Tag: Krakow Wawel Castle and Cathedral Guided Walking Tour

written by: Fabio Brunello

I will take you to the discovery of Krakow and its region, Lesser Poland (Małopolska).

Our trip lasted six days. Although you can probably see the main areas in less time, we preferred to give ourselves the right amount of space to visit and rest so that we could fully enjoy our holiday.

The chapters are not arranged chronologically, but they are grouped by topic.

Krakow

Krakow is a city of around 700,000 inhabitants. It has always been the beating heart of Polish culture and was also the capital in the first 500 years of the last millennium.

All the main monuments are in the Old City, enclosed within a ring park, which replaces the ancient city walls. The city is historically mercantile, and the main square hosts – in its centre – the covered fabric market – Sukiennice (now replaced by souvenir stalls). Around it, there are stately buildings and many churches. The churches themselves, over 200 in the city, are among the most significant monuments, underlining the strong Catholic religiosity of the population. I don’t suggest one in particular; the beauty lies precisely in observing the different styles and appreciating their details.

The castle, the Royal Wawel complex, stands on a small hill. More than a classical fortification, it is a set of heterogeneous monuments, including the cathedral, which also contains the funerary crypt of the Polish royals.

I highly recommend a guided tour of the city: we did it in Italian with the friendly and well-prepared Antonio da Foggia, as a free walking tour.

We liked Krakow a lot; it is a real gem, full of greenery, with an excellent public transport network and very pleasant to walk around.

You can also find your guided tour trip below or travel around Kraków city with the tourist Bus.

• Krakow Wawel Castle and Cathedral Guided Walking Tour*, (2h)
  

• Krakow Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus*

Worth to know

• The Historic Centre of Krakow was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. “The Historic Centre of Kraków, the former capital of Poland, is situated at the foot of the Royal Wawel Castle. The 13th-century merchants’ town has Europe’s largest market square and numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with magnificent interiors. Further evidence of the town’s fascinating history is provided by the remnants of the 14th-century fortifications and the medieval site of Kazimierz with its ancient synagogues in the southern part of town, Jagellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried”. You can find out more on UNESCO Krakow.

Jewish Krakow

For many centuries, Krakow had a significant Jewish minority, amounting to approximately 15-20% of the population. Historically, the Jewish quarter is Kazimierz, once an independent city, now part of Krakow for about a century. There, you can find synagogues, the Jewish cemetery, cultural centres, and some kosher restaurants. The Jewish population is now small, less than a thousand people, but before the Second World War, there were over 60,000.

The arrival of the Nazis in 1939 led to significant restrictions for the Jews until they were forced to move across the Vistula River to an area designated as their ghetto. Nothing remains of it, except a memorial square, with many statues of chairs placed to remind of the few objects that people carried with them.

The Jewish population was almost fully eliminated, killed in various raids, in hardship or deported to nearby concentration camps.

Oskar Schindler’s factory in Krakow

Krakow is also the city of Schindler’s List for cinephiles, so visiting Oskar Schindler’s factory next door is a must. The factory is used as a war museum, but vestiges of the original factory remain, such as the offices of Schindler and his right-hand man, Izaak Stern, and some pots and pans produced there.

Additional infO

Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory was an important industrial facility in Krakow that once produced goods. Today, the factory is home to two important museums in Krakow: the Krakow Museum of Contemporary Art and the Krakow History Museum.

Auschwitz

The places of remembrance of the Holocaust are a fundamental part of our journey.

 

The visit to Auschwitz is always with a guide, consisting of a first part in Auschwitz I, and then the transfer to Auschwitz II Birkenau, a few kilometres away. The third main section of the camp, Monowitz, no longer exists.

Auschwitz I consists of two dozen brick barracks; some of them can be visited, and you can find the famous piles of glasses, suitcases and hair taken from Jews and other prisoners. The final part, with the gas chamber and crematoria, requires a necessary silence, thinking of the thousands of people killed daily, between inhuman suffering and continuous deception, carried out by the efficient Nazi death factory.

Even with few ruins left, Birkenau is even more shocking. The immensity of the spaces, including hundreds of meters of railway yard, gives only a vague idea of what that hell on earth was like.

Worth to know:

• Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) has been listed on UNESCO World Heritage page in 1979. ”The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions within which the Nazi genocide took place in the former concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest in the Third Reich. According to historical investigations, 1.5 million people, among them a great number of Jews, were systematically starved, tortured and murdered in this camp, the symbol of humanity’s cruelty to its fellow human beings in the 20th century”. You can find out more on UNESCO Auschwitz Birkenau.

• Embark on a solemn excursion from Krakow to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum, a poignant reminder of humanity’s darkest chapter. Your driver ensures a comfortable journey to Oświęcim, home of the Auschwitz 1 death camp. Upon arrival, a greeter acquaints you with the site before handing you to the official museum guide. Begin at the infamous Arbeit Mach Frei gate, symbolizing prisoners’ horrific labor.

  Tickets can be bought here: Auschwitz-Birkenau Tour from Krakow*

Pope – John Paul II

It’s hard to believe, but the same land that saw those horrors was also the birthplace of Saint John Paul II, who was born Karol Wojtyla.

The veneration of the Polish Pope is widespread throughout the area, with many statues, streets and squares dedicated to him.

However, John Paul II’s impact on Poland was decidedly significant. It was probably the key that opened the door to the hope of finally being able to free itself from the communist yoke.

We visited his birthplace in Wadowice, an hour from Krakow, which has been transformed into a beautiful museum dedicated to him.

In a peripheral area of Krakow, in Łagiewniki, there is a basilica dedicated to the Holy Father, decorated with modern mosaics, where you can see the cassock still bloody after Ali Agca’s attack. At this church, there is another museum of John Paul II.

Pope Wojtyla was a great mountain lover, leading us to write about the mountains, a trip out of town about two hours from Krakow.

Zakopane and Tatra Mountains

The Tatra Mountains are the northernmost part of the Carpathians, with peaks reaching over two thousand meters.

The landscapes are enchanting, and our walks were very pleasant: well signposted, beautiful views, a joy for the eyes and the spirit.

Our starting point is Zakopane, the most renowned mountain resort in Poland. In the evening, walking along the central street is remarkable—it feels like being in a trendy location in the Alps!

Many thermal springs dot the area, and we enjoyed one afternoon at the Terma Bania, a beautiful complex suitable for adults and children. Here, you can have fun on the slides or relax in the open air sipping a glass of vodka, warmed by the water at 36 degrees of the thermal establishment.

Worth to know

• Terma Bania consists of indoor and outdoor recreational pools filled with geothermal water at a temperature of 34 – 38°C. The water at Terma Bania is acquired from a depth of 2500 meters, and its starting temperature is 78°C. After removing some of its heat, it ends up in the pools while preserving its precious microelements. You can read more on Terma Bania.pl official website. For tickets, check Terma Bania – buy a ticket page.
• Zakopane Tour with Thermal Pools and Hotel Pick-Up from Krakow. Discover the best of Zakopane on one of Krakow’s top-rated tours. Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of the Tatra Mountains, unwind in the renowned thermal baths, and indulge in local cheese and vodka. Along the way, explore Chocholow village’s historic houses and picturesque scenery.

  Upon arrival, your guide will provide tickets and instructions for the Mt. Gubalowka funicular, ensuring a seamless experience. Delight in your free time exploring Zakopane’s centre, where you can sample local delicacies, take scenic walks, or shop for souvenirs.

  End your day at the Chocholow Thermal Baths, offering extensive pools and warm water slides. Families will love the variety of accessible zones. Tickets can be bought here: Zakopane Tour with Thermal Pools and Hotel Pick-Up from Krakow*

Salt mines

I have been hearing about the salt mines near Krakow for years, and I can confirm they are worth visiting.

The Wieliczka complex is on the outskirts of Krakow and consists of over 300km of tunnels, dug on nine levels at a depth of over 150 meters underground. Our guided tour (mandatory) takes place over a route of approximately 3 km and descends to approximately 100 meters of depth. The mines were a source of great wealth for the area and were exploited for about a thousand years, until a few decades ago.

The place’s beauty, as well as its maze of passages with a fascinating history, comes from the presence of many statues and decorations engraved directly on the rock salt. There are many chapels, the main one of which is a church dedicated to St Kinga, over 30 meters high and 50 meters long, with high reliefs of fine workmanship.

Worth to know

• Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. You can find the description below: “The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka and Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century. This major industrial undertaking has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe. The site is a serial property consisting of the Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines and Wieliczka Saltworks Castle. The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines illustrate the historical stages of the development of mining techniques in Europe from the 13th to the 20th centuries. Both mines have hundreds of kilometres of galleries with works of art, underground chapels and statues sculpted in the salt, making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past”. More to read on UNESCO Wieliczka.
• More about visiting Wieliczka or buying tickets on-line, you can read on wieliczka-saltmine.com and on wieliczka-saltmine.com /tickets
• Skip the line to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO-listed marvel of underground wonders. Embark on an educational journey through the salt mine, guided by a knowledgeable local. Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour from Krakow*

Polish cuisine

Finally, here is the list of my favorite dishes tasted during the trip:

• Pierogi: I’m a big fan of these dumplings – steamed or pan-fried – with various fillings. The most popular is “ruskie pierogi” (Russian), with potatoes and cheese
• Zapiekanki: large bruschetta (about half a baguette long) with cheese and mushrooms, to which you can add cured meats and other garnishes
• Krówki: There are so many varieties of Polish fudge; it’s definitely my favourite candy!
• Kremówki cream is a cream cookie dessert that became famous as the Pope’s favourite and was therefore renamed “Papal Cream Cake.”
• Bigos: cabbage and cabbage stew with pieces of sausage, sometimes served inside a loaf of bread.
• Kotlet: the classic breaded cutlet. We are still in an area that was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire! Another classic of the exact origin, goulash, in a version similar more to the Italian stew than to the Hungarian goulash soup
• Zupa grzybowa (mushroom soup): Poles are great mushroom hunters, and there are many dishes with this woodland delicacy.

Thank you for reading. I hope that I have sparked your desire to visit this part of Poland and left you as enchanted as we were.

Other stories by Fabio Brunello

I also encourage you to read other stories written by Fabio, published on the PlanMyTravel Blog:

• Kazakhstan – the country of the wind
• Transylvania and Bucharest: visiting Count Dracula
• Thailand: nature, culture, and beach!

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