Krakow Old Town
We were staying in the comfortable Atrium Hotel on Kryzwa, just beyond the northern edge of Krakow's Old Town. It was quite a challenge to find our way there in the car to begin with, but we had a street map and made it through the busy traffic on Krakow's inner ring road. It was early afternoon, so after checking in and taking our luggage up to the large bedrooms, we were ready to go for a walk and find something to eat.
Turning right, walking out of the hotel, we soon arrived at the busy market at Rynek Kleparski. It was hot and Frances needed a sunhat, and although the market stalls were mostly selling fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat there were a few selling other things. So we emerged with Frances wearing a neat headscarf just like some of the local Krakow girls. (It's certainly a lively local market which is well worth visiting as a contrast to the tourist areas nearby).
Then we had to walk across the busy Basztowa road at the lights, where many trams and cars were passing, and we were immediately in the quieter surroundings of the Planty - the green belt of parkland which encircles the Old Town (see separate walking story). A fountain shot up into the air close to a cafe - we had a look at this but it didn't seem to offer much in terms of food.
Continuing to walk down Slawkowska into the Old Town we passed small shops and bars, and more cafes. One of these served a choice of sweet or savoury pancakes, which seemed just right for a late lunch, but I had to do without a beer. Probably just as well as I might have dozed off after the pancake, sitting there outside in the warm sunshine.
We soon became aware of one of the main features of Krakow's Old Town - the horse-drawn carriages which many visitors take a ride on at some time during their stay. Two or three clattered along the street past us, each with two drivers up front (some male, some female) dressed up in fine outfits.
It wasn't much further to walk down to the main square, and in the heat we decided that maybe we should try the carriage ride ourselves to get a feel for the Old Town. We had two more days ahead of us so we'd have plenty of time to walk around exploring it more carefully.
So, taking the tour on the carriage was pretty much the end of our first walk in Krakow. We had time to gasp at the sheer size of the Rynek Glowny - the main square - about 200 metres square and claimed to be the largest city square in Europe. It's overlooked by the twin towers of St Mary's Church at one corner, and the Town Hall tower (now without a town hall) towards the other corner. A weird statue of a man's head lies on a low plinth nearby, providing a background for many tourist photos. In the middle is the long, lower structure of the Cloth Hall dating from the 14th century where cloth merchants used to come to trade. There's another, smaller church in contrasting style, dedicated to St Adalbert, just beyond it.
We were quoted 100 Zloties (£25) for a tour to Wawel Castle and back, and climbed into the carriage, one of a long line parked alongside the cafes and restaurants which line much of the square. It rattled past the monuments and out of the southern corner onto a street called Grodzka. We had hoped it was a guided tour, but all we got were a few mentions of the names of the buildings we went past. All the same, we got a feel for the Old Town, saw a building which had some connection with Pope John Paul II (when he was the local cardinal), gazed up as we swung round below Wawel Castle, and ended up coming back into the main square to finish.
Some tourists were taking a tour in the alternative transport of golf caddy cars, but the majority seemed to be opting for the carriages. It was certainly a different kind of experience but I think I'll stick to walking in future.
Later that afternoon as the others had a snooze before dinner, I took Ailsa for a walk in the push chair around the Planty (covered in a separate story). In the evening we all walked back to the square and found a table at one of the restaurants spread around the side. There was no room at the first one we tried, serving Polish food, and we ended up eating Mexican!
Next day we divided up into three of us visiting Krakow Zoo and two going on to Auschwitz - it was quite convenient to combine the two visits using the hire car. There should be a separate story added about the zoo in due course.
On our final day we had a good walk through the Old Town - still bathed in warm sunshine - starting from the Florian Gate next to the Barbican fortress which are the main surviving structures the city's medieval defences. They look out over the Planty on the north side of the Old Town with a view through the archway where a couple of young musicians were playing their violins.
We walked through to the Rynek Glowny again - it's a natural focus for any walk through the Old Town - and spent some time in the historic Cloth Hall shopping arcade buying souvenirs. At the start of the Grodzka an old couple dressed in traditional costumes were playing music and I gave them a zloty for a photo. Then we continued south along the Grodzka, as we had 2 days before in the carriage, and stopped at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul to look up at the statues of the 12 apostles lined up in front of the building, dating from 1622. The statues themselves are replicas of the originals which were seriously damaged by pollution. Inside, a team of workmen were carrying out renovation work but we were able to admire the ornate decoration.
Then we crossed over through a little square to Kanonicza, where we had seen the building dedicated to Pope John Paul II on our carriage drive. It was just a short walk along to the Podzamzca where we met a stream of cars once again. On the other side we walked up the wide, gentle drive up to Wawel Castle.
Wawel Hill combines both the Castle and the Cathedral, and was the main seat of Polish kings for 500 years before the capital was moved to Warsaw. It remains at the heart of Polish history and identity. Anyone can walk up through the archway, past the Cathedral and into the wide square surrounded by magnificent historic buildings. However, tickets are required to go inside at a specific time and see the Royal Chambers, the Cathedral and the Cathedral Museum, so it's worth one member of your party going up early in your visit to reserve tickets.
We walked across the square to the open air cafe and had cups of tea and ice cream, with a great view towards the Cathedral. Very relaxing.
Then we went back down the drive and crossed over to the entrance to the Planty and walked along it in the shade before turning off to the left and going for a picnic in Park Jordana, 20 minutes' walk from the Old Town.
There are certainly plenty of alternative possibilities for enjoying a walk in the Old Town and the surrounding area. Just a few minutes on the south-west side of Wawel Hill is the bank of the Wisla River, and this can be used to link with a walk through the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz before returning to the Old Town. I followed this route on an evening run, and found Kazimierz quite drab in contrast to the centre of town, but I must have missed the lively area which the guide book described.
Krakow stands out as an attractive and historic city to explore on foot, free of the noise and exhaust fumes from cars, with lots to see and plenty of ways to relax.
Contributed by Andrew Llanwarne
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