gj05

We are planning to travel to Krakow for one day in March 2006. Can anyone recommend a good guide who does walking tours of Krakow? Would also welcome any advice about the weather.

delor

I have given great thought to your question and decided you don't need a guide if you do your homework on old Krakow and it's history and consult a map with the concierge in your hotel. The whole walkable old town area from the castle to old town is under 3 miles across and very manageable on your own.
The basic European old town path: Castle, church, market place, surrounding buildings and museums, particularly the Czsatorski Museum featuring Da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine." If you time it right, without a tour group inside, you can have her all to yourself for several minutes as we did! What a contrast to the mobs in the Louvre in front of the Mona Lisa...and amuch more charming work. The museum is too, small and very interesting.
Try it on your own, at your own pace and see for yourself. If you feel you missed anything, I'm sure your hotel will provide a guide for you to cover anything you missed. Do not, under any circumstances, miss a tour of the salt mines! WOW! What a fabulous surprise. It is about an hour out of town and a 2 hour tour, but well worth the time spent and unfortunately, not well publicised. It is very busy in the morning, however, and take a jacket as it can be cool in the caverns.

jeg

gj05,
I noticed that you said you're going to be in Krakow for just one day. It's a great city and I wouldn't miss a second of it by spending part of that day at the salt mines. In truth, my family was in the incredibly small minority of people who didn't enjoy the salt mines very much, but I know they're considered a must-see by most people.

Art_Vandelay

Be aware that most museums in Krakow close at about 3 PM (and do not open before 10 AM!), so you should plan accordingly. I too am of the school to do your homework and take it from there, which gives you more flexibility and excitement. But that's just me, and other people, my parents for example, would argue that you get more in depth cultural inroads with a guide, and you don't have to worry to have "missed" anything important. Personally, I don't consider traveling as a "tick off" exercise, but to each his/her own.

Krakow is a pretty walkable city and could easily be done in one day. I know I am going to attract some fury here, but I think its recent promotion as one of Central Europe's must go places is kind of overhyped. It is a nice old European city, but not in the same league as Prague or Budapest. In any given country in Western Europe you'd find a dozen cities of this significance heritagewise, and with a more welcoming population and tourism industry. Most of the interesting buildings are churches, and have been heavily made up in the 19th Century. They are not open all the time. The Wavel castle is just heavy military architecture straight out of a Tintin cartoon. The nicest and most atmospheric neighborhood is the former Jewish town, Kasimierz.
Food is surprisingly good, even if the service in restaurants is, say, amateurish. Reservations are essential if you are targetting one of the biggies, such as Klezmer Hois in Kazimierz.
But one day there is, IMHO, more than enough, unless you are a big Catholic devout. It's Popeland, and this fact is hammered in all the time. As an atheist, I felt even more ill at ease in Poland than in the Bible belt!

JulieVikmanis

Interesting take on Krakow, Art. I am not religious either but I found the art Nouveau art in several of the churches quite splendid. I also found it interesting to find so many churches in a city actually in use and by lots of people not just one little old widow or two. We stayed 3 days but had seen most of the major sights in the first two. We didn't use a guide but then we never do. Lots of good maps and plenty of info available. Extremely walkable, compact old town. You could surely do most sights in a day providing it's not a day when several of them are closed. Consult a good guide book. If, however, you really feel best with a guide, contact your hotel and ask for suggestions. Since you're not getting any here, it could be that it's not a common practice in Krakow as it is say in Prague. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing any ads for guides while we were there. Sorry I can't be more helpful, but I can tell you that I for one enjoyed the city thoroughly and hope you do too.

Art_Vandelay

You are right about the Art Nouveau, Julie. The stained glass windows and frescoes in the Franciscan church are quite striking and unusual. Personally, I had never seen any Art nouveau decorated Gothic church. Has any of you art lovers experienced it anywhere?

JulieVikmanis

Closest I can come is the art deco pulpit in a side alter in the Duomo in Orvieto. Of course, the Kirche am Steinhof at a psychitaric hospital outside of Vienna is supposed to be a total Art Nouveau masterpiece by Otto Wagner. Problem is, though I've tried many times, I've never been able to see it because it has either been closed for renovation or just closed for the days I've ever tried to see it.

Ozarksbill

We were in Krakow in June. I agree
...it is a walkable city as you take in Cloth Hall and surroundings and over to the castle. Interesting that delor mentions the little Czartorski museum which is nothing special except for the special DaVinci. Alot of walking for one day, though.

I did get a kick out of Art's comment how he as an atheist felt more uncomfortable in Krakow than in the U.S. Bible belt, living in SW Missouri.
True enough, Krakow has lots of churches and nowadays the aura of the former Pope is palpable. Niether my hometown of Springfield nor Jefferson City nor St. Louis feel as "holy" as it does in Krakow. But if you hang around long enough you will surely bump into some Bible-belters since this is the worldwide hdqtr for Assemblies of God!

A sroll over to Kazimierz is an idea just to get the feel for this once mostly Jewish section. You would need time to visit synagogues and old cemeteries...dinner at Artistic Cafe in Hotel Alef where Schindler once would meet his wife and also where Spielberg would hang out during the filming.

ozarksbill