Krakow

Poland · KRK

20 attractions 5 restaurants

Kraków was the royal capital of Poland from 1038 to 1596 and is the only major Polish city to escape WWII intact. Roughly 800,000 residents live in 327 km², but the UNESCO-listed Old Town — laid out around the largest medieval market square in Europe (200 × 200 m) — fits inside a 1 km radius. Most travellers spend two to three days; Auschwitz and the Wieliczka salt mine sit within a 90-minute drive and add another day each.

Plan a trip →

About this city

Flight from Germany: 1h 45min
Airport ↔ centre: 11 km
Time shift: Same as Germany
Population: 800,000
Area: 327 km²
Founded: ~7th century
Currency: PLN
Language: Polish
Timezone: Europe/Warsaw

Why visit

A complete medieval-to-Baroque cityscape that was never bombed. Poland has the cheapest beer in any European capital (a half-litre Tyskie ~10 PLN / €2.40 in 2026), and a Polish three-course lunch with wine sits at €15–€20 in tourist restaurants and €8–€12 in milk bars (bar mleczny).

Neighbourhoods at a glance

·Stare Miasto (Old Town) — Main Market Square, St Mary's, Cloth Hall, Planty park ring.
·Wawel — castle hill with cathedral, royal apartments and dragon den.
·Kazimierz — Jewish quarter; synagogues by day, bars and zapiekanka by night.
·Podgórze — across the river: Schindler's Factory, MOCAK, the Ghetto memorial.
·Nowa Huta — 1949 Soviet model town on the eastern edge; brutalist + worth a tram ride.
·Zwierzyniec — quiet riverside suburb with Kościuszko Mound + best Acropolis-style panorama.

Best time to visit

Month	Day temp	Crowds	Don't miss
Jan–Feb	−2 to 3 °C	Low	Possible snow on Rynek; cheapest hotels of the year
Mar–Apr	6–14 °C	Med	Easter market on Rynek; Misteria Paschalia music festival
May–Jun	18–24 °C	Med–high	Wianki midsummer festival (Jun); long daylight to 21:30
Jul–Aug	22–28 °C	High	Jewish Culture Festival (early Jul); Vistula river beaches
Sep–Oct	12–19 °C	Med	Best month overall — autumn colours in Planty park ring
Nov–Dec	0–6 °C	High in Dec	Christmas market on Rynek (mid-Nov–Jan); szopka folk cribs

Getting around

Mode	2026 cost	Notes
Walking	Free	Old Town is 1 km across; Wawel to Kazimierz = 12 min walk
Tram + bus	4 PLN / 20 min, day 17 PLN	Old Town is pedestrian; trams ring the Planty park
Train from KRK airport	17 PLN one-way	17 min to main station; runs every 30 min
Taxi (iTaxi / Bolt)	~25 PLN short ride	Use app to avoid haggling; airport→centre ~70 PLN
Day trip to Auschwitz	~150 PLN bus tour	90 min each way; reserve free museum entry online too

What to eat

·Pierogi — ruskie (potato + curd cheese), meat, sauerkraut + mushroom. ~20 PLN / plate.
·Żurek — sour rye-flour soup with sausage + egg, served in a hollowed bread bowl.
·Bigos — hunter's stew of sauerkraut, beef + sausage; the slow-cooked national dish.
·Zapiekanka — open-faced baguette with mushrooms and cheese; Plac Nowy cult food (8 PLN).
·Obwarzanek — sesame-and-poppy ring bread sold from street kiosks (3 PLN).
·Bar mleczny (milk bar) — Communist-era canteens still serving 3-course lunches for ~25 PLN.

First-timer tips

·Polish currency = PLN (zloty). Cards everywhere; ATMs avoid Euronet (high fees).
·Tipping ~10 %; round up or leave 5 PLN at café.
·Tap water is safe; restaurants will sell bottled by default.
·Auschwitz Museum is free but timed-entry — book 2 weeks ahead in summer.
·St Mary's trumpet call plays every hour on the hour from the tallest tower — pause to listen.