Best of Krakow – What to Do in Krakow with Limited Time

---

Before arriving in Kraków, I watched Schindler’s List on the bus ride. It was my first time seeing the film. It is easy to see how it is considered one of the greatest movies of all time, as I sat there once it finished completely speechless and ruminative. That one powerful movie set the mood for Poland and its somber and difficult, albeit important and incredible, history. The ghetto created here by the Nazis during the second World War was one of the major ghettos of the Holocaust, since Kraków was originally a huge Jewish community, home to tens of thousands of Jews before the genocide. Today, there are only a few hundred living there, and most are non-active. Though I have seen the DC Holocaust Museum and read an ample amount of literature about what happened in Europe seventy years ago, it is nothing compared to walking on the same ground as those poor souls, seeing where and how they lived up close. There are no words to describe some of the experiences I had here, and would encourage anyone to visit this historic city.

What to Do

Visit Schindler’s Factory

One of the most well-known aspects of Kraków history, especially after the release of Schindler’s List, this museum takes you on a journey through World War II and the stories of the 1,200 Jews whose lives Oskar Schindler saved by employing them in his enamelware factory (and for only a couple of dollars you can spend as much time here as you could possibly want). There are also several places in the city where Schindler’s List was filmed, specifically in Jewish Quarter, including scenes of the liquidation of the ghetto.

Shop at the Town Hall Tower

This market is inside the Town Hall Tower, and offers thousands of beautifully handmade and incredibly priced souvenirs (Poland is a great destination for budget travelers right now). I was able to find some nice gifts even for my 16-year-old and 12-year-old brothers, and let me tell ya, that is usually a CHORE, plus a beautiful handmade chess set, for all that chess that I play (LOL jokes, although I do like chess and used to challenge older men when I was nine years old because I thought I was a prodigy).

Take a day-trip to Auschwitz

Auschwitz is sobering, horrifying, and overwhelming. On the way out through the gates I was stopped to look at a book that consisted of photographs comparing present-day Auschwitz to Holocaust Auschwitz. It is chilling to see how little the camp itself has changed, that where I stood is the same place that all the refugees stood, by the same train tracks across from the same buildings. This trip was by far the most memorable and important thing that I did while in Kraków.

Where to Eat

Sukiennice

This cute little Polish restaurant is right on Kraków’s iconic main square, Rynek Główny, with authentic cuisine and a beautiful view. They brought us cherry-flavored vodka shots afterwards which was supposed to help with digestion but which I touched briefly to my tongue and then was unable to finish. Even to this day the memories of college vodka shots haunt me in every alcohol-consuming situation in which I find myself.

Zapiekarnia in Jewish Quarter

Zapiekarnia is a booth located inside Plac Nowy serving (shockingly enough) zapiekanka (basically an open-faced sandwich made with mushrooms, cheese, and additional toppings). Besides the obvious fact that Jewish Quarter is somewhere you should be stopping by for a visit, you also need to be eating this for lunch. Zapiekanka in Kraków is like pasta in Rome, beer in Prague, or paella in Madrid – if you visit and leave without getting one, you seriously fuxked up.

Marmolada

Located just off the main square of the city, you can find anything from veal to wild boar to potato pancakes to pierogi at this restaurant, and when we went, the service was awesome.

Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel

For dessert, we came here, a restaurant whose entire menu is dessert and coffee (and also dessert coffees, because that is a thing apparently). Amazing food, but it was also right after I ate dinner and had two beers, so on my way out I literally bumped into the doorframe with my hyper-extended gut.

What to See

Vistula River

The longest Polish river, the Vistula runs through both Kraków and Warsaw. We took a golf cart ride from Schindler’s Factory and across the river, sitting in the back, which actually gave us a really cool little panorama of the river and the city (even if the day was a bit doom and gloom).

Wawel Royal Castle

Visit this gorgeous castle on top of Wawel Hill if for nothing else than because it is the most historically significant spot in all of Poland (it is now a museum, but was once home to Polish kings).

St. Florian’s Street

It is one of the most famous streets of Kraków, right as you enter through St. Florian’s Gate and along to Rynek Główny, and is full of restaurants, bars, vendors, and shops. The view of St. Mary’s Basilica isn’t too shabby, either.

I feel richer having visited this city (also heavier; seriously, try going to this region without gaining about 10 pounds from pierogis, beer, and zapiekanka) in a way I have not felt in a lot of places. My best advice is to head into Kraków with a pocketful of złoty (but not too much…a little will get you far here! I would recommend budgeting not more than $20 per day), an open mind, and a pack of tissues, and get ready for some really, really cool experiences.