Krakow In Your Pocket

I am ready to admit that the very appearance
Of this ancient city is a joy to all people.
Its folk are worthy of praise and all things abound
There, from markets to shrines to Almighty God.
You will gather tidings from foreign countries here
And you will meet a wayfarer who has come from afar.
Above the city the hill and towers of Wawel rise
Whilst the noisy waters of the River Vistula flow.

So the poet Klemens Janicki wrote of Kraków in 1542, though the aspiring poets of today (if there still were such a thing) might just as easily compose the same verses upon a visit to the city 471 years later. Pretty much all Janicki left out is the ‘sweet mead that stirs the men to fill every basement tavern with boisterous song, and the waxen-haired women whose flawless beauty and famous charms they sing of.’ Indeed the summer can be a dangerous time to visit Kraków for those intending to leave again, as the formidable confluence of rising temperatures and hemlines, plus a full calendar of cultural events, all conspire to keep you from catching your flight home. This guide is basically an instruction manual explaining what to do when that happens and why you shouldn’t be upset when it does.

If this is your first time in Kraków, you’re a little late to the party (we’ve already been here for 14 years, by comparison), but we’re glad you could join us. It’s no accident that Kraków has become Poland’s number one tourist destination. This dame has it all, from high breeding and good looks to cultural clout and an up-for-anything attitude. Endowed with the most voluptuous market square in Europe, an ancient riverside castle and atmospheric former Jewish district, it’s no surprise that the city centre was added wholesale to UNESCO’s first-ever list of world wonders back in 1978. While your camera will certainly get a workout, so will your liver once it lights upon the highest density of bars and pubs to be found anywhere in the world.

Once again we’ve done a thorough refreshing of our print guide for summer time, and we strongly encourage you to download the full pdf. As always, here you’ll find all the most honest, unbiased and meticulously up-to-date information on the city’s best and worst dining establishments, drinking holes and dance parties, plus what to do and see in between. It’s our pleasure keeping this guide up-to-date and we hope you’ll put it to good use. As always, leave us your comments online, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/krakowinyourpocket), and let us know how you fared at editor_poland@inyourpocket.com. We love it when you do that.

A Bit About Kraków to Begin

A city forged in battle, war, conquest and fate, Kraków is in many respects the most Polish of all this great nation’s cities. The ancient seat of kings and intelligentsia comes steeped in legend and myth, and evokes the most fanciful of images, from dragons occupying the catacombs of Wawel, to Tartar hordes repelled at the gates, to pigeon-knights waiting for their King to return. Kraków’s postcard-perfect Old Town comes complete with Europe’s largest market square and even a fairy-tale castle overlooking the river. Architecturally it can easily match any European city arch for arch, spire for spire, monument for monument, gargoyle for gargoyle. In fact, UNESCO may have set the bar too high for itself when it started its inaugural World Heritage list by adding Kraków’s Old Town and Kazimierz districts wholesale in 1978 (from what we can tell, that bar has since been lowered). Miraculously preserved and majestically restored, today the city’s architectural monuments house countless museum collections of priceless art and artefacts, and, if local legend is to be believed, the highest density of bars and clubs in the world. Kraków is also home to one of Europe’s oldest academic centres. Jagiellonian University occupies some of the most historic buildings in the centre, in addition to providing the life blood for the litany of nightlife options we list.

Poland’s most charming city has been charmed indeed, emerging from World War II as the only major Polish city that wasn’t reduced to rubble. As a result, Kraków didn’t have the downtown real estate to accommodate the enormous concrete apartment blocks that were built during the communist era in so many other cities. Instead, those were consigned to the pre-planned soviet-realist suburb of Nowa Huta, whose concrete conurbations are only a time travelling tram ride away. The district of Kazimierz - once home to one of the most important Jewish communities in the world - is also enjoying a renaissance, while on the other side of the river, once-neglected Podgórze - known as the former site of the Jewish Ghetto and Schindler's Factory - has also become an essential part of the tourist trail. Our meticulously researched and continuously updated website features all the info you could possibly need on what to see and do around town.

As dusk descends the city becomes a haven for hedonists. As you will no doubt learn for yourself, it is all too easy to descend the stairs into one of the Gothic cellar bars, and emerge at daybreak missing both your memory and friends. On these pages you’ll find everything you need to know about Kraków’s restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels.