I went to Poland and visited Krakow on a city break with my friends. It was a brilliant experience from visiting Wawel castle to Salt mines to even learning the tragic past of Auschwitz while we were there. There are so many things to do in Krakow but I will share some of my favourite memories of my trip with you all! Follow me along my journey through the streets of Krakow, and explore deep down in a salt mine and some unforgettable things to do in Krakow.
When we first arrived in Krakow I didn’t know what to expect, but at the end of our visit I was falling in love with the city. The Polish people are so friendly and the food is hearty and delicious! You must try the delicacy Pierogies– Dough dumplings stuffed with fillings such as potatoe, onions, or cheese!
Image source:google.com
Our full day there, we got up early and wanted to explore the city! So we set off, we had a few places in mind to visit. We done a hop on hop off bus tour which included a 30 mins boat trip on a gondola. It was very good value as it was only €10 for students. We started off with Wawel Castle– this castle is beautiful inside and outside! It used to be home and fortress to the kings. The boat trip was amazing, I’d highly recommend it even though the time we went was very cold.
Next was our boat trip which was amazing!
We visited some museums. On our bus tour one of the stops was Schindler Factory. Schindler factory is a historical museum detailing the hard times of the WWW 2 in Poland at the time. We were disappointed to find out that when we arrived the tickets were sold out for that day! So make sure you book in advance. We visited Rynek underground museum- city’s history museum. It was only €5 or 21 zloty. Its very cool and I’d recommend you visit this museum if you are interested in the history of Krakow.
Useful prices in Krakow
– Beer €1.66
-Pierogi€2-3
-Bottle of wine €4.20
-Taxi trip for 5km is €4
-Milk bars(restaurants) for a meal €3-4
-Bottle of water €0.60
We then done a day trip to Auschwitz and Salt mines. Auschwitz was a very emotionally and moving tour. It was eye opening experience to hear all the stories. Auschwitz- Krakow Tours were brilliant. We booked it by email and it was very easy and clear to understand. The company are great, got picked up from our hotel, travelled about 1.5 hours to Auschwitz and the tour lasted around 3 hours. The tour guide was very knowledgeable of the history. On the bus down, the company that we done the private tour with, put on a movie for us about Auschwitz.
The next part of our day was Salt mines. I loved this tour as it was very unique and interesting but I must warn you its not for the claustrophobic! There are 800 steps in total to walk down to the mines!! I know seems a lot but it will be well worth the walk believe me..the bottom floor is very cool with the statues made of salt and the church were mass still goes on.
We done Auschwitz and Salt mines in one day, its a long day as Auschwitz tour takes 3 hours and salt mines take 2 hours but it is well worth it! Our ticket was €67 but we were gone all day so well worth the money!
And whats a good holiday without a shopping trip eh?! 😉 We went to a big shopping center just in the Kazimierz area which had shops ranging from H&M, to Zara to Inglot- One of my favourite makeups for eye shadows! Inglot is so affordable over in Krakow which is a win win for the ladies! Plenty of shops to cover all of your shopping needs! Food and drink is lovely there too and not to expensive. On the last night we ate in the main square in the old town with tables outside and umbrella’s over us! Just gorgeous! I can’t wait to go back again!
Once travel, Always travel! 