Phylicia StitzelHey there, travel buddy! 🙋♀️ So, wanted to share one of my favorite trips, when I went to Krakow, Poland. I just have to share all the details with you. Seriously, you’re gonna love this city! Imagine chilling in the heart of Europe, exploring stunning architecture, and hunting dragons 🐲 all in one place. Sounds like a party, right?! 🎉 Well, buckle up, ’cause this 3-day Krak-OWWWW-tastic adventure is about to begin!
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Day 1️⃣: Walk This Way 🚶♀️
Krakow is a super walkable city (bye-bye, public transport woes! 🚍), and there’s no better way to experience this place than strolling through its magical streets! 💫
Start your day in the stunning Main Market Square. Massive doesn’t even begin to describe this place—it covers over 40,000 square meters! 😮 Don’t forget to grab a selfie 📸 with the Cloth Hall (aka, the world’s most stunning shopping mall) and the smaller yet oh-so-instagrammable St. Mary’s Basilica.
Have you ever heard about the “Gold of the North“? Amber is an amazingly beautiful type of jewelry, with each piece being unique. But did you know it’s actually not a gemstone? Nor is it a rock! What many people don’t know is amber is fossilized tree resin that’s taken millions of years to form. As you can imagine, this makes it a very special piece of jewelry to have.
Obviously, people in ancient times found Baltic Sea amber extremely beautiful and made jewelry out of it. For example, the people from the Paleolithic Era (also known as the Old Stone Age) made amulets out of this stone. In fact, the oldest workshops for amber were found in Gdansk, which is a coastal city in Poland. The amber pieces found there date back to over 6,000 years ago, which is pretty impressive!
Poland amber was made into shapes of animals and solar symbols, as back then, the source was unknown. This made this “stone” very precious. To help explain where this amber came from, the people of Poland attributed it to the sea goddess Jurata. Another god, Perkun, found out she was having an affair with a human. As a result, he completely broke her sea palace and killed her with a lightning bold (cheery, I know), and the pieces of the palace floated up onto the Baltic shores.
Another legend comes from the Kurpie region of Poland. According to this myth, there were 40 days of continuous rain, which flooded the lands. The residents cried over their harsh fate, and their tears became the Baltic Sea amber when they touched the flood water.
Next, wander over to Kazimierz, aka the “artsy” district, where you can grab a bite 🍽️ at one of the funky cafes or restaurants. Psst, their pierogi game is on point. 😋
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.
Side Trip: Visiting Aushwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp
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 myself 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, like a small lunch and snacks with you and some water. If you are traveling with children here are some pro tips before your visit to Auschwitz:
- Bring a backpack carrier for your little ones – the grounds and the buildings aren’t accommodating for a stroller.
- 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 to wait if they are hungry.
- 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 very good care of you then ComFort Tours Cracow, is your company.
After the tour we returned to our hotel, Hotel Copernicus, to have an extravigant meal! The restaurant at the hotel, Copernicus Restaurant has a wonderful menu where you can choose a 5, 7 or 9 tasting course menus 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.
Day 2️⃣: Dragons and Castles and Statues, Oh My! 🏰🐲
Ready to hunt for the legendary Wawel Dragon? 🕵️♀️ Head over to Wawel Hill to see if you can spot it! But first, check out the super impressive Wawel Castle—it’s basically the 🌟 of Krakow’s skyline.
We started off by taking a few steps out 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 going 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!
Day 3️⃣: Architectural Wonderland 🌀
Grab your fave latte ☕️ ’cause we’ve got some eye-pleasing architecture to explore! Start by checking out St. Francis Church with its drool-worthy stained-glass windows.
Walk over to the Collegium Maius (Latin, darling, Latin! 💅) It’s the oldest building of Jagiellonian University, and the courtyard is just packed with picture-perfect moments. 🌸 Now, no trip to Krakow is complete without headed off to the Kraków Kazimierz: The Former Jewish District!
One of the areas that I enjoyed the most 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.
Today, as you wander through the quaint streets of modern Kazimierz, you’ll notice the unique blend of Jewish and Polish culture that permeates this district. The silent synagogues tell stories of times gone by while bustling flea markets and vibrant shops add life and charm to this historic quarter.
Kazimierz boasts a unique atmosphere, with its special-looking streets and unique structures, a distinctive mark of its Jewish heritage. Despite the tragic history and great loss, Kazimierz has managed to reinvent itself as a vibrant cultural hub, standing as a testimony to its resilience and the enduring legacy of the Jewish community. As you explore the richness of Kazimierz and take in the beauty and history of each street corner, you truly feel the echo of the centuries that have passed and the stories that this unique district continues to share.
Finally, take a trip to Oskar Schindler’s Factory to get a powerful dose of history. This former enamel factory has been transformed into a museum that’s a must-visit. 👌
A 3-day adventure that’s a hearty combo of walkable exploration, unique architecture, and a fun dash of mythical beasts. It’s got your name all over it, friend! 🙌 Safe travels and tata for now, lovely! 💕
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