marjorier

The Salt Mines are a must, but take a jacket and a scarf for your neck. There's a terrific ventilation system that blows cold air on your neck as you go down many stairs to get to the mine. (You take an elevator going back up--no stairs.) The air in the mines is very pure and healthy. It will make you feel good.

If you go to Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, order Russian Pierogis at the Ariel Cafe. They're like ravioli filled with the lovely white Polish cheese and with sauteed browned sweet onions over the top of them. Out of this world! I'm still dreaming of them. The apple cake is lovely at the Ariel also.

Mary_Fran

Thanks, Marjorier, for the additional suggestions. I can't wait!

Ricardo_215

Hi. I live in Ireland, & am going to Krakow in May for 2 weeks with my wife & my Polish mother-in-law, who left Poland at 2 years old in 1939 (forcibly, to Siberia). Thanks for all your suggestions to Mary which I am taking on board. But with more time to relax we plan to also go mountain walking in Zakopane & the Tatras.
There are great satellite views of Krakow on Google-Earth, but I had to search for Krakow, as typing in "Krakow, Poland" brought me to the wrong place. Google calls it "Cracovie" (I don't know what language that is). If you type in "Cracovie, Poland" Google-Earth will bring you to a bit NW of Centrum, you can zoom in to clearly see Sukiennice & other sites.
Mary, sorry, we'll miss you - we arrive May 24th!

Ricardo_215

I just did a Google search on "Cracovie", & I soon realised, as I expect many of you know, that it's French. Why Google-Earth should use the French name for a city in Poland is beyond me, but I realise that it's a vast programme still in development. I'll tell them about it!

gawr0008

thanks for the ideas, great help

Marija

Does anybody know how far Jagiellonian University Museum is from the central square? We're going for meetings there in September and I'm trying to locate a hotel that's well located.

Caroline1

Collegium Maius, the oldest part of the Jagiellonian University, where the museum is located is on the corner of Jagielonska and Sw. Anny streets. It's less than 5 minutes walk from the Main Old Town Market Square. The Old Town itself is relatively small in town so really any hotel in the Old Town should do fine for you guys.

http://www.krakow-info.com/maius.htm

Here's the map of the Old Town:
http://www.krakow-info.com/planKrak.htm

Marija

Thanks!

tomboy

If the Galician Museum in the Kazimeircczk*& area is the museum we went to (could there be two there), it was extremely interesting. They had folk costumes from various regions of Poland on the second floor, and examples of households and their contents from 100-200 years ago. There was a toddler's walk that looked like one my kids (now 40) used from Fisher- Price or such. Except that, rather than being made from plastic, it was made from bark, wood and sticks. Same design, however. They also had old photographs, including one that appeared to be about 1880 vintage, showing people (serfs? vassals? peasants?) harvesting in the fields... perhaps 75 women straight across, each with a row to harvest. Oh, for the good old days. (are the French student still protesting their right to perpetual employment?)

Dorota

Hi Mary Fran,
One more place that I would recommend to go to eat in, is Bar Mleczny ("Milk Bar&quot on Grodzka Street, across St Peter's and St Paul's church, on the way from Rynek Glowny towards Wawel. This is an original, polish "fast-food" place, backing to the pre-Solidarity era. This type of restaurants used to be all over Poland, and unfortunately, are disappearing under KFCs and MacDonald's spread. They are self-serve: you stay in the first line to the cashier to order from the menu posted on the wall (only in Polish, if the name of the dish has no price next to it, it means that is not available that day) and pay, and then in the second line to the little window to pick-up your order, and then you have to "hunt" for the seat, as the place gets super crazy with locals,tourists, and millions of school-trips. The decor is very primitive, prices are below "dirt-cheap", and food is superb and freshly made. The name "Milk Bar" is actually misleading as they also serve meat and sometimes fish. There is always great variety of soups (barszcz, zurek, pomidorowa, botwinkowa, owocowa), as well as salads and veggies. Majority dishes are based on milk, flour, and eggs. This place is truly Polish, for Poles, and without trying to please foreign tastes.
I am also strongly recommending Wieliczka (I think it is on the UNESCO Heritage Sites list). You can go there by caching a mini-bus (kind of a cargo van, operated privatly) that many of park in front of the train station, and bus station (both within walking distance from Rynek Glowny and Old Town). Another trip I would suggest to take is to Zakopane, city in the heart of Polish Tatry Mountains. Again, the best form of transportation is either the mini-bus, or regular bus PKS(Polish "greyhound&quot, and you would need the entire day to devote to this excursion.
One more longer trip (1/2 day) could be to Tyniec - very old church/monastery.
I am not sure if anybody mentiones that in Krakow you can also climb up the City Hall Tower, free-standing on the other side of Sukiennice, on Rynek Glowny. You can get a great view from there.
The bottom line is that no matter where you will go or what you will do, you will love Krakow. Have a great trip. Dorota.

Mary_Fran

Dorota, thank you so much for your suggestions, especially about the Milk Bar. I've added that to my restaurant list and I look forward to trying it!

I have gotten so much great information on this thread! Now I need to prioritize it all into some sort of order so I can see as much as possible but still have a relaxed visit.

Ricardo_215

Well Mary, it seems that we are not the most famous visitors to Krakow this May. The new pope is planning to visit Poland & should be in Krakow May 26-28
So perhaps you'll find a massive clean-up operation going on! (Or perhaps it is already spotless & won't need it!) As we should be in Poland May 24- June 7 we are now planning to avoid Krakow for the relevant dates - nothing against the pope, but we don't want to be caught up with crowds of pilgrims.

Mary_Fran

Wow, Ricardo. I was going to say "We dodged a bullet on that one, didn't we?" but thought better of using that expression where visiting dignitaries are concerned.

I wonder if the Pope's visit was the reason I had some difficulty getting a reservation. I had booked a hotel very early but then had to change the dates and had a dickens of a time finding something that pleased me.

I just realized this morning that it's less than a week before we leave for Europe! I've had butterflies ever since. I just can't wait! I suppose, with just six days left, it's too late to try to get in shape for all that walking ...

Thanks again, my friends, for all your remarkable advice.

Caroline1

Mary_Fran,
Enjoy your trip and make sure to post a trip report when you get back

Mary_Fran

Hi Caroline,

We leave day after tomorrow, with Munich our first stop. Butterflies started in earnest a couple of days ago. We'll definitely be thinking of you and all who contributed to this terrific post and will be carrying it in our hot little hands as we navigate through the city.

Caroline1

That is so exciting!
So beside Krakow and Munich, what other countries/cities will you be visiting on your trip?

Mary_Fran

Caroline, I'll tell you after I know how it all turns out. We have a packed itinerary, and the slow-travelers on this website would go into collective cardiac arrest if I were to announce our travel plans in advance! I'm covering my ears and saying saying, "La-la-la! I can't hear you" and taking one city at a time.

Caroline1

I hear ya!
That's exactly my travel style

noe847

I hope nobody minds my topping this old thread, but it is a treasure trove for Krakow information, and I'm sure others would benefit from it as well. Sometimes these great threads just get buried.

Also I have a specific question:
I am planning a trip to Krakow for September 2007, and have yet to determine the number of days I'll be there. At a minimum it will be 4 nights. I will want to go to the salt mines, and a high priority will be Auschwitz. Someone up higher in this thread mentioned guides that are good. Is the best thing to get there on my own (assuming an English speaking tour/guide is available there)? or to find a tour leaving from Krakow? I will want to see both camps. If it makes any difference, I am 50 yo female, and will be traveling solo for this trip.

skatedancer

from everything I've read for our upcoming trip, there are buses that run every half hour to Auschwitz (1.5 hour ride) that bring you right to the gate. There are guided tours available onsite. While these tours are informative, I've read that many people felt too rushed with the guide, so that if you have a guidebook, you can also do a self-tour.