Krakow
 

Am flying with BA to Krakow in May and booked into the Stary hotel as I thought the location would be ideal, this being my first visit to Poland. I appreciate that I am right in the tourist part of the city but would like to sample some real Polish food so will have to get away from this area. I am not interested in eating French cuisine, Italian,Chinese etc etc but just genuine Polish cuisine. How far out of this central area will I need to travel to find this? Any suggestions of restaurants? Also any good bar suggestions? I am not a young guy so NOT looking to join in with stag nights or to go clubbing, just a nice comfortable bar with a reasonable choice of draught beers and where I won't get ripped off!

Personally, I would go onto tripadvisor and have a look at the travel forums on Kraków. We went a couple of years ago (first timers) and picked up some useful information. I can't offer any advice on the specific questions you ask but would strongly advise you to take the tour to Auschwitz.

Thanks for that Mike. Perhaps I should have mentioned in my previous post that I have already organised my visits to Auschwitz, Wawel Castle etc but was inquiring more about evening activities.

You may also wish to ask this in the Europe travel forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/europe-477/

Visiting Krakow with some friends in May as well.

This pub guide might be useful. Not sure from what year it is though.

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/krakpubs.htm

I am not the best person on the drinking side, but actually when it come to the stags - which are not so present there are used to be the case - it's extremely obvious where they go. Some of the very many students in Kraków are paid by these bars owners to hang around the main intersections and persuade the groups to go to their joint nearby. They won't be so interested in middle class singles/couples. Stags are there Friday and Saturday, and less obvious at other times.

For food there are plenty of options within a few hundred metres of your hotel. And even on the main tourist streets there are some good options. Here are a few in my address book:

1) Marmolade - something for everyone
2) Café Oranżeria (it's got a terrace over the river so it gets packed on hot days, but Poles are total wimps about cooler weather so that's the time to go there)
3) Pod Aniołami - very hearty solid food, one of my favourites
4) Wentzl (I think they are owned by Marmolade)
5) Wierzynek. Well this is the oldest restaurant in Krakow, it's something like 700 years old. The food isn't so fantastic, but it is an institution. George Bush snr and François Mitterand have both eaten there. I remember eating there when the Communists were still running Poland, it was basically an aspect of divide and rule.
6) Domowe Przysmaki. This is at the other end of the social spectrum, student dumplings place. It will only cost a few quid to eat here, it's very basic, but authentic with it.
7) Gospoda Koko - similar to above but more central, still cheap.
All of these are within 5 minutes walk of your hotel/centre.

Bear in mind that Poles can often get good food at home, so in fact many of the better restaurants in Kraków are Italian, Spanish, Sushi and what not!

Almost all of the hotels in Kraków will have a free monthly (?) English magazine called Kraków In Your Pocket. It's quite thick, 150 pages, about half are on restaurants. It doesn't slate any of them, but it does highlight the best aspect of more or less every place to go in the area. I would say that magazine is 90% reliable.

This thread has been split from a thread on BA forum and newly created in this section where it is more suitable as it is a question about Krakow itself rather than about BA.

LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum

Download In Your Pocket - it will explain all on p.44
You will not need to walk for more than 5 mins to food :)

http://www.inyourpocket.com/data/download/krakow.pdf



I would avoid this one though - its overpriced and the food is terrible
5) Wierzynek. Well this is the oldest restaurant in Krakow, it's something like 700 years old. The food isn't so fantastic, but it is an institution. George Bush snr and François Mitterand have both eaten there. I remember eating there when the Communists were still running Poland, it was basically an aspect of divide and rule.

SFO777 has an excellent as always TR of Krakow.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-poland-7.html

My guide I posted back is a bit outdated but has soe good recommendations
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/europ...cow-guide.html

Pod Baranem (http://podbaranem.com/) is still my favorite Polish cuisine restaurant in the city. I love their beef tartare and their main courses are traditional Polish food.
Hawelka in the Rynek (some 20m from Hotel Stary) is also excellent for Polish food. They also have a great beef tartare and traditional Polish food.
In both restaurants I would recommend the mushroom soup. Both use a breadbowl and also both use wild mushrooms, which gives it a excellent taste.

If you want to try something unique:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...rn_Poland.html

also, if your in the Jewish Quarter, there are plenty of excellent Polish/Jewish restaurants to go to such as:
Klezmer Hois
Ariel
AWIW
The first 2 have live music (usually with a cover) every day - it's something different to experience.

Hope this helps!

Folks,

jason8612 is THE PERSON for Krakow tips :)

mfk

I agree. jason8612 was an excellent guide at the Krakow Do. ^

Thank you very much for your replies, really helpful information.

Thanks for the kind words :)

Thinking of getting a Polish sim card for my visit. Any suggestions as to what network I should buy?

What do you need? Data? international calling (what countries)?
Usually Orange has the best deals (once you activate the packages)

I should have been more specific. I am only looking to make local calls and send messages.I will not need data.

nju mobile has a offer where its 2PLN (about 0.50euro cents) a day for unlimited local calling and texting. Its a MVNO on the tmobile network. It costs 6PLN to activate
http://www.njumobile.pl/oferta/nju-na-karte

details of the service:
If on a given day you would spend a total of 2 zł to talk (national calls), SMS / MMS, or on internet, for the rest of the day you receive unlimited calls and SMS to everyone, and 100 MB of internet.

price of the service: 6 zł

Valid for: 62 days

how to turn on the service: send a SMS with the text PROMOCJA to number 603 (charged as per SMS to mobile nju) or
type in your phone short code *127*52# and send or
log on to www.njumobile.pl/mojekonto and select "Services"


Original text:
"szczegóły usługi:
jeżeli w danym dniu wydasz łącznie 2 zł na rozmowy, SMSy/MMSy krajowe lub internet, to do końca tego dnia za kolejne nielimitowane rozmowy i SMSy do wszystkich i 100 MB internetu nie zapłacisz już więcej nic.

cena usługi: 6 zł

ważność usługi: 62 dni

jak włączyć usługę: wyślij SMS a o treści PROMOCJA pod numer 603 (opłata jak za SMS-a do nju mobile) lub
wpisz w telefonie krótki kod *127*52# i potwierdź przyciskiem połaczenia [zadzwoń] lub
zaloguj się na stronie www.njumobile.pl/mojekonto i wybierz "usługi"
"


There are other providers like orange or play which offer cheap calling and texting. Usually the calls ate 29gr/min (free incoming) and 9gr per sms (free incoming)

Re comment about the Wentzl restaurant and the possibility of being owned by the same people who own Marmolada (see below). I always stay at the Wentzl and necessarily have a meal there - and almost fainted. The restaurant did undergo a change - but has returned to the same chef and owner it had some 5 years ago.

Do try Hawełek, Szara and the Łemek Gościnna Chata - slightly different kitchen than Polish - very close to the Stary as it is on Sławkowska.

As for restaurants with a view and terrace - aside from Oranżeria there is Malecon - which is closer to the Wawel and directly over the riverside park.

The enclosed link to Forbes lists everything owned by that conglomerate - which includes Miód and Malina as well as Wesele. These two are places that discriminate against single women (trust me - you won't experience that when only speaking English, but I am bi-lingual and they thought I was Polish) and will put you at the smallest table in the furthest corner and act like they are doing you a favor for letting you in. When there with a man - correct service, when alone - lets just say that I walked out. I've actually only done that once before in my life.

http://www.forbes.pl/najlepsi-restau...08381,1,1.html

Jason8612
 

Thank you so much for the info on Krakow! I just printed it out, we will be in Krakow in May.

If you have any others questions, let me know! :)

Hi everyone,

May I seek some advice on this?

I am thinking of hiring a private tour guide to bring me and my travel mate on a tour in English of the two Auschwitz camps for a day. Can you recommend us a good guide and how much will it be? Do we need to make our own arrangement to Auschwitz and return?

Thank you.

Thyetus Lee

I haven't taken a private tour, but have done one of the group tours available from Viator last August. I thought the tour was very good, and as one of the larger group tours, very affordable. It was $40 USD for about 5 hours, transportation included. The smaller tours (8-10 people I believe) were about $75 USD.

You may want to check out the Viator tours as an alternative, and it's possible they have private tours as well. The site allows you to read reviews, and generally everyone I've spoken with who has used Viator has had a good experience.

please delete

There are plenty of companies offering tours with transport from Krakow.
Viator shows some around $45 per person.

I also got a private driver. I went with my friend and his wife. Came out to be about $100 for the driver + Auschwitz tour fees (45PLN/$12 per person for the tour). Plus lunch costs. If you are interested, I can PM you the info.

Thank you JBord and jason8612 for your advice. I believe the tour group is the best option I have.

Appreciate the information you have provided.

Thyetus Lee

On my first visit to Kraków in 1975, our friends took us to Jama Michalika. Is that still there? (Even if it is, I suppose, given the way of the world, it's probably not as cool as it was then.)

I've never been there but it does seem to be still around

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...rn_Poland.html

Current Jama Michalika is nothing - repeat nothing like it was back in 1972 or 74 or 75 (my first visits there) in the sense of who goes there.

Hi jason8612

May I ask one more question?

Would there be any exchange points in Krakow that accepts Singapore currency?

Thank you.

Thyetus Lee

Honestly, I highly doubt it. I never noticed on any exchange places SGD. Probably better if you bring USD or EUR to exchange to PLN. Most places do take credit cards, but taxis, tips for waiters, any private car arrangements, etc would need to be in cash.

Thank you this is definitely helpful.

Thyetus

The currency exchange places in Kraków have dreadful rates - absolutely the worst. I have never seen Singapore currency accepted.

If you do not want to carry large amounts of cash, you should be able to use your bank card at the various Euronet ATMs around the city. Their rates are reasonable.

Interesting- I just returned from Krakow a few days ago, and there must be about 100 exchange places (local signs say "Kantor") in and around the old town. Rates can vary quite a bit from place to place, so definitely shop around, but without looking too hard, I found several places with good rates.

When official rates (like the credit card companies use) were $3.98/USD, I was able to get $4.05/USD.

For reference, the airport was the worst at $3.28/USD, and the average local shop was about $3.95/USD. Nobody charges commissions, so the rate is all you need to calculate.

I was not able to find great rates, like some countries with active black market exchanges, where private rates can be 20% or more better than the official rate.

On a side note, I did discover a few great new restaurants, and as food prices (both restaurant and supermarket) and less than half what we pay in the U.S., eating in Krakow is always a cheap treat!

Also, every hotel offers tours through local outfits, and you can also approach the local outfits directly. Many have store fronts in the old town. One or two days notice is plenty to book a tour, so if you're there for a few days, you could wait till you get there to choose one.

As for English, I was surprised at how many locals speak some, so finding an English-speaking is not an issue at all.

I agree. Plenty of Kantors in the city that have great exchange rates (including on Wieopole street). The euronet ATM exchange fees are awful.

Interesting - I was there last weekend and found the rates at the Kantors much worse than the Kantor's in Warsaw.

Perhaps we viewed different Kantor's .....

Possibly. the ones on Wielopole now are 3.98PLN to USD (selling USD)
Visa USA exchange rate assuming no % fee from the card is 3.974
I haven't check the euronet ones recently, but I would assume it is around 3.85

Krakow has a lot of them. You really need to shop around to get a good deal. Generally avoid anything at the airport, train station or on/ near the Rynek.

Jason has given good advice above.

Tour Guide in Krakow
 

Does anyone have a tour guide they can recommend for Krakow, particularly the Jewish aspects?