

Galaria Kazimierz Mall - European Football Championship

We aren't religious, but we love stepping into all of the beautiful churches. There are so many in Krakow. We tried to visit as many as possible. They are all different and beautiful in their own way!

St. Mary's Basilica - Krakow Poland 

Auschwitz-Berkinau was on our must-see list of course. We decided to book an Airbnb tour. Our guide was excellent and explained so much! We learned a lot! It's a really hard day, but it's so important to visit, learn and understand this horrible time in history so that we never repeat it again.

Auschwitz-Birkenau - German Concentration Camp 

Shopping....

With multiple malls and chain stores you can get all of your basics. Galeria Kazimierz was our nearest mall. There's also Galeria Krokowska, which is by the main train station, acutally connected to the train station. There are a lot of local stores too. We are packing and traveling light so we only buy things we need to replace. But it seemed that we could get anything we wanted or needed. Other than our basic needs, we didn't do any shopping. We did enjoy shopping for and replacing our cosmeti products in Krakow, their local brand Ziaja. 

Galaria Kazimierz Mall - Krakow Poland

Museums....

Krakow is home to numerous amazing museums. I mean, the entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We went to many of the free sites and did our own walking tours while there. We love strolling the historic streets and stumbling upon thing. Two of the museums we went to were Oscar Schindler Factory and the Czartoryski Museum. We really loved the Czartoryski Museum. It houses such a wide variety of exhibits, it a must-see in our opinion. We barely scratched the surface here. There are many more we didn't visit, but there will be a next time for Krakow. 

Czartoryski Arsenal Museum - Krakow Poland

Side Trips....

We took some side trips during our stay. The Wieliczka Salt Mine was high on our list so of course we visited and it didn't disappoint. It's just a short train ride from Krakow to the mine. We took a tour and it's an impressive place. The parts we toured is just are just 3% of the whole mine, it's gigantic. It's no longer a working mine, but a large crew still works there preserving and securing the mine to make sure it remains structurally sound. The last salt it produced was in 1996, so not long ago. Weiliczka was one of the first places to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was added to this elite list in 1978!

Wieliczka Salt Mine - Wieliczka Poland (just east of Krakow)

We also took side trips to Wroclaw and Zakopane where we stayed a few days in each. I'm going to make separate posts on those, so keep an eye out.

That's all for now! We're currently in Bangkok and have since spent a couple months in Istanbul. So, as usual, I'm playing catch-up. Enjoy!