The New Year’s Eve is something people all over the world celebrate in unity. They gather in the most representative places of their respective cities to have boundless fun together. Each latitude adds its own specific setting to the event! It may be a hot night in Sydney or a cooler one at Times Square of New York. But what can you expect in Krakow? Coming there to spend the magical New Year’s Eve of 2017 at the foot of Wawel Hill? Find out where to go and what to do to welcome the New Year 2018 in Krakow. Be a well-informed person who will not miss anything important!
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WHAT IS “SYLWESTER”? CHECK IT IN KRAKOW!
As the night of 31 December comes closer, you will see a lot of cases of “Sylwester” word placed on posters and banners all around Krakow. Contrary to what you may think of, it is not about the visit of a well-known action movie hero to Poland, with numerous performances given due to his incessant popularity. According to Polish tradition, December 31st is when the above-mentioned name day is celebrated. This is why the New Year’s Eve in Poland started being shortly referred to as “Sylwester” a long time ago. This is the info you may use while looking for further attractions planned on that date.
KRAKOW BEFORE THE NEW YEAR’S EVE 2017/2018
Before the New Year’s Eve of Krakow happens, there finishes the world-famous Cracovian Christmas Crib Contest. The city’s authorities officially illuminate the city centre with countless Christmas-related “blinky” lighting adornments. There is a creatively-lit Christmas tree, placed in the Main Market Square of Krakow. The historical streets / lanterns decorated with flashing stars, snowflakes or angels are to stay in Krakow until early January.
The weather in Krakow close to the New Year’s Eve is typically determined by the temperate climate. You may expect heavy snowfalls (as influenced by the proximity to Tatra Mountains) at the time. Usually, the temperature drops below zero there. Such conditions make the illuminated part of the city even more charming than in the full sun of the summer! The Main Market Square is where the centre of Krakow life is located – and so during its winters. Before the New Year’s Eve, you will come across the unquestionably best Polish Christmas Market laid out at the place. Opened in the last week of each November, it usually disappears on 6 January, depending on a year. In fact, it may be closed a bit earlier – namely, on 26 December.
The charming wooden stalls are where Krakow dwellers, tightly clad in warm clothing and scarves, willingly go in winter. They indulge in hunting for Christmas decorations, folksy gifts and winter outfits with traditional patterns on. Do not miss a chance to taste the famous mulled wine of the Christmas Market in Krakow! Alternatively, try some of its “hot” local specialties to warm yourself from the inside before one of the longest nights of 2017!
Hotels for New Year’s Eve in Krakow
On New Year’s Eve we merge into a party and the night seems endless. However, after this crazy and fun-filled time celebrating the opening of a new chapter, the party finally comes to an end.. and it is no exaggeration to say that everyone dreams about a warm and cosy bed to sleep off this exciting but also exhausting night fever.
If you do come to Krakow to visit friends or family that can’t take you in, you can always check the list of the most popular hotels in the city that offer great comfort and attractive prices.
The list starts with Red Brick Apartments (http://www.redbrick.pl/pl) which is a great option for enthusiasts of old, historical architecture. The hotel is situated in a beautiful, renovated apartment house in the most attractive part of Krakow.
Another place with a great localisation and some design flavours is PURO Krakow Stare Miasto (http://purohotel.pl/pl/krakow). The hotel will meet the needs of all who look for comfort in surroundings full of art. It offers technological solutions like 102 rooms equipped with a touch-screen control panel for self-service because in this hotel you will not find… a reception desk.
Ibis is a hotel chain that offers reliable service and comfortable rooms for reasonable prices. Ibis Krakow Stare Miasto is situated 1 km from the Old Town (http://www.ibis.com/pl/hotel-7161-ibis-krakow-stare-miasto/index.shtml) so it is another option for those who want to save time on their way back to the hotel after an exhausting night.
And if you want to taste some luxury, you cannot miss a stay in Sheraton Grand Krakow (http://www.sheratongrandkrakow.com/pl) – a five star hotel, situated on the bank of the Vistula River, within the close neighbourhood of the Wawel Castle. It will cost you more than other options but it is definitely worth it.
Top Clubs & Bars in Krakow
If you are not an enthusiast of outdoor concerts and masses of people gathered on a frizzy night under a loud stage, you can take advantage of other options like a New Year’s Eve party in a club or bar. It is a great alternative for those who like to stay and celebrate in a warm place, dressed up, dancing to the favourite DJ’s music or having fun at a theme party.
AMNESIA Club situated at the Main Square offers a great fun in the rhythm of the ‘70s and modern pop hits, hosted by DJ CALLSON. The guests may choose between various ticket prices which, depending on the variant chosen, include alcoholic drinks, snacks, hot meals and a glass of champagne at midnight.
(https://www.e-sylwester.pl/sylwester_w_klubie_amnesia_przy_krakowskim_rynku-sylwester-4273.html)
TOTU Club invites you to a Hollywood party with house, R’n’B rhythms, and the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s vibes. Surely there is something suitable for everyone. Dress code obligatory: ladies – little black dress, gentlemen – shirt and bow.
(http://krakow.carpediem.cd/events/5286431-sylwester-w-stylu-hollywood-2017-2018-at-totu-klub/)
RIN Music Club – another popular club in Krakow situated at the Main Square organises New Year’s Eve with the hottest hits selected by DJ FOCUS. The price includes open bar throughout the night with alcohol, drinks and snacks, and also buffet meals. Unforgettable experience is guaranteed!
And if you are looking for a place to spend New Year’s Eve on multiple dance floors collected on one large and amazingly arranged, baroque-styled area, BACCARAT Club is the answer. Ten separate rooms and a VIP room for the most demanding guests. All this spiced up with hot dance and disco music. You cannot miss it!
(https://www.e-sylwester.pl/baccarat_music_club_stolarska_13_krakow-sylwester-1565.html)
New Year’s Eve Outside Krakow
If you are tired with popular disco parties and mass concerts and would like to spend New Year’s Eve alternatively, you can find an interesting offer in the area of the Tatra Mountains where you can feel the real atmosphere of beautiful snowy winter in the Polish mountains, experience a delicious traditional dinner in a Polish highlander inn, go on a sleigh ride in the evening and stay in one of beautiful wooden mountain houses celebrating the end of the year in an alternative way.
The winter weather is usually harsh in the mountains so after the time spent outside trekking, skiing, snowboarding or riding in a sleigh, you can enjoy attractions offered by the complexes of thermal swimming-pools located in Białka Tatrzańska or Bukowina Tatrzańska or the oldest complex in Poland – Szaflary. The water is sourced from the underground and has a beneficial impact on the whole organism due to its high mineral content. It is also a great time to relax, get rid of stress and perhaps make some New Year’s resolutions.
New Year’s Eve Streaming – Krakow’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks
As in the previous years, this time Krakow also remains faithful to the idea “Animal Friendly” and gave up on the fireworks show again. The colourful explosions in the sky that we all admire at midnight cause extreme stress and even panic attacks to animals staying at home and outside. The organisers have planned a light show instead, as it was a year ago.
Other Noteworthy New Year’s Eve Events in Krakow
It is rather obvious to everyone that the concerts on New Year’s Eve in the Main Square are the most popular and crowded event in Krakow, especially given the fact that since last year they have been organised simultaneously, which makes the whole event bigger than ever. Nevertheless, there are still places not very distant from the main show but with their own atmosphere and guests getting lost in it.
If you dream about tasting a dash of Baroque and going on a journey on the luxurious Orient Express, wearing the most elegant dress and sipping champagne, just get on. At the Baroque you have a unique opportunity to travel back in time surrounded by luxurious atmosphere and plenty of sophisticated gourmet food. Ladies and Gentlemen, let the journey begin!
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/3270)
Perhaps you would like to feel the atmosphere of the Big Apple and celebrate New Year’s Eve at Times Square? You can merge in the city with Park Inn where, tasting American snacks and drinks, and dancing to the DJ’s vigorous music, you can become a New Yorker on this one special night.
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/8722)
How about a twenties- and thirties-styled party, jiggling about fine, lazy sounds of jazz, swing and blues, wearing a period costume in the heart of the most historical and attractive parts of Krakow – Kazimierz. Cabaret Club has a unique offer of an unforgettable night for you.
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/2875)
On the other hand, who says that you have to stay in one place or only imagine a journey to another? You can actually get on the real train that will take to Zakopane and then back to Krakow! On the way, you will enjoy hot meals, drinks and snacks and at midnight you will welcome New Year with a glass of champagne in “the winter capital of Poland”. How much fun is that?
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/1605)
Still on the subject of Kazimierz, the hotel under the same name, Hotel Kazimierz, located in a beautifully renovated old tenement house, opens the Egyptian gates for you and invites you to the party in an ancient style.
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/3399)
And if you decided not to give up your healthy diet even for this one special night and you are looking primarily for a place with a good green attitude, Veganic has something that will surely meet your needs. Tasty, healthy four-dish dinner and a sophisticated buffet with snacks, no limit open bar. And all this while listening and dancing to the DJ’s sounds, until dawn.
(https://www.sylwestrowo.pl/krakow/8739)
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IN KRAKOW: WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE
With a huge stage placed just in front of the Cloth Hall, the Main Market Square of Krakow has been holding the New Year’s Eve as an official city’s event for years. The commercial aspect of this gathering started existing in the 1990’s (after the collapse of communism). The conceptual one would change a lot in the past (e.g. with the lack of concerts in 2011 or local Krakow artists only invited a year later). Nowadays (speaking of this decade), the formula of New Year’s celebrations seems quite fixed.
As we are talking about one of the largest and most important Polish cities, organising a New Year mass event in Krakow has always been an attractive option for many TV channels and radio stations. Throughout the 21st century, many international stars were invited to give their performances during the event (like Leona Lewis in 2008 or Kelis in 2010). At the same time, the organisers have always put great emphasis on promoting best Polish music on that day. And you know what? Attending the New Year’s Eve in Krakow always exposed foreigners to some of the greatest samples of Polish genres. You can enjoy them ranging from candy pop to raw rock’n’roll. In addition to this, there is always a medley of world-top classics prepared to be performed live on stage then.
Have a bunch of facts to see how well-prepared New Year celebrations in Krakow are. In 2015, there was a roofed stage of 20 metres height and 50 metres width placed in the Main Market Square. It was illuminated with over 1500 individual lighting devices and lasers, concentrated on the facade of the Town Hall Tower and other historical buildings. At the same time, the power to make each of over 50 artists perfectly hearable to everyone was high enough to provide energy for a huge estate at one time! After the countdown, the attendees of the New Year event in Krakow could enjoy a dazzling fireworks show, only to receive even more smash hits provided by the music stars invited to make the show attractive to everyone.
The international crowd of people in front of the stage – as always – made the last New Year Eve in Krakow an unforgettable event. Full of sounds, ultra-pro play of lights and fireworks that seemed to have no end appearing in the sky. But it was the cheerfulness around that made the night truly bright then! Check the updates to this post to find out what the schedule of Krakow New Year 2017/2018 celebrations is going to be!
Artists on New Year’s Eve in the Krakow’s Main Square
As in the previous year, for New Year’s Eve there were planned several simultaneous concerts in different parts of Krakow. This year, there will be four stages built in four different places. On each stage there will perform artists who will entertain the citizens of all ages. Last year this new formula enjoyed a great approval of all the participants.
This year, in the Main Square in Krakow women will be in power. On the stage opposite the Town Hall Tower there will appear:
Kasia Moś, known widely from her performance during the Eurovision Song Contest final or in the TV programme titled “Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo.
Bovska – one of the most interesting artist of the young generation. Her popularity started with a song titled “Kaktus” and then her debut album “Pysk” was released which only strengthened her position on the market.
The New Year’s Eve Main Star concert in Krakow – played by Natalia Nykiel – will be one of the two special performances of the artist, beyond the Total Tour 2017 promoting her new album.
And last but not least, DJ Olivia from Krakow, well-known to fans of ambitious club music in Poland and abroad, will close the party in the Main Square with her vigorous performance.
For the first time the citizens of Krakow will have an opportunity to end the year 2017 at TAURON Arena Krakow with such artists as:
Szpaku – a rapper from Krakow – together with Chory Band,
The music formation Rasmentalism with the mixed material from the previous albums and their latest production,
Łona i Webber supported by The Pimps, and also Ten Typ Mes who will definitely heat up the atmosphere.
The host of the concert in the Podgorski Square will be Wojciech Pijanowski who will present the greatest hits of younger and older generations. Before that, a rapper L.U.C and Krystyna Prońko will fill the generation gap, supported by Boba Jazz Band in the rhythm of traditional, swinging jazz.
Nowa Huta and Aleja Róż will also dance and swing on New Year’s Eve, warmed up by Companions. What is more, Waldemar Domański – Director of Biblioteka Polskiej Piosenki and Michał Wasilewski, known as DJ Vasil, will present pop and dance music.
1 JANUARY, 2018 IN KRAKOW: PREPARE YOURSELF WELL
As you may have noticed, the New Year concert in Krakow you have just attended was perfectly safe (for children – too!) and well-organised with regard to crowd-control. Gates at the entries to the concert area, the ban on any glass bottles present inside or a sufficient (not fun-spoiling) number of security men is a standard applied in Krakow on that day.
But what to expect on January the 1st, 2017 while still in Krakow? Well, Poland made it a bank holiday, like many other countries did. The operation code-named “Great Cleaning” is going to be carried out straight after the concert is finished. Krakow streets are going to be empty until early afternoon, making plenty of space for lone strollers available. The public transport will be switched to the “holiday” mode, with a lot of bus or tram lines not operating, while large chains of stores will be ultimately banned from opening.
What a contrasting view to what you have seen a day before! Fortunately, in the afternoon everything will get back to its normal state, with Krakow streets filled with people again. Still – remember to supply yourself with enough water/alcohol/food/transport options* (*delete as appropriate). And do it before you are taken aback by the general impression of “everything being closed” early morning. Other than that – you will surely enjoy spending your New Year 2017/2018 in Krakow. And so uniting with the rest of the world with the people gathered in one of Europe’s finest cities! Happy New Year to you!