Kraków Shopping

While Kraków cannot be considered a shoppers' paradise in the traditional sense, its artsy reputation makes it a great place to pick up antiques, artwork and jewellery. Areas of note include Kazimerz and the open air markets - particularly Plac Targowy (Hala Targowa, E-4). For typical Krakowian souvenirs head to the Cloth Hall in the centre of the main square (C-3): find all manner of glasswork, lace, amber, wood carvings, local sweets and stuffed dragons. For the generic western experience you can hit one of the shopping malls we list, however throughout this section we've made a concentrated effort to focus not on recognised, international brands and franchises, but unique, homegrown businesses; so we encourage you to put your money where their mouth is. As this is PL, remember most shops close early on Saturday and take Sunday off altogether.

Below we’ve tried to identify some uniquely Polish (and/or Cracovian) gift ideas for everyone on your list:

Girlfriend/Wife: Two words: jewellery and chocolate. For the first choose a beautiful pair of amber earrings from World of Amber, and for the second head to Karmello for some local sweets that are both artistic and delicious.

Boyfriend/Husband: If you really want to spoil your man, head to Wittchen and outfit him in a luxury leather jacket, or perhaps something more practical and affordable like a hand-made wallet. If he has a taste for tipples, turn him on to Polish vodka brands like Żubrówka or Goldwasser, or head to Szambelan where you can decant one of their exclusive meads, absinthes or flavoured vodkas into a handsome gift bottle.

Mother: Amber always wins with women, so stop at World of Amber to pick out a pendant mom will be proud to wear. Or how about a stylish local leather handbag from Słon Torbalski? All moms also love Bolesławiec folk pottery, so head to Dekor Art.

Father: As a man matures he needs a good hat, no? The ‘Chorąży Czapki i Kapelusze’ hatmaker’s workshop has a surprisingly stylish assortment of hand-made hats that would look great on Dad. Or try Antykwariat ‘Rara Avis’ for something old, odd and aesthetic that might be more Dad’s style. If that fails, try what the Poles do when things aren’t working out: vodka.

Sister: The appeal of amber will hold true for any woman on your list, but for sister you should also consider the hip hand-crafted jewellery and accessories of Maruna, or the natural, monk-made lotions and cosmetics of Produkty Benedyktyńskie.

Brother: For home boy hit Idea Fix and peruse their collection of locally designed hoodies, t-shirts and other urban gear. If your brother’s more of an intellectual, search for a unique 3-player chess set, or fine-crafted wooden traditional chessboard in the stalls of the Cloth Hall. If the young man’s an artist, pick out an avant-garde Polish film or theatre poster from the vast collection at Galeria Plakatu.

Children: Childhood hasn’t been a historically successful concept in Poland, which might explain why what few toys there are for sale in PL are so outrageously expensive. If the kids are infants, head straight to Bajo for some stylishly wholesome and locally-made wooden toys, or Galeria Bukowski for a Cracovian teddy bear. Some cute sweets from Ciu Ciu are also a good option, or there are plenty of wooden swords and shields for sale in the stalls of the Cloth Hall.

Grandparents: The land of babcias has plenty that will please the old folks back home, including linen and lacework from the Cloth Hall, Bolesławiec folk ceramic from Dekor Art, local jarred foodstuffs from Krakowski Kredens or Produkty Benedyktyński, a Kraków photo album from House of Albums, or a special Cracovian Christmas decoration from Calik.