Krakow Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Krakow

Krakow is probably Poland's biggest tourist draw card and in 2007, celebrated its 750th birthday. As the royal capital for 500 years, Krakow was able to absorb much history, talent and culture over the centuries and is today is a gem of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Miraculously, Krakow's architectural treasure emerged largely intact after World War 2. As a result, no other city in Poland can boast so many historic buildings and monuments or such a vast collection of artworks, with some 2.3 million registered officially.

Wawel Castle is Kraków’s main attraction and a must-see, but there's good reason to be drawn to the Old Town, with its huge Gothic churches and Rynek Główny (Main Market Sq), the largest in the nation. Not far from the Old Town lies the former Jewish quarter Kazimierz. Kraków is well endowed with attractions and diversions of a more modern variety, with hundreds of restaurants, bars and music clubs tucked away down its cellars and narrow alleyways. Though hotel prices are above the national average, and visitor numbers are very high in summer, this vibrant, cosmopolitan city is an essential part of any visit to Poland.

The Rynek Glowny (Main Marketplace) — Is one of the biggest medieval squares in the entire world which lies at the heart of the Old City. It is full of churches, bars and restaurants.

Wawel Castle - The former seat of the Polish kings and now a major museum and probably Krakow's main single attraction.

Kazimierz - The former Jewish district lying S of Wawel. More than 40,000 Jewish residents of Krakow and surrounding areas died in the Holocaust. Now there are very few Jewish residents of Krakow, but synagogues and other signs of Jewish culture remain.

Czartoryski Museum - is a former house of one of Poland's great families.

Centre of Japanese Art & Technology (Manggha-Centrum Sztuki I Techniki Japonskiej) - Hosts the National Museum's Japanese treasures and artifacts, consisting mostly of the fabulous 6,500-item collection of local legend Feliks Jasienski (1861-1929) who adored Japan.

Theater — Housed the Teatr Wielki from 1833-1834, the Rozmaitości Theatre from 1836 to 1924, then the National Theatre, the Reduta Theatre from 1919 to 1924, and from 1928 to 1939 the Nowy Theatre.

Galicja Jewish Museum - The Galicja Museum in Kazimierz hosts an exhibition of photographs associated with the Holocaust. Some are places where massacres occurred; most photos show old synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. The museum also has a bookstore, coffee shop and arranges coach tours to Auschwitz.

Gallery of 19th Century Art - This gallery houses one of the best collections of 19th century paintings in Poland.

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Population: 38.635.100
Languages: Polish 98% (2002)
Currency: zloty
Currency code: PLN
Local Times:
Poland - Warsaw

Country Dialling Code: +48
Voltage: 220V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 Parallel circular prongs

2 parallel circular prongs with a female earth connector

Set in the heart of Europe, Poland is a multifaceted country where the Capital and medieval towns are trawled by contemporary city slickers, and where horse-drawn carts negotiate country lanes in areas where the new millennium appears to have got lost somewhere down the road. The country has a long Baltic Sea coastline and is bordered by Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Poland's history is a turbulent one with countless agressors leaving their mark. From the tales of romantic medieval knights and battles, kings and magnificent castles, to the terror, horrors and destruction of World War II. Yet Poland, a country crushed so many times, has become indestructible and now stands determined against communism with a booming economy and modern outlook.

Despite the country’s forward thinking, its past can't be ignored, particularly when it reminds you at every corner. Warsaw may be embracing the New World cuisine, café culture and clubs, bars that are open all night long, but you’ll still see peasant women selling flowers in its tastefully and beautifully reconstructed Old Town. Drive across the country’s north expanse and you’ll experience a string of 14th-century Gothic castles, such as the magnificent example at Malbork, the last remains of the once powerful Teutonic Knights. Catch a cheap flight to Kraków or Wrocław and you’ll arrive in delightful medieval centres. Or choose almost any major city, from Poznań to Lublin– and many of Poland's small towns – and you’ll experience the fragility of freedom with the extermination camps created by Nazi Germany, derelict Jewish cemeteries, and dark political prisons, all a horrific reminder of the earlier part of the 20th century.

Now a fully fledged member of the EU, Poland is enjoying the rewards and relishing the challenges. Money has begun to flow into the country, allowing for repairing of roads, erection of new shopping malls and beautiful streets. For many however, the changes aren't quick enough with Poland still having an unemployment rate twice as high as some of its EU compatriots, and its young, educated citizens are leaving in droves for pastures new and more prosperus.

While the country experiences rapid modernisation, Poland's countryside continues to retain its rustic appeal. The southern end of the country is dominated by tree-clad mountains and horse-drawn carts farming the fields is a common sight. Countryside life spreads from the outskirts of urban centres as far as the eye can see, and sections of primeval forest in the NE shelter herds of wild bison. The crystal clear waters of the Great Masurian Lakes provide an irresistible playground for kayakers and sailors, whilst the long sandy beaches of the Baltic coast provide ample opportunity for summer seaside holidays or weekend breaks.

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