Are you ready to be back out exploring the world again?? Well then you are like me my follow wander friend! We had only just gotten back from our trip back to the United States before I had already booked a ticket to fly off to Krakow, Poland. So, I wanted to share my experience of how to spend 3 days in Krakow Poland.
Saturday:
We landed and took to the streets! Thankfully, with a direct flight from Malaga to Krakow, we landed in the early afternoon, which means it was time to explore before heading to go find something to eat. For you “Potterhead” nerds out there this is a spot for you! The Leaky Cauldron.
I know many of you might want to stop reading after this statement but I’m sorry – I’m not much of a fan of Harry Potter…BUT I did want to give this place a try! It was perfect for a muffin and a butterbeer!
The great thing about being in the heart of Krakow is being able to walk around a lot of the downtown area easy. This city is super walk-able! If you center yourself anywhere in the older area of the city, you’ll be able to hit ALL the highlights and not have to fight for parking – which can be tricky in the older areas of the city (this is true of almost every city in Europe).
Eventually we ended up eating at Pod Wawelem Kompania Kuflowa, where we tried our first taste of true Polish Cuisine! It is located just on the backside of the Wawel Royal Castle which makes it an ideal location to go after you’re done exploring around the castle for lunch or dinner. When we went the restaurant wasn’t open yet for indoor dining (that opened back up again May 15th for outdoor dining and May 29th for indoor dining) but that didn’t stop us! We made our order at the door and 15 minutes later we were handed our food where we could enjoy it back at the hotel. The gentleman at the door gave us a truly fabulous recommendation for true Polish cuisine and not just the “tourist food”.
Sunday
I booked this trip specifically to visit AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU concentration camp. I know that sounds terribly morbid but I’ve studied and researched about the holocaust and World War II my whole life and I’ve wanted to go put my feet on the land for my self one day. I set up a tour with ComFort Tours Cracow, on Mother’s Day, to tour this historical and monumental site.
I can’t express the weight that pressed upon me as we walked through the front gates. Studying about history and standing where history was made are two very different things. There is so much that is left out of the history books – so many little details that were left unsaid.
The tour takes around eight hours and it is highly recommended that you bring food with you and some water. If you are traveling with children here are some pro tips to visiting Auschwitz:
- 1) Bring a backpack carrier for your little ones – the grounds and the buildings aren’t accommodating for a stroller
2) Bring snacks – there is NO food available during the tour. There is a break between the two camps where you can eat but for littles that’s a lot of time.
3) Pack light – there is a lot of walking involved and you don’t want to be weighted down and carrying your kids. This is why having the tour with ComFort Tours Cracow was so great because we were able to leave items in the car and come back to them halfway through the tour.
There are a lot of tour options to visit Auschwitz but if you are to pick a tour company that is going to take care of you then ComFort Tours Cracow, is your company.
After the tour we returned to our hotel, Hotel Copernicus, to have my Mother’s Day extravaganza meal! The restaurant at the hotel, Copernicus Restaurant has a wonderful menu where you can choose a 5, 7 or 9 tasting course menu created by the chef Marcin Filipkiewicz. Even if you don’t stay in the hotel you should book yourself a nice dinner at least one night while in Krakow.
Monday
Our last full day in Krakow was cram packed! We started off by taking a few steps from our beautiful hotel to the front steps of Wawel Royal Castle. The Wawel Royal Castle is a castle residency located in central Kraków, Poland, and the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. Built at the behest of King Casimir III the Great, it consists of a number of structures from different periods situated around the Italian-styled main courtyard.
The amazing thing about this castle is that they have a lot of exhibits that have a free entry depending on the day. AND I recommend to go on a hunt for Dragons!
If you go to Wawel Royal Castle – it is so much fun! There is a huge history with the dungeon and it is a really fun interactive activity for kids to enjoy!
From the castle we headed off to the Kraków Kazimierz: The Former Jewish District!
TOP TOP TOP on my list!
Most everything was still closed because of restrictions due to COVID but what WAS open was the Judah Food Market! There are a ton of food markets and options that were available around the Jewish Quarter.
Not only is there an amazing food scene around the Kraków Kazimierz: The Former Jewish District but also there is still a very powerful history that remains there. This area was established in the 1300s and founded on an island outside of Krakow by King Kazimierz the Great. It wasn’t until 1495 when the Jews began to be expelled from Krakow and started to be moved over the river to Kazimierz en masse.
I thought that the history, walking through Auschwitz was heavy, but walking through Kraków Kazimierz, the weight here is heavier. It was a great reminder to me that history is too important to forget.
History aside though, the atmosphere in this neighborhood is amazing! It is so alive and vivacious! I want to go back now that things are open again! There is so much that I missed out because of COVID – so I will be booking a ticket back!
Honestly, I don’t think that 3-days is enough time to enjoy so much walking and events that this city. I think that 5-days is the sweet spot for a beautiful visit to Krakow Poland!
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