Warsaw is the big city capital and Gdansk-Sopot is ideal for summer beach vacations, but Krakow’s famous square, stunning buildings and excellent nightlife make it Poland’s true crown jewel. I’ve heard it said that Krakow is today what Prague was five years ago and that we can expect tourism in the one-time capital to continue to rise astronomically.
Krakow is also a place of great history. The first Polish pope, John Paul II, hails from the city, and Vladmir Lenin likely devised elements of his Commie revolution here as a resident between 1912-14. It was also in Krakow that Oskar Schindler had his “conversion” so to speak and began to protect Jewish people from the Nazis. Going back even further, it’s a city that has fought ancient civilizations at its gates and even believes an evil dragon once occupied the hill where the Wawel Castle currently stands.
Convinced you need to go? Fortunately, the city is still relatively cheap, so you can easily afford a hotel or hostel in the city center, the first city center named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I stayed at the Flamingo hostel, a brilliant place that’s right on the main square, for about $20 night. I later switched to a hotel just north of the square near the Barbican and only paid about $50 night.
What about must-see sights? Check out the castle, naturally, including the fabled dragon’s lair, and the many statues, structures and churches around the main square. There are also a wide variety of galleries featuring everything from DaVinci paintings to Japanese comic books. In fact, there are over 2 million registered artworks attributed to the city. Krakow, which once had one of the world’s top Jewish communities, is seeing a revival of its old Jewish ghetto, Kazimierz, with wonderful cafes, nightlife and architecture. And of course, no trip to Poland is complete without tasting the pierogi, and there’s no better place to try them than Zapiecek’s.
Prague is a blast, but it’s certainly become overly touristy. Krakow, on the other hand, is blowing up now. I strongly recommend hitting Krakow before the same touristy fate befalls this East European gem.