Krakow is the second largest Polish city, one of the most cultural cities in Poland. It’s a historical city with impressive churches, museums and its beauty and atmosphere attract thousands of tourists every year. If you believe in legends, Krakow was built on the cave of a dragon.
Why is this city is so special that I’m dedicating a post with reasons why you should visit? Krakow is a city which has captured my heart and below I’m listing you some reasons why you should visit this beautiful city.
Visit Europe’s Largest Square
Krakow’s main square, Rynek Glowny, is the largest medieval square in Europe. The Cloth Hall hosts a lot of market stalls selling local clothing, jewellery, lacework, cloth handicrafts, wood carvings, rugs and all sorts of Polish souvenirs at reasonable prices. Here you’ll find St. Mary’s Basilica, a gothic church which is amazing to see.
A city which can be explored by foot
Krakow is a small city and everything is very close to each other. You can walk around and explore the city and its surroundings. There’s some beautiful walking routes from Florian’s Gate to Wawel castle. Other highlights of Krakow are the Jewish district and The Barbican.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camps
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps is one of the largest camps in Europe which has been turned and maintained as a museum. This place is worth a visit. Be prepared for an emotional tour since you’ll leave there with mixed sad feelings. I have a dedicated post with photos regarding the concentration camp which I encourage you to read at: Auschwitz, a death camp worth visiting
Visit a Cathedral made of salt, 135m underground
Another great tour from Kraków is to visit Wieliczka Salt Mine. Find more information on my dedicated post at: Wieliczka Salt Mine in Krakow, 135 meters underground.
Delicious Food
Krakow has some great restaurant where you can try typical Polish cuisine. I always like to try local traditional dishes so since I was in Krakow I tried Pierogi (dough filled with meat, vegetables or cheese), polish hotdogs, sausages which were quite cheap. I got to try some dishes with marmalade as the main ingredient and were delicious.
Low budget
Yes, Poland still remains a low budget country compared to other Western European countries. It’s affordable to go out for drinks and food. It was one of the cheapest cities I’ve visited up to now.
