Krakow, Poland

In a nutshell:
Kraków is the capital city of the Malopolskie in southern region of Poland. It is the third largest city in Poland with a population of less than a million. It covers both bank of the Wisla river, which has a beautiful cycle path, walk routes by the bank.

Stare Miasto (The old town) is the main tourist attraction and is the city centre. The city has a medieval look and feel with lots of church, old university and a castle. Like any old European city, it has a big town square, cafes and few stalls. They say it is one of the biggest town square in Europe with a closed market in the middle of the plaza.

There is a big hill, ( The Wawel Hill ) which has a castle and a cathedral. You can also get a good view of the city form the hill top.

Essentials:
You can pretty much walk around and cover all the main attractions. Bus, taxis and trains are cheap and well linked. There are lots of good hotels around the old town, however I personally prefer staying around the old Jewish area.

They eat lots of meat, sausages and not much of veggies. If you want to avoid eating in the cafes by the town square, there are plenty of options and you can get good value meals. Areas around the Jewish ghetto, have good cafes and restaurants and the price is reasonable as well.

Krakow is getting big with the Hen nights and Stag weekend. If you are going there for a party, clubbing, then you maybe disappointed. Most people tend to sit around the plaza and drink beer. There are new and upcoming trendy bars or cocktail lounges but i would not go there for it. You can enjoy vodka in small café’s which often stock few varieties.

How Long?
2 days in Krakow or a weekend in Krakow is more than enough ;-)

Not to be missed:
Stare Miasto (The old city)
Famous for the big town square (one of the biggest in Europe), stalls and market place. There are lots of church and one of the oldest universities in the world.

The Wawel Hill:
The Wawel Hill is the big castle and a church, which is within the old city. You get a good view of Krakow and the Wisla River.

Kazimierz:
The Jewish quarter which has few Synagogue (prayer House) and town squares. There are also lots new and upcoming cafes and bars.

Auschwitz-Birkenau
Auschwitz is the first concentration camp, and is known for terror, genocide and the Holocaust in the global consciousness. Few Kilometers away from Auschwitz is another much bigger camp with few remaining shelters at Birkenau. There are few tours that run from Krakow to A Auschwitz-Birkenau and spare 6-7 hours for the trip.

Caveats:
Getting pissed drunk in Poland can land you up in a cell, as they have alcohol police who can lock you up for 24 hours.

In three words:
Back to the 30’s