The unique atmosphere of Krakow is a real magnet for tourists. One can love this city for its cosmopolitan market square while others prefer Krakow’s narrow streets and dark alleys. Whatever it is that makes people so thrilled about the former capital of Poland, one thing is clear – the city has plenty to offer!
Things to do in Kraków
Go on the Auschwitz Birkenau Tour
Visited by millions of people each year, this site presents a dramatic history of WWII victims. The Auschwitz Birkenau Tour will take you back to 1940 and show you how the death camp functioned, what was its role and its purpose. You will find out stories about its victims, its heroes and its tyrannical bosses. You will see approximately 150 buildings and 300 ruins, original roads, fences, watchtowers and railway ramps. You will read the same Arbeit macht frei inscription on the gate and walk the same route as prisoners who were sent there during the war.
This must-see museum was designated as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1979.
Choose from plenty of music festivals!
Among things to do in Krakow one can also find a wide variety of musical events. Festivals that take place only in Krakow are definitely one of the city’s biggest advantage. For those who like jazz, I can recommend Jazz Autumn event. It is a series of concerts between the months of September and December. The whole thing happens in the atmospheric district of Kazimierz and can give you a perfect opportunity not only to listen to some great jazz but also to wander around the neighbourhood.
If jazz is not your thing, then perhaps a sea shanty festival will interest you more. International Sailing Song Festival is the largest such event in Europe and with its jolly tunes about brave adventures at sea combined with lectures and workshops it attracts more and more spectators each year.
Krakow is also a host of the largest gospel festival in Poland. The organizers of the 7xGospel event always make sure you receive a large dose of positive energy that comes from concerts and workshops well suited for every gospel music lover.
You can find more about music events in Krakow here.
Experience Kazimierz!
Previously mentioned Kazimierz district is part of the Krakow Old Town. What used to be an independent royal city of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom is now one of the major tourist attractions and a vital part of the cultural life of the city. For centuries it was inhabited by two equally big ethnic groups: Poles and Jews. This heritage is now visible in a booming growth in Kazimierz’s Jewish-themed restaurants, bars, bookstores and souvenir shops. Each week a Jewish youth group serves a small congregation in one of two active synagogues in Krakow.
At the end of June there is also an annual Jewish Cultural Festival in Kazimierz. The largest in Europe, this festival offers a mixture of culture and music delivered by bands from the Middle East, USA and Africa, amongst others. For nine days you can listen to concerts, attend exhibitions, plays, lectures, workshops and tours and learn about traditional Jewish cuisine, dance, music, calligraphy and other aspects of Jewish culture.
Movie fans will be happy to hear that in 1993 in Kazimierz, Steven Spielberg shot his film Schindler’s List.
The most popular choices
Visit Salt Mine Krakow!
Inscribed in 1978 on the UNESCO Heritage List, this place is a must-see. Wieliczka Salt Mine lies 327 meters below ground level. With its 287 kilometers of underground labyrinth on 9 levels, the underground chapel made entirely of salt, the salt-crystal chandelier and hundreds of rock salt statues and art pieces including Leonardo’s The Last Supper, Wieliczka Salt Mine truly deserves to be on your list of things to do in Krakow.
If Nicolaus Copernicus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt, Fryderyk Chopin, Dmitri Mendeleyev, Pope John Paul II and Bill Clinton decided it was worth a visit, so should you!
For more info about Wieliczka Salt Mine tour enter here.
Go to a cabaret!
While looking for some entertainment in Krakow, one shouldn’t forget about the city’s pride - a cabaret. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that more than a half of Poland’s best cabaret groups have originated here. Tradition of mocking and laughing in a form of short artistic pieces performed in cafes and bars in Poland has started almost 2 centuries ago. For 60 years, the most famous spot in Krakow to feel the cabaret spirit has been Piwnica Pod Baranami (Basement under the Rams). If you find yourself looking for some of the highest quality performances and heaps of political and social satire, gossip, as well as jokes and funny poetry, this place will not let you down.
See some art!
If you still looking for a things to do in Kraków, you probably haven’t visited any of its art galleries, museums or theatres yet. And that’s your huge mistake! The city has a little bit of everything for even the most demanding characters.
Those who are fond of architecture must see the Wawel Royal Castle which represents nearly all European architectural styles of medieval, renaissance and baroque periods.
Those who prefer paintings will definitely want to go The Czartoryski Museum to admire one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces, Lady with an Ermine.
If you want more, see this.
Finally, for those who would rather stay outside and see something more modern I can recommend a trip to look for some of the city’s bigger and smaller murals. I am sure you will not be disappointed! Here is a hint where to find them.
Try local food!
It’s not a secret that Polish cuisine revolves around kiełbasa (sausage) and pierogi (dumplings with stuffing) and since they are available even in such distant places as the USA and Australia, one does not have to be an action movie hero to get them.
There is however one delicacy that you will be able to find only in Krakow. The mysterious treat is called obwarzanek krakowski. It is a braided ring-shaped bread sprinkled with salt, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. First boiled, then baked in order to get white, sweetish, moist and chewy crumb underneath a crunchy golden-brown crust. This popular snack is sold from streets carts and there are plenty of them all around Market Square and Old Town.
If you don’t know what to do in Krakow, eat obwarzanek!
If you want to learn more about traditional Polish cuisine, go here.
Listen to live music!
If you think that’s all, I must disappoint you because there is yet another thing to do in Krakow. Being at the top of the list of Poland’s most culturally active cities, Krakow mustn’t forget about live musical event. Despite all the above mentioned attractions, every proper stay in the city should also include a visit to a live music bar. There is something for everybody, so both jazz and rock metal music fans will be satisfied.
You will find a full list of the best places with live music here.
It doesn’t matter what is the purpose of your Holidays in Krakow. It is an amazing city that combines the tradition and modern style in a unique way. We definitely suggest taking a tour and visit as many attractions as possible. Lots of people come to Krakow for Holidays as they are interested in two most popular attraction: Auschwitz Tour and Wieliczka Salt Mine, but there is plenty more.
Here are some things to do in Krakow recommended by other tourists!
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