A few wintry days in Krakow
Jan 5th, 2010, 03:03 AM
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A few wintry days in Krakow
Just back from a short home exchange to a flat in Kazimierz, the trendy/arty bit of Krakow.
<b>Seen and done</b>
Even under skies that stayed leaden-grey all the time that I was there, there was a certain extra charm to seeing real snow weighing down Christmas trees and street decorations alike.
But both the weather and the short daylight hours ruled out the sort of outdoor strolling that, to judge from the guidebooks, would be an attractive option in the summer. Another factor to bear in mind is that many of the museums and sights are closed on New Year's Day.
I had four days, in which I managed to visit the Czartorysky Museum, the Collegium Maius, Auschwitz/Birkenau, the Mariacka church, and to make my own trip out to Jaworzno, where my father was put to work in a coal mine as a prisoner of war.
The Czartoryski takes you through a dizzying succession of Polish monarchs and marshals of the 16th-18th centuries and their various portraits, acquisitions and knick-knacks (the glory days of richly-decorated armour and sumptuous carpets and tents acquired as booty from defeating the Ottomans soon give way to more domestic goods), and then a collection of paintings, which likewise rather tails off after the mediaeval, Renaissance and the Rembrandt. The star attraction, Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine, is currently on loan to an exhibition abroad.
In the Collegium Maius, the mediaeval base and current museum and ceremonial heart of the Jagiellonian University, not everything is mediaeval: it's the closest I shall ever come to an Oscar, and Olympic gold medal or a Nobel prize (this must be one of the few places where you can see them all in one cabinet, as they have been presented to the university by former students). The main impression, however, is of the solemnity with which great institutions like this present their history (all the more understandable here, given what's happened to Poland over the centuries); much is familiar to anyone who's seen an Oxford or Cambridge college chapel or library, but there are some really impressive examples of decorative art and craft.
At Auschwitz, beyond the obvious reactions, I began to wonder at what point it becomes a distant and detached "history" in the way so many older horrors now are. I couldn't help noticing that some people had brought really quite young children, how the chirpy agency courier (not the local museum guide) advised to have the hot chocolate at the museum "Because Auschwitz coffee is horrible", how promptly and obediently we stuck on the coloured patches she gave us to identify her group, and how when I remarked on it, she simply went on to tell me how their old stickers used to fall off - the irony of the situation completed passed her by.
I've never been a great one for celebrating New Year's Eve, and even less on a cold and slushy evening after a day at one of the most miserable places in human history. There was a stage show on the main square, apparently, but a pop concert doesn't appeal at the best of times. So after catching some photos of the more striking Christmas lights and decorations, it was an early night in for me, and Sasha the cat (who came with the flat), and the TV. The obligatory fireworks took up quite a bit of the night - not much to see in view of the general murk, but plenty to hear, not just a half hour fusillade at midnight, but occasional resurgences throughout (and occasionally the next day, too). Sasha hid under the bed.
Apart from the fireworks, it was also possible to hear that rain was clearing the snow a bit, which meant that New Year's Day was misty. It was also very, very quiet. Not much was open, so I waited to watch the Vienna New Year's Day concert on TV before a brisk walk around the Wawel hill and its cathedral (the decorative rain-spouts making their function very clear). The Royal Castle museum and the cathedral were closed, but back on the main square (Rynek Glowny), the Mariacka church was open, and the profusion of gilding and the detail of the mediaeval altarpiece are well worth a visit (buy tickets in advance on the opposite side of the little square beside the church - the entrance on Rynek Glowny is supposed to be for those visiting the side chapels for prayer).
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick...7622977006719/
<b>Travel</B>
From the UK, direct flights are only available on Ryanair and Easyjet, the "flying bus" airlines. I've been to Barcelona with Easyjet, which was OK, and so - despite the apparent horror stories about how grasping Ryanair are - was this. Outbound, we took off late but caught up with a following wind; a half-empty flight meant that luggage appeared more or less instantly. Going home, the delay in departure couldn't be caught up, and a busy Sunday afternoon's arrivals in Stansted meant that it was about 45 minutes before I could make it to the bus.
Within Poland, public transport is pretty efficient, even if the trains (and particularly the track beds) seem a bit Soviet-era still. The airport is still on a single-track branch line which the train thumps over at almost walking pace for quite a time before joining the main tracks; and on my trip to Jaworzno, there were equally bone-shaking thumps. But the trains ran more or less to time and are a fraction of UK prices.
There is no difficulty understanding the tram system in Krakow (or at least, not with the maps in my guidebook); tickets can be got from a range of kiosks, or (at a small supplement) from the driver. Prices are so cheap it really isn't worth worrying about multi-day passes and the like, though they are available.
<b>Eating out</B>
I'm no gourmet, and perhaps I'm easily pleased, but the places I ate and drank at seemed OK:
Pod Złota Pipa, Florianska 30 - towards one end of the "Royal Mile". A cellar bar and restaurant, offering traditional Polish dishes (I had pierogi - sort of ravioli). They also offered a fortune-teller (no-one seemed to need her services, and she didn't seem bothered - no doubt that was no surprise to her).
http://www.pipa.com.pl/site/en/index.php
The café on in the first courtyard on the Wawel Hill was open on New Year's Day, and I had an acceptable schnitzel and potatoes there.
In Kazimierz near where I was staying:
Café Arenda, ul. Nowa (near Plac Nowy): a bit more upmarket in decor, but the food is traditional Polish.
http://www.restauracja-arenda.pl/en/en.html
Pizza Fabrycky, ul Josefa: recommended by my exchange partners: good value.
Les Couleurs/ Kolory: ul Estery/Plac Nowy: French-style café, studenty clientele, likewise recommended by my exchange partners.
Propaganda, ul. Miodowa 20: mentioned in my guidebook, and then I happened to spot it while wandering around. Small dark bar with cellar, crammed with posters and dusty artefacts from the Communist era.
<b>Seen and done</b>
Even under skies that stayed leaden-grey all the time that I was there, there was a certain extra charm to seeing real snow weighing down Christmas trees and street decorations alike.
But both the weather and the short daylight hours ruled out the sort of outdoor strolling that, to judge from the guidebooks, would be an attractive option in the summer. Another factor to bear in mind is that many of the museums and sights are closed on New Year's Day.
I had four days, in which I managed to visit the Czartorysky Museum, the Collegium Maius, Auschwitz/Birkenau, the Mariacka church, and to make my own trip out to Jaworzno, where my father was put to work in a coal mine as a prisoner of war.
The Czartoryski takes you through a dizzying succession of Polish monarchs and marshals of the 16th-18th centuries and their various portraits, acquisitions and knick-knacks (the glory days of richly-decorated armour and sumptuous carpets and tents acquired as booty from defeating the Ottomans soon give way to more domestic goods), and then a collection of paintings, which likewise rather tails off after the mediaeval, Renaissance and the Rembrandt. The star attraction, Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine, is currently on loan to an exhibition abroad.
In the Collegium Maius, the mediaeval base and current museum and ceremonial heart of the Jagiellonian University, not everything is mediaeval: it's the closest I shall ever come to an Oscar, and Olympic gold medal or a Nobel prize (this must be one of the few places where you can see them all in one cabinet, as they have been presented to the university by former students). The main impression, however, is of the solemnity with which great institutions like this present their history (all the more understandable here, given what's happened to Poland over the centuries); much is familiar to anyone who's seen an Oxford or Cambridge college chapel or library, but there are some really impressive examples of decorative art and craft.
At Auschwitz, beyond the obvious reactions, I began to wonder at what point it becomes a distant and detached "history" in the way so many older horrors now are. I couldn't help noticing that some people had brought really quite young children, how the chirpy agency courier (not the local museum guide) advised to have the hot chocolate at the museum "Because Auschwitz coffee is horrible", how promptly and obediently we stuck on the coloured patches she gave us to identify her group, and how when I remarked on it, she simply went on to tell me how their old stickers used to fall off - the irony of the situation completed passed her by.
I've never been a great one for celebrating New Year's Eve, and even less on a cold and slushy evening after a day at one of the most miserable places in human history. There was a stage show on the main square, apparently, but a pop concert doesn't appeal at the best of times. So after catching some photos of the more striking Christmas lights and decorations, it was an early night in for me, and Sasha the cat (who came with the flat), and the TV. The obligatory fireworks took up quite a bit of the night - not much to see in view of the general murk, but plenty to hear, not just a half hour fusillade at midnight, but occasional resurgences throughout (and occasionally the next day, too). Sasha hid under the bed.
Apart from the fireworks, it was also possible to hear that rain was clearing the snow a bit, which meant that New Year's Day was misty. It was also very, very quiet. Not much was open, so I waited to watch the Vienna New Year's Day concert on TV before a brisk walk around the Wawel hill and its cathedral (the decorative rain-spouts making their function very clear). The Royal Castle museum and the cathedral were closed, but back on the main square (Rynek Glowny), the Mariacka church was open, and the profusion of gilding and the detail of the mediaeval altarpiece are well worth a visit (buy tickets in advance on the opposite side of the little square beside the church - the entrance on Rynek Glowny is supposed to be for those visiting the side chapels for prayer).
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick...7622977006719/
<b>Travel</B>
From the UK, direct flights are only available on Ryanair and Easyjet, the "flying bus" airlines. I've been to Barcelona with Easyjet, which was OK, and so - despite the apparent horror stories about how grasping Ryanair are - was this. Outbound, we took off late but caught up with a following wind; a half-empty flight meant that luggage appeared more or less instantly. Going home, the delay in departure couldn't be caught up, and a busy Sunday afternoon's arrivals in Stansted meant that it was about 45 minutes before I could make it to the bus.
Within Poland, public transport is pretty efficient, even if the trains (and particularly the track beds) seem a bit Soviet-era still. The airport is still on a single-track branch line which the train thumps over at almost walking pace for quite a time before joining the main tracks; and on my trip to Jaworzno, there were equally bone-shaking thumps. But the trains ran more or less to time and are a fraction of UK prices.
There is no difficulty understanding the tram system in Krakow (or at least, not with the maps in my guidebook); tickets can be got from a range of kiosks, or (at a small supplement) from the driver. Prices are so cheap it really isn't worth worrying about multi-day passes and the like, though they are available.
<b>Eating out</B>
I'm no gourmet, and perhaps I'm easily pleased, but the places I ate and drank at seemed OK:
Pod Złota Pipa, Florianska 30 - towards one end of the "Royal Mile". A cellar bar and restaurant, offering traditional Polish dishes (I had pierogi - sort of ravioli). They also offered a fortune-teller (no-one seemed to need her services, and she didn't seem bothered - no doubt that was no surprise to her).
http://www.pipa.com.pl/site/en/index.php
The café on in the first courtyard on the Wawel Hill was open on New Year's Day, and I had an acceptable schnitzel and potatoes there.
In Kazimierz near where I was staying:
Café Arenda, ul. Nowa (near Plac Nowy): a bit more upmarket in decor, but the food is traditional Polish.
http://www.restauracja-arenda.pl/en/en.html
Pizza Fabrycky, ul Josefa: recommended by my exchange partners: good value.
Les Couleurs/ Kolory: ul Estery/Plac Nowy: French-style café, studenty clientele, likewise recommended by my exchange partners.
Propaganda, ul. Miodowa 20: mentioned in my guidebook, and then I happened to spot it while wandering around. Small dark bar with cellar, crammed with posters and dusty artefacts from the Communist era.
Jan 5th, 2010, 04:44 AM
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Thank you for your report and pictures.
Auschwitz looked even drearier and bleaker in winter than it did in spring. I can't imagine how dreadful it must have been to be there in rags, starved and never able to get warm.
I am sorry that you missed "The Lady with the Ermine". I found that even more fascinating than the "Mona Lisa".
Auschwitz looked even drearier and bleaker in winter than it did in spring. I can't imagine how dreadful it must have been to be there in rags, starved and never able to get warm.
I am sorry that you missed "The Lady with the Ermine". I found that even more fascinating than the "Mona Lisa".
Jan 5th, 2010, 07:46 AM
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Patrick. Thanks for the follow up report. It gives me hope that even in a compact visit we will be able to see a lot. And in October, we may have just a little more daylight.
Am bookmarking for my trip.
Sherry
Am bookmarking for my trip.
Sherry
Jan 5th, 2010, 08:20 AM
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Patrick, thank you for your interesting report and the link to your photos. I have a thing about visiting places I really like in winter, and Krakow is one on my list, so I've enjoyed following your posts. I've done this with Paris, of course, and also Oslo, Inverness, several other northerly cities in January over the years.
Also, I really enjoyed your series of photographs entitled 'France 1963-2006' - what an interesting little slice of time travel.
Also, I really enjoyed your series of photographs entitled 'France 1963-2006' - what an interesting little slice of time travel.
Jan 5th, 2010, 10:06 AM
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Sher, I think I should say most people could probably do a lot more than I did, especially in better weather. I'd got some backache from over-enthusiastic snow clearing over Christmas, and had a brief cold while I was there, so was deliberately taking it easy and retiring to the warm in the late afternoon, rather than going at it full tilt.
Jan 5th, 2010, 10:18 AM
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Patrick, thanks for the report. Krakow is definitely on my to-go list. I just hope it won't be decades before I get around to visit.
Sorry you missed Lady with the Ermine. It's surprising to me that the museum would loan its star attraction out... Most museums are quite reluctant to laon them out.
Sorry you missed Lady with the Ermine. It's surprising to me that the museum would loan its star attraction out... Most museums are quite reluctant to laon them out.
Jan 7th, 2010, 10:30 AM
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Your pictures of Krakow in the snow were beautiful. I've only been to Krakow in the summer and would love to be able to see it in Winter.
I visited Auschwitz that summer on July 4th. As it was America's Independence Day, I was even more grateful for my freedoms and liberties after traveling the grounds and visiting the "museum". That evening, my traveling companion and I sat in silence on our balcony at the hotel and drank- no words exchanged- haunted by the atrocities that occurred there 60 years before and hoping that the holocaust never becomes a distant and detached memory.
I visited Auschwitz that summer on July 4th. As it was America's Independence Day, I was even more grateful for my freedoms and liberties after traveling the grounds and visiting the "museum". That evening, my traveling companion and I sat in silence on our balcony at the hotel and drank- no words exchanged- haunted by the atrocities that occurred there 60 years before and hoping that the holocaust never becomes a distant and detached memory.
Jan 7th, 2010, 10:48 AM
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Krakow has also been on my must-visit list for years. Thank you for the report and your lovely photos. I think that for some (many?) places like Auschwitz will never become a "distant and detached 'history.'" Though, yes, I understand what you mean about the strangeness.
Jan 7th, 2010, 11:55 AM
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Bookmarking for my trip to Krakow at the beginning of March. Thank you for this detailed and concise report!
This cracked me up, btw:
"They also offered a fortune-teller (no-one seemed to need her services, and she didn't seem bothered - no doubt that was no surprise to her)."
This cracked me up, btw:
"They also offered a fortune-teller (no-one seemed to need her services, and she didn't seem bothered - no doubt that was no surprise to her)."
Jan 7th, 2010, 01:06 PM
#10
Pod Złota Pipa, Florianska 30 - towards one end of the "Royal Mile". A cellar bar and restaurant, offering traditional Polish dishes (I had pierogi - sort of ravioli). They also offered a fortune-teller (no-one seemed to need her services, and she didn't seem bothered - no doubt that was no surprise to her).
http://www.pipa.com.pl/site/en/index.php
hi patrick,
from the looks of it, this WAS the restaurant that we ate at. instead of the ubiquitous pierogi, with or without melted butter or baccon fat poured over them, we had a platter of meats. although it was not the largest on offer, you could have fed a small army on it. the fortune teller was not in evidence the night we were there - perhaps she had predicted that we wouldn't want her services.
sher - Krakow has a continental climate. this means cold winters, warm summers. when we were there at the beginning of April this meant that over the 4 days we were there, it went from [more or less] winter through spring and was summer by the time we left. you might be lucky and find it's still summer when you get there in October, but then again, winter may have arrived!
http://www.pipa.com.pl/site/en/index.php
hi patrick,
from the looks of it, this WAS the restaurant that we ate at. instead of the ubiquitous pierogi, with or without melted butter or baccon fat poured over them, we had a platter of meats. although it was not the largest on offer, you could have fed a small army on it. the fortune teller was not in evidence the night we were there - perhaps she had predicted that we wouldn't want her services.
sher - Krakow has a continental climate. this means cold winters, warm summers. when we were there at the beginning of April this meant that over the 4 days we were there, it went from [more or less] winter through spring and was summer by the time we left. you might be lucky and find it's still summer when you get there in October, but then again, winter may have arrived!
Jan 18th, 2010, 07:44 AM
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I also liked your fortune teller story!
Your reaction to Auschwitz was very interesting and thought provoking. Having been to Dachau , I can relate to the strangeness.It does seem inappropriate to have a chirpy courier cracking jokes but I should imagine it would be one depressing job at times. But I find that I feel quite perturbed when news readers immediately start smiling and joking after reading a news report of unimaginable tragedy. This seems more common on commercial TV. We had one bloke here in Australia on ABC TV who did look suitable sober and even upset when reading really sad stories and I found that much more respectful.
Just want to add that I enjoy accommodations that come with a cat... or a dog as well. Makes it more homey. Kerry
Your reaction to Auschwitz was very interesting and thought provoking. Having been to Dachau , I can relate to the strangeness.It does seem inappropriate to have a chirpy courier cracking jokes but I should imagine it would be one depressing job at times. But I find that I feel quite perturbed when news readers immediately start smiling and joking after reading a news report of unimaginable tragedy. This seems more common on commercial TV. We had one bloke here in Australia on ABC TV who did look suitable sober and even upset when reading really sad stories and I found that much more respectful.
Just want to add that I enjoy accommodations that come with a cat... or a dog as well. Makes it more homey. Kerry
Feb 7th, 2010, 04:07 AM
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Thanks for your report, Patrick. I'll be going to Krakow this May and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the Leonardo will be back at home by then otherwise the museum doesn't hold much interest for me from your description.
Was this your first trip to Poland? I'm planning on 5 days in Krakow, using one of them for the salt mine. Do you think this is enough time or too much? I will not be going to Auschwitz so do not need a day for that.
Do you know anything about the wooden churches outside Krakow? I'm very interested in seeing them but would rather not spend the money to rent a car for a day to get to them.
Was this your first trip to Poland? I'm planning on 5 days in Krakow, using one of them for the salt mine. Do you think this is enough time or too much? I will not be going to Auschwitz so do not need a day for that.
Do you know anything about the wooden churches outside Krakow? I'm very interested in seeing them but would rather not spend the money to rent a car for a day to get to them.
Feb 7th, 2010, 05:04 AM
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Sorry, I only know what a cheap guidebook and my exchange partners told me. I'd have thought five days would give you plenty of time for a fairly relaxed overview of what the city has to offer, though no doubt there is more I could have seen. There are several offices offering tours, one by the Florian gate. I'm sure they would tell you if there is a tour available for wooden churches.
Here's a start:
http://www.krakow-info.com/tours.htm
http://www.krakow-info.com/wooden.htm
Here's a start:
http://www.krakow-info.com/tours.htm
http://www.krakow-info.com/wooden.htm
Feb 7th, 2010, 06:45 AM
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Adding to the links, www.inyourpocket.com was a great source for me for all things Krakow (and the rest of Poland, and Lithuania as well.) Five days is a nice amount of time and Krakow is a lovely city to wander 'round in, but if you're also going elsewhere four days would be sufficient, I'd think, particularly without Auschwitz.
PatrickLondon, thanks for a lovely and efficient trip report!
PatrickLondon, thanks for a lovely and efficient trip report!
Feb 7th, 2010, 09:16 AM
#19
hi adrienne,
we went to Krakow last April and we found that a half day was about right for the salt-mines.
you could extend your visit by touring the castle opposite or having a meal there, in which case turn RIGHT out of the salt-mine entrance and follow the signs to a local restaurant; we turned left and thought we could find somewhere in the town, but failed lamentably and ended up having a kebab at the stall next to the railway station.
we travelled by getting the bus there, and the train back, which was quite fun.
have a great trip
regards, ann
we went to Krakow last April and we found that a half day was about right for the salt-mines.
you could extend your visit by touring the castle opposite or having a meal there, in which case turn RIGHT out of the salt-mine entrance and follow the signs to a local restaurant; we turned left and thought we could find somewhere in the town, but failed lamentably and ended up having a kebab at the stall next to the railway station.
we travelled by getting the bus there, and the train back, which was quite fun.
have a great trip
regards, ann
Feb 7th, 2010, 03:53 PM
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Thanks Ann! I've copied your restaurant info into my trip notes.
I think I will see the castle as its museum has an exhibit of 200 old salt cellars. I'm intrigued as I love salt cellars and have a small collection.
I think I will see the castle as its museum has an exhibit of 200 old salt cellars. I'm intrigued as I love salt cellars and have a small collection.
