We kicked off this trip to Poland with a visit to Krakow, a city people have been telling
us to visit for years and now we know why.
Kraków in the summertime was wonderful!
We spent our time enjoying castle views by the river side, exploring neighbourhoods covered
in street art, eating some of the best pierogie of our lives, and also discovering what we
think may be the best ice cream in the whole country.
The following is our travel guide to some of the best things to do in Krakow!
Alright, time for our very first castle.
We are heading to Wawel Castle (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu).
Yeah.
And we didn't leave ourselves a lot of time.
It is almost quarter after four.
Yeah.
Apparently, this closes at five.
We've gotta hustle to get there.
We're about a five minute walk away.
Wawel Castle is Krakow's crowning jewel, and for centuries it was the residence of the
kings of Poland.
The cool thing about this castle is that you can see a mix of Medieval, Renaissance and
Baroque architecture all in one place.
So not only have we chosen to visit the castle right before it closes but it would also appear
we chose a day when they have a special event.
So half of it is blocked off.
Womp womp.
Story of our lives.
But I mean what we have seen is beautiful.
Yeah.
Like the architecture is stunning so we have enjoyed it.
It was incredible.
To be honest we were going to go visit it earlier in the morning but the weather was
really bad pouring rain.
But the sun has come out and our mood has improved and we are happy to have seen what
we've been able to see.
Mmmhmmm.
Another thing we really enjoyed in Kraków (Cracow) was strolling the banks of the Vistula
River (Wisła) right around sunset.
For starters, you get some pretty great views of the castle walls, plus it’s also a popular
spot with bikers and joggers.
And while you’re down by the Vistula, you can also hop aboard one of the many boats
for a river cruise (Rejs statkiem Wisły).
So after a long day of sightseeing.
Mmmhmmm.
This is going to be the perfect way to well rest our legs, to unwind and to experience
sunset as we take a nice little river cruise.
Oh, show us the river cruise motion again.
Yeah.
That is how the river cruise goes.
Just like that.
It is an adventure tour.
Alright, alright.
Let's simmer down.
So we're currently doing the 30 minute boat ride down the Vistula River.
But you can also do longer tours.
They have booze cruises and they also have floating restaurants.
So yeah, lots of options here.
While in the city, we also had to walk the Royal Route (Droga Królewska), which was
once the historic coronation path of Polish kings.
The route starts in the north end of the Old Town and runs its course all the way to Wawel
Castle.
You’ll notice lots of horse carriage rides on offer, and some beautiful architecture
along the way.
Next up, there’s St. Mary’s Basilica (Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny,
Kościół Mariacki).
You do have to pay an admission fee to enter, but there are two very good reasons to do
so.
The first is the ceiling, which is painted to resemble the midnight sky, and the second,
is the Altar of Veit Stoss, the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world and also one of Poland's
national treasures.
After visiting the basilica, we spent a bit of time walking the Main Square (Rynek Główny),
which just so happens to be Europe's largest medieval town square.
We were there on a weekend so the place was buzzing.
There were lots of performers scattered around, but the bubble busker had the biggest crowd
by far.
Continuing our journey north, we then reached St. Florian’s Gate (Brama Floriańska) and
the Barbican (barbakan krakowski), two iconic sites in the Old Town.
And while you’re in the area, you can also walk around Planty Park (Parku Planty Białystok),
which wraps around the Old Town where the medieval fortifications once stood.
Leaving the Old Town behind, we also made time to visit Kazimierz, which turned out
to be a really artsy neighbourhood with bold splashes of street art.
Here you’ll also find the Ethnographic Museum (Muzeum Etnograficzne im.
Seweryna Udzieli w Krakowie), which focuses on Polish folk culture, but also looks at
cultures across Europe and the world.
Sam is at it with the camera filming, taking photos.
How are you liking it.
It is awesome.
Street art is one of the coolest surprises whenever you go to a city.
And if a city has really tasteful and exciting street art.
Tasteful.
Then I'm going to be filming it for sure.
After enjoying a bit of street art, we found Moment, a cozy little cafe serving up traditional
Polish breakfasts (Polskie śniadanie), so we ordered exactly that.
And if early mornings aren’t really your thing, you’ll be glad to hear that Kazimierz
really comes to life at night.
The streets are lined with bars, bistros, and restaurants, and on a summer’s night
it feels like the whole city gathers here.
Żywiec!
He's drinking Żywiec.
Żywiec!
Cheers to you.
Żywiec!
Alright are you going to have a sip or not?
Haha.
Now speaking of food, we sampled some of the best pierogi of our lives at Pierogarnia located
at 44 Krakowska.
It’s a small restaurant with only 6 tables, but we have nothing but praise for this place.
I have been waiting for this pierogi.
These polish dumplings.
Like I think out of all the dumplings I've had around the world these are some of my
favorite.
Mmmm.
These are just so so good.
I'm cutting it in half here.
Oh my gosh there is so much filling.
Anyways, these are stuffed so let's try it.
Oh la lah.
Mmmmm.
What do you think?
Just so good.
This is the second savory plate of pierogi.
This is the one that has mushrooms, feta and walnuts.
Check that out.
I know.
That is awesome.
So I'm going in.
Ooh.
Mmmm.
Oh my gosh.
This is like earthy and so rich.
Mmmm.
Wonderbar?
But now let’s hop on a tram and take you south of the Vistula.
Few visitors make it here, and the place definitely has more of a local vibe, but we found a handful
of gems we want to share.
So we have to talk about ice cream.
Yeah.
In Poland.
Because seriously it is amazing.
It is.
And it is not called ice cream.
It is called Lody.
We don't know a lot of Polish but that is the one word we do know.
That is a word we've picked up very well.
Especially in Kraków (Cracow) because my gosh they have like hidden gem of really good
ice cream.
I didn't know there was great ice cream in Poland.
Yeah.
But there sure is.
And this is one of our favorite places.
It is like just around the corner from where we are staying.
Uh huh.
So we're going to take you in and we're going to get some awesome ice cream and show you
what it is all about.
Alright, let's go in.
This place is called Emil Kręci Lody and we made it a regular part of our days in Krakow
(Cracow).
When you find ice cream this good, you have to enjoy it while you can!
Alright guys, allow us to introduce you to the most beautiful ice creams.
Look at that.
You have ever seen!
Alright, so mammoth waffle cone.
Yeah.
Pistachio ice cream, Kokos ice cream which is coconut.
Yeah.
And Nutella at the bottom.
OMG.
Oh my gosh that is like a very eclectic arrangement of flavors.
And I should share my flavors.
What did you get?
Mine were strawberry, mango and coconut.
The mango is hidden.
So this is my first time to try this pistachio but I've had the coconut kokos.
And my gosh it is so good.
It has real chunks of shredded coconut.
Yeah.
Like not just a little bit but like mostly.
Uh huh.
More than even ice cream.
Yeah, like we were eating ice cream here yesterday and we were basically just moaning in the
restaurant.
First time to try the pistachio it is so good.
And this place is packed and for reason.
Yeah.
There is a big lineup and most of the tables are full so.
Mmmm.
You're wasting ice cream.
I'm dripping it.
The other thing that I should mention too is the ice cream here is really affordable.
It is super cheap.
Oh yeah.
A Euro or two gets you something basically like this.
Like a massive stack of ice cream in a waffle cone.
So yeah.
To the Krakus Mound (kopiec Kościuszki) we go.
And that is right in front of us.
Woop.
So the big hill behind me can only mean one thing.
We have made it to the Krakus Mound.
And Sam is already up top there somewhere.
Anyways, this is believed to be the final resting place of the legendary founder of
the city King Krakus but from everything I've read online this is all legend.
This hasn't actually been proven so yeah this hill could be anything but for now let's go
climb it.
Made it to the top.
I'm the King of the Castle.
Well not really.
No, that would be King Krakus.
I'm the King of this Mound for the moment.
We're the only people up here.
Another famous Krakow attraction is Schindler’s Factory (Fabryka Emalia Oskara Schindlera).
Oskar Schindler is responsible for saving the lives of over 1,200 Polish Jews during
the Holocaust by employing them at his factory.
The former factory now houses the Museum of Contemporary Art, and a branch of the Historical
Museum of the City of Kraków (Krakau).
If you only have time for one museum in the city, I would suggest this one.
And while we were in the area, we also visited the Parish of St. Joseph (Kościół św.
Józefa), which caught our attention when walking around our neighbourhood.
This is a catholic church done in the Gothic Revival style, and it’s worth a peek if
you’re already in the area.
So we are currently at Park Bednarskiego (Park im.
Wojciecha Bednarskiego) which is like right outside our apartment.
Bednarskiego that is a pretty long word I have to say.
Yeah.
Yeah it is right outside of our apartment and yesterday it was scorching hot but today
is a bit more overcast and cool and we're just going for a little walk in the woods
here.
Walk in the woods like Bill Bryson himself.
Haha.
So comfortable.
There is not really that many people out.
It is a weekday.
Just a few kids and families out playing.
And yeah, this is just something that we like to do in cities like if we can find a bit
of a green escape we'll take it.
Lastly, if you need to do a bit of shopping or you get a rainy day, there’s Galeria
Krakowska (Galerii Krakowskiej), a big mall located right by the main train station.
Not exactly a tourist attraction, but it’s one way to keep dry.
And that’s it for our visit to Kraków (克拉科夫)!
We hope this video gave you a few ideas of things to do around the city.
As always, if you have any other places to add to this list or any tips for fellow travellers,
feel free to share those in the comments below.
Until next time and happy travels!