LUCIA LOSADA: Enchanting Krakow, POLAND

Travelling on a budget? Eager to visit a not so common touristy place? Then, you should consider one of our most unknown European neighbours, Poland. Nowadays, it’s as easy as ever: only three and a half hours by plane keep you away from Krakow and its tiny airport and, by the way, you’ll find a fairly good deal if you choose a low cost airline. Don’t worry about accommodation either, since Krakow has plenty of hotels, hostels and apartments for rent, all of them cosy and cheap, although you should book any of them in advance. 

Krakow, included in the World Heritage List, is the second biggest city in Poland and also its cultural and artistic centre, although Warsaw was chosen over it as the official capital since the very end of the 17TH century. Maybe this decision helped Krakow to “survive” WW II in better shape than Warsaw, which was seriously damaged. Nevertheless, you’ll still find traces of the Nazi occupation – and its later “communist/USSR-friendly” period, which was indeed some kind of occupation too - wherever you look.

But let’s go step by step. The first spot you’ll surely visit is the Main Square or Main Market Square. Believe me, there’s no way you’ll miss it, because it’s the largest medieval main square in Europe! You’ll end up there countless of times because the city life revolves around it. It was once filled with an enormous city hall – there’s only a tower left now -, a church and the Cloth Market ... but now it’s packed with tons of tourists, Spaniards included. So, if you are expecting to spend your holidays practicing English without hearing someone speaking Spanish whenever you turn your head ... let me tell you something: that place doesn’t exist anymore.

Krakow's Main Square

But you can drown your sorrows at one of the many cafes and restaurants that you’ll find within the city’s ancient walls, demolished mainly to let the town grow a little more in the 19th century, or at the lively Jewish quarter. Seize the opportunity to try the delicious Polish cuisine and, if you have some time and money, purchase some souvenirs at the Cloth Market. The amber jewellery, as well as the leather or fur items and wooden crafts are the most popular products. Just be sure to remember that you can’t use your Euros in Poland, since Poles have their own currency, the Złoty. If you are as bad at Maths as me, just keep in mind that almost anything is going to be cheaper than it is in Spain. That should be enough.

If you are keen on museums, there’s a bunch you can visit in Krakow. I’ll recommend you two of them: the City’s History Museum, placed right under the Main Square, where you can see the remains of the Old City Hall, and Oskar Schindler's factory, a really didactic and entertaining museum about the WW II in Krakow.

Wawel Castle

Aren’t you familiar with the city yet? Then, you should pay a visit to Wawel Castle and Jagiellonian University. The castle is, in fact, a majestic group of buildings (including Krakow’s cathedral) where the Polish kings used to live until they decided to move to Warsaw. Actually, the Nazis left Poland before they had the chance to destroy the whole structure, so we are lucky to visit it nowadays. Jagiellonian University is about one hundred years “younger” than Salamanca University, but it also had some famous students, such as Copernicus or Pope John Paul II. 

Krakow is a place where you can go walking almost everywhere (no slopes whatsoever!), but you’ll need to take a bus to get to your next destination: the Wieliczka salt mine. The entrance ticket is a bit expensive but the visit is really worth it. Believe me when I say that you haven’t seen anything like this salt mine before. It was included on the first list of World Heritage Sites in 1978 and it was active until 2007… from the 13th century! But it isn’t just a salt mine. Life must have been kind of boring down there, so miners decided to spend some of their time carving statues and even chapels out of the rock salt. The guided tour takes about two hours, but you are only allowed to see less than 1% of the mine. Awesome is the most accurate word I can think of to describe this place.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

But thinking about Polish history also means thinking about WW II, so let me give you my last piece of advice: visiting Auschwitz is a must. Obviously, it isn’t easy, but it is just something you have to do, because, as Spanish philosopher George Santayana said once: “The one who does not remember History is bound to live through it again”. The Polish want to remember, so the entrance is free for that reason. No words can describe how you feel when you visit Auschwitz, but you won’t feel comfortable anywhere, even if you are surrounded by tons of tourists. If you want to leave Krakow with a smile on your face, just don’t visit Auschwitz on your very last day.

To sum up, Krakow is one of the most charming places in Old Europe, full of art, history ... and bars, so don’t miss a once in a lifetime opportunity and head to Poland. You won’t regret it!

Auschwitz