Krakow Forum of Residents and Visitors
Click here to write your contribution to our Krakow-watching
common blog.
Read recent entries in our Krakow-watching web log
Authors of the entries to the Krakow In-Forum take full
responsibility for their content. The following does not
necessarily represent opinions of the Krakow Info editors.
Online Tickets
/2007-06-19/ I’ve found it rather cumbersome to purchase online a
ticket for a train from Krakow. The Polish railway may learn from
airlines. Buying a train ticket online should be as easy as booking
a plane or easier.
Roger
Guest Privilege
/2007-06-09/ Booking hotel in Krakow
center allows you to drive and park car in
the Old Town’s restricted zone that is off limits for other
motorists.
Monika
A Motorist’s
Haven
/2007-06-03/ We arrived to Krakow by car
from Germany only to learn that it’s virtually impossible to find a
place to park the vehicle anywhere near the
city center. That is with the exception of a large car park we
discovered above the shopping mall next
to the train station. The first hour is
free, the next 60 minutes costs two zloty, and for every ensuing
hour you pay four zloty.
Hans
Old or older?
/2007-06-02/ I’ve read Krakow has history
that stretches back to year 1000 or earlier. And right now the city
celebrates its 750th anniversary. Actually,
how old is Krakow?
Karl
Film and Food
/2007-05-22/ SZTUKA cinema on Ulica Sw Jana
(off the main square) is a gem. It is made
up of several units which show various films with Subtitles:
British, American, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian etc.
There are about six films running simultaneously each day and
usually something which has been nominated for awards in Cannes. The
place is clean, central & our favourite when in
Cracow
on a wet evening. Price about UK pound 2.50. Plenty of info on each
film. Friday night is a Blind Date: you pay your money & it is pot
luck! Quite often these are previews.
Food is plentiful & prices varied depending on what you fancy &
what you are prepared to pay for. For those who hanker for fresh
fruit or salads (like me) go to the massive outdoor market which has
a phenomenal selection of fruit, veg, meats, bread & cheese. Brits
always hanker for fresh veg if staying longer - believe me this is
the place! RYNEK KLEPARZA. It is on the other side of the
Planty circular road - carry on from ulica Slawkowska & across
the tram lines. It is in front of you. Food is organic & seasonal
fruit is brilliant-even nuts & wild mushrooms.
Theresa Rzepa
Krakow vs.
Prague
/2007-05-21/ I’ve heard that Krakow is nicer than Prague and the
best restaurants in Krakow are better than eateries in the other
city. Is it true? Can anybody confirm that first-hand? Next
September I want to visit either Krakow or Prague.
Sean
Handicapped in
Krakow
/2007-05-15/ We took my wheelchaired mother to Krakow and I know
first-hand the city isn’t particularly friendly to
the disabled visitors. Firstly, there was no place to rent a
wheelchair and we had to bring one for mum. OK, our
Krakow hotel had the sufficient facilities but
places of interest were hardly accessible, even the
most popular landmarks. Also eating out was a problem. Why all
Old Town’s eateries operate in cellars, upstairs, or other locations
off limits for the disabled – the area’s ever-present sidewalk
restaurants
are a solution in good weather only. And
looking for a public toilet that a handicapped person can use
comfortably was a nightmare.
Jack
Stay Put on Long
Weekends
/2007-05-07/ Last week I traveled by car from
Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains. Fine
getaway
among scenic country except on our way back to Krakow we were stuck
in a giant jam for hours. So when visiting Krakow never leave the
city during one of those Polish week-long long weekends.
Bobby
Family Search
/2007-05-02/ I am searching for the birthplace of my grandmother,
born in Poland. My mothers birth certificate lists Novsha as the
place and as a child I remember the vicinity of Kracow as being
where she lived. Novsha apparently no longer exists. I am seeking
help from someone who might be familiar with the City or Town of
Novsha and where exactly it might be. I am making this search for a
genealogical record of my family. My email address is
bud.sparky@gmail.com
Charles E. Leaf
Great party!
/2007-04-29/ Hello everybody. Just want to say that Krakow is
perfect destination for the weekend for everybody who likes to party
a lot. So many clubs, so many parties,
beautiful girls and everything is so cheap!
And I recommend Polish Vodka Tasting Party - I've never seen and
never tried such great liquors. Just don't
remember the name of the club, but you will find it for sure - it is
quite popular event. Also recommend to stay in Krakow more than one
day, because it is not enough. At least three days! I love this
city! Regards
Rick
Dear Sir
or Madam
/2007-04-24/ We are happy to inform and invite you and all the
Krakow blog users to an incoming event - on the 20th of May
2007 several concerts and a big festival are going to take
place at the Main Market Square in
Cracow. The festival is called Laurealia and is a
special festival celebrating university graduation.
Naturally not only university graduates are invited! All
students, Cracowers and tourists are welcome to attend and
enjoy PresentPerfect and T-LOVE concerts and watch fire
shows performed by Mandragora Fire Theatre at the Square in
the evenning of the 20th May! Please let Your Readers know
about the event. For the detailed programme please contact
promocja@fundacja.uj.pl
Yours sincerely Foundation for Jagiellonian Univesity The
Organizer of Laurealia
Don’t Miss
the Show
/2007-04-17/ On one of guided tours of
Krakow we were brought to the courtyard of the
old university college, the one where Copernicus had
studied. It‘s positively delightful place, medieval and
pretty. At 1 p.m. the clock struck high on the wall and just
below it two doors opened to a tiny gallery. Next loud music
filled the courtyard and a procession of brightly painted
statues paraded from one little door to the other. I
recognized queens and kings followed by priests or
professors. It was a surprise to me, no
guidebook I’ve read mentions it. I was told that the
clock event
takes place just three times a day, at 11 a.m., at 1 p.m., and
at 3 p.m.
Rose
Too Short
/2007-04-10/ Actually I arrived to Krakow to visit
Auschwitz.
Staying overnight I had a glimpse of
the city. Just a short walk through
the old town and a meal in the
restaurant at the square that’s what I had. And I
immediately regretted I hadn’t planned a longer stay in
Krakow. Now I think about a two-day break in the city with
my fiancee.
Joseph
Unforgettable
/2007-04-3/ I came to Krakow for the second anniversary of
John Paul II ‘s death and I wasn’t disappointed. It was an
unforgettable day.
Juan
Touring
Krakow
/2007-03-31/ I took a few Krakow tours
on my latest visit to the city last week. Previously I had
been to Krakow two years ago so I thought I already knew the
central square and the castle. The
communist-built Nowa Huta is a bore but
Kazimierz area turned out to be worthwhile and somewhat
exotic. Next time – in another two years? – I will do even
more Krakow sightseeing.
Chris
Ancestral
Home
/2007-03-28/ My great-grandfather left Poland for New York in
1896. For September I plan to travel to
Krakow, his native city.
Josh
The Easter
Market
/2007-03-26/ Yesterday I saw stalls that had been set up on
the Old Town’s central square. It
means the
Easter market may start any day.
Poland’s seasonal specialty are boiled eggs painted in
colorful ornaments.
Anna
Bon Appetit
/2007-03-23/ I’m an expat based in Warsaw
but I never miss any opportunity to visit Krakow. The city is
wonderful for a weekend break but even a business trip could
be fun owing to Krakow’s fine
restaurants. You don’t need to be a big gourmet to
appreciate the choice and quality of its eateries. For
people who just enjoy good food
dining out in Krakow is most rewarding. The city beats any
other place in Poland
and possibly anywhere east of Berlin and north of Vienna. Plus
Krakow prices are a fraction of Berlin’s.
Frederic
The Airport Apart
/2007-03-20/ Some airlines advertise planes to the Katowice
airport as flights to Krakow.
Last November that happened to me. I was surprised to land
in altogether different city. Maybe it isn’t any great
distance, 50 miles or so, but there are some
transportation
riddles. A taxi to Krakow from the Katowice airport isn’t
cheap and no regular buses run between the two. So I had to
get to the local train station to catch a long-distance
train
to Krakow that run via Katowice – delayed, by the way. No
wonder it took hours to reach finally Krakow.
Mia
Warm Krakow
2007-03-18/ I was delighted to visit a relatively warm Krakow
in late December 2006, a city whose grandiose architecture
reminds me of Praha, but on a larger scale. During my short
stay, I had the pleasure of hearing the Krakow Syphonic
Orchestra, two Polish and Ukrainian choirs and in particular
visiting an exhibition of the work of the controversial
Polish artist the late Dido Gratz. I've since searched
unsuccessfully for information about him, and I wonder if
someone could help me find some?
Martyn Jutsum
Venture Beyond the Obvious
/2007-03-16/ The Old Town in Krakow
is pretty delightful and no wonder one sticks to its
cafes
and shops, especially on a 48-hour
city break. But be sure you will miss much of Krakow’s
goodies this way. Encouraged by balmy
weather
I ventured a walk along the
riverside from the Royal Castle.
Wide and easy tarmac path, sun, blue river, grassy bank
peppered with resting people, swans and wild ducks. In half
an hour I reached a complex of centuries-old buildings /St.
Norbert’s Convent – editors/. As I tried to bypass it I
found two more picturesque churches across the street – one
wooden, the other of white stone – flanking a leafy
alley. It’s a very scenic, very peaceful corner devoid of
tourists or crowds.
Jane
Krakow's traditional Emaus
festival takes place next to the St. Norbert's convent on
Easter Monday.
Stay for Easter
/2007-03-14/ Good idea, Clara. The city of Krakow commemorates
the anniversary of John Paul II death
with various events such as
concerts of classical music,
exhibitions, etc. And consider staying over for
Easter. Besides an Easter music
festival
there is a string of traditional
festivals – Emaus and Dyngus on Easter Monday, Rekawka
on Easter Tuesday.
Marek
Commemorating
/2007-03-12/ I’m definitely coming to Cracow in the beginning
of April to commemorate Pope John Paul
second on the anniversary of his death. With every passing
month it becomes more evident what great loss it has been.
John Paul II was both a living saint and the world’s guiding
light. Personally, I miss him terribly. I think his native
Cracow the best place to make the memory of him more vivid.
Clara
A Motorist in Anguish
/2007-03-10/ I recently tried getting
around Krakow in my Toyota Cruiser. Downtown it was a
nightmare. Parking in the street anything this size seems
impossible. And navigating those narrow
streets
– many of them one-way, some blind alleys – gave me cold
sweat. Beyond the city center streets are wide enough but
often terribly pot-holed so I was happy that I drove an
off-roader. Plus beware of local drivers – they seem to
disregard, even disdain, traffic signs, notably speed
limits.
Teddy Bear
The Fabulous Lady
/2007-03-08/ Visiting Krakow at least once every year I never
forget to see again “Lady with an Ermine”
of Leonardo da Vinci in the Czartoryski Museum. That
marvelous portrait of a fabulous young female is a
sufficient reason to keep coming back to
Krakow.
Jan
Sorry
/2007-03-08/ sorry... just wanted to write something at first
time...
JONSMITG
Bus Buzz
/2007-03-05/ Buses from the Krakow
airport are completely inadequate. I boarded number 192
at noon. It was small and packed like sardines. Next time if
I were to make it again from the airport I’d take a taxi or
the train.
Ana
Hey You!
/2007-03-04/ Hey Alejandro! Cops have better things to do than
shepherd you in getting around Krakow!
Jan Bluecoat
Krakow Blues
/2007-03-02/ Elsewhere in Europe one may ask a
street
policeman for directions, a good course of action in places
swarming with tourists – the police are surely local
anywhere. So I tried the same in Krakow. I saw patrolmen and
asked them about the way back to my
hotel
but they spoke no English at all. Next day I inquired a
policeman about a restaurant
address and zero English again. Later the same day I asked
another officer for directions to a
museum
and, wow, this one spoke some basic English but apparently he
didn’t know his city well enough to help me. I hope they do
better when catching criminals.
Alejandro
Fallen In Love
/2007-02-24/ Have visited twice now, love the place, in fact
loved it so much have bought an
apartment to rent out. Can recommend the Radisson as a
good place to stay, right by the
main square and all the bars
etc, and also have fallen in love with the barmaid there!!.
If your going to Auschwitz hire a
taxi for the day (pound 30) rather than going on an
organised trip you will have a lot more time to look
around. Going back in April, hope she still works there!!.
leeds 3232
Deer Ryan
/2007-02-23/ I’ve got an email from Ryanair to the effect that
they have stopped flying to the
Krakow airport because the local deer pose a threat to
landing aircraft. Next I’ve learned that no other airline
cancelled flights to Krakow.
EasyJet, British Airway, Lufthansa, Air France and all the
rest fly there as ever. Does anybody out there know if the
Krakow deer are really dangerous?
Robert
Get a Pick-Up
/2007-02-19/ My plane from Brussels
landed late in the night in the Krakow
airport and I had worried about
getting to the city center. I asked for assistance my
Krakow hotel. Do you know what? They said no problem,
they had a fleet of cars to ferry their guests from the
airport and back. As it has turned out hotels in Krakow
often may collect their customers from the airport or the
train station.
Petite
A Pity
/2007-02-17/ Why there is no museum of modern
art in Krakow? It’s a pity.
April
Cheers
/2007-02-16/ Wow, people you have problems, really. Myself in
Krakow I spent two nights just drinking,
bar after bar, club after nightclub.
Next time try it my way, simply boozing away your time in
Krakow. And leave the city happy.
Sean
Museum Closed
/2007-02-14/ I remembered the museum
of art in the
Cloth Hall
on the central square from my
previous visit to Krakow in the 1990s and I wanted to show
it to my wife. We have been really disappointed to learn
that the museum has closed for modernization. I’ve been told
its pictures are displayed in the Niepolomice castle east of
Krakow. They say it’s a nice place. So why there is no
convenient transportation there
by public means? We flied to Krakow and had no
car.
Jules
Housing Blues
/2007-02-14/ Some eighteen months ago I bought a
flat
from a Krakow developer. Or, rather, I thought so. The
housing
project was still under construction to be completed June,
2007. I paid the amount due for the property
according to the contract. Now the developer wants to cancel
our deal and give me my money back. The
trick is I was able to purchase a nice two-bedroom apartment in
Krakow with that sum back in 2005. Now the same flat costs twice
that amount. No wonder I’ve sought a legal advice. My
Krakow lawyer says that actually, under the contract with the
developer, I have never purchased the flat. The developer only
promised me to sell it when completed for the sum I paid. And now
they have used a clause in the contract to invalidate it and sell my
flat to somebody else for more money.
Jo
Lodging Tips
/2007-02-12/ We have planned travel to
Krakow for this May. Imagine our disappointment when
looking up Krakow hotels we found
it’s difficult to book any in the city centre (Old Town). So
remember to book early! Krakow hostels
were still available but being middle-aged we didn’t feel like
a company for backpackers. Fortunately there is no shortage
of vacation apartments in Krakow.
We’ve booked a nice flat (if one may believe the photos),
reasonably priced, and conveniently situated (if I can read
street maps), and now we look forward to
seeing the city.
Kate
Barren Sex in Krakow
/2007-02-06/ Krakow is Sahara of sex tourism. You see pretty
girls everywhere, streets,
shops,
cafes, but they are like those desert
mirages – visible but inaccessible. And one must look really
hard to find any brothel, pardon an ‘escort agency’. Hidden
in seedy no-go areas, those shabby places are inhabited
mostly by imported Ukrainian matrons turned sex workers.
Little fun, serious hazards. I had had enough after visiting
four such establishments in two days. And you’d better
always watch you back. I was fortunate to escape with my
wallet, my pants, and just few bruises when I wanted to
leave without making use of the services offered.
Rudi
Station Toils
/2007-02-04/ Just one tip. One needs not use public toilets at
the Krakow central train station which are as shabby as most
such facilities can be in Poland. Better go to the
shopping mall next door – an underground passage
connects it with the station – where toilets are new and
clean, at least the ladies’ room.
Karin
Winter Special
/2007-02-03/ Visit Krakow in winter and avoid crowds. I was in
the city by the end of January. Everything is open and quiet
(I don’t mean shops, those are
pretty busy). No queuing, no elbowing, no noisy mobs. Plus
sort of deja vu as they still had
Christmas
season there – trees, street decorations, carols, etc.
Londoner
Magical Krakow
/2007-01-26/ I love you people, your food,
and your shopping malls, and the
interesting nites at the
market square the 26 December 2006 when it was minus
degrees and they were frying meats and sausages on the spot.
I loved eating those. Polish People have their way with food
which makes me coming back for more. I wish I could move to
Poland
4 ever
Margaret Pajaczek
Carnival Gloom
/2007-01-23/ I’ve heard of Krakow as a
carnival
city. Yet I’ve failed to identify any street events such as
parades or masquerades like in Venice. Actually nothing
special, not even big balls. Just
clubbing
and partying with friends.
Juanita
Hunting a Bargain
/2007-01-12/ Shopping isn’t my primary
reason for visiting the city but I was happy to find the
sales season in full swing in Krakow in early January. Soon
my enthusiasm has ebbed. Forget massive markdowns across the
board. Many Krakow shops advertise
70-percent-off on the dubious pretext of selling miniscule
range of cut-price goods, usually unattractive. Hardly a
bargain. And it seems next to impossible to buy quality
products of any leading brands at discount prices in
Krakow's shopping malls and
downtown stores.
Sophia
Krakow’s Museum of Archeology, Mixed Feelings
/2007-01-06/ The Archeology Museum in Krakow isn’t what I
expected. Only its little Egyptian department has attributes
of a modern museum. The rest,
Poland’s prehistory, looks more like a theme park–good for
schoolchildren, disappointing for any serious amateur. Also
the downside is information deficit. What exhibits are
genuine finds and which ones are copies or dummies? Where
and when the authentic artifacts were discovered? Etc. Plus
bad organization – impossible to find the right way through
disconnected shows without the help of the staff. I liked
the exhibition showing recreated excavations of various
prehistoric graves as if just unearthed by an archeologist –
cute.
Anthony
Season's Greetings
Happy new year !-! -:o)))))
Sandraissa
Read earlier entries in the Krakow blog. They are only a click away !
See the Krakow blog for the second half of 2007
/
Read Krakow bloggers in 2008
|
