Krakow, lies at the heart of Poland and is a town of true historical interest and architectural beauty. The city was founded in the year one thousand and there had been evidence of large settlements there growing rapidly up to the 16th century. Krakow is currently the home to 740, 000 people.
As you enter the central square of the city you are overwhelmed by the beauty of the ancient buildings and clock tower whether it is daytime when the sun usually shines in Polish summertime or night time when the square is lit with thousands of romantic lights. This makes the city ideal for couples who want to take romantic strolls or to spend evenings in restaurants in the square.
Accommodation
It is extremely high quality and Poles have the tendency to go out of their way to make you feel at home. The very top hotels, which are beautiful and near the square and have Telephones, Satellite TV, bars, Air Conditioning, and the internet are around £100 - £150 (190 Euros)for a single room and are suitable for business conferences or families and have swimming pool and bar/restaurant facilities. Hotels can easily be found for less if you are unlikely to be spending a lot of time in the hotel.
Student Deals
For students there are ferry to coach trips run at extremely reasonable prices with group discounts to Krakow. Students takes advantage of the massive amounts of shops. Like most places that are not in England, Poland has extremely reasonable prices. CD’s and clothes are on sale for approximately half the prices that England charges customers. The only places that seem to be the same universaly are sports shops and of course, McDonalds.
Art and Culture
Krakow has some of the most impressive art culture in Europe and has been listed on the European Culture lists and List of World Heritage for its Castle Wawel, literary history and monuments which stand throughout this city. Poles and tourists alike say that this city is magical.
Pilgrimage
Bus tours can be taken through Krakow or the train can be taken to Czestahova where the painting of the Black Madonna hangs. The enchanting story behind this painting that is said to have bled after being disrespectfully slashed, brings many faithful people, sick, healthy, young and old to see its majesty. Thousands travel to Poland also, to view places where the present Pope has stood and spoken.
My Visit
When I arrived in this city I thought it was truly stunning. The buildings seem ancient with stone catholic churches all around and horse and cart rides around the square. It seems as though you have gone back n time as you enter this pedestrianised area until you step into the modern, and antique shops.
Coming from Brighton I was not shocked to see homeless people around me but distressed to see children trying to take food from the hands of tourists. Many have been sent out by parents to bring in some extra money but it ws clear that some were truly malnourished as they did not ask for money but your food.
It was amazing to see the market stalls selling food and jewellery and souvenirs crafted from natural materials. It seemed unfair to pay the incredibly cheap prices for such incredible and artistic work. However it is seen as a disrespectful action to offer more than is requested. Amber and pure silver jewellery, ie. earrings sold for £10 in this county are sold for £0.50 in Krakow.
Coming from Polish/Irish origin I am familiar with the foods that are served in the restaurants at extremely reasonable prices. I would warn vegetarians that Poles have a very limited concept of this and vegetarianism is hardly recognised in Poland. Hotels and restaurants do their best to cater for this but they do seem to feel that fish and chicken are vegetarian.
I wish to warn you about the handbag thieves that operate in cities in every country, sadly including Krakow. I have never encountered problems of this kind but friends of mine have had their entire weeks money stolen and it is extremely difficult to track down again as you would imagine.
There are a large amount of pubs and clubs that can be found in the city. It is so versatile that it suits people of all ages, origins and personalities. I look forward to skiing on the mountains, shopping in the centre and having picnics in the valleys this summer. Krakow is a beautiful place to be based and the locals definetly know plenty of English. This can be a relief as Polish is hard to learn for me at least, as it is not Latin based.
I hope you try this city for your holidays as it is rarely recognised a such a beautiful place much like a lot of Poland.