Hello friends. This was my second time in this city and this time it coincided with Christmas Eve. In the late afternoon, we settled into the apartment where we would stay in Krakow. This time we paid 70 euros per night for an apartment right in the city center. By European standards, that is basically a steal and I honestly wonder what prices are like at other times of the year. Inside there was a sofa, a bed, a mirror, the necessary furniture and probably a heater. We also had a small kitchen, complete with a dishwasher and a microwave. Our first day was December 21. Since it was the Christmas holiday period, I expected prices to be sky high, but we found a place at a great rate.
After unpacking and resting a bit, we decided to go out for a walk in the evening. We entered Krakow Cathedral. The cathedral is such a neat and impressive structure. Its ceiling looks like a blue sky filled with stars. When we reached the altar, we came across nuns. The interior was decorated with pine trees for Christmas. Being inside a cathedral just before Christmas was a lovely experience, it gave the place a fairy tale atmosphere. Having pine trees inside made perfect sense, yet it was also an unusual sight. The entrance fee was 10 zloty, about 2.5 euros, which is quite reasonable. Even though cathedrals are theoretically similar, it is always surprising how each one offers something unique once you step inside.
After a while, we found ourselves in the tower of the main cathedral. There were completely wooden structures, narrow staircases and a huge crowd. You had to squeeze your way through. The view of Krakow from the top of the tower was pretty nice. Evening had already fallen below and horse drawn carriages were out in the square. While eating, I was also gathering information for the following days. As the famous trumpet call played in the square, it suddenly stopped mid melody. This is symbolic. According to the legend, when the Tatars attacked, the trumpeter managed to warn everyone but was shot at that exact moment. This tradition still lives on. An official plays this melody every hour toward four different directions.
Krakow has an incredible number of cafes and restaurants and their quality is really high. We had dinner at a nice restaurant serving Polish cuisine. Since the following days were Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, shops would be closed. Because of that, we stopped by a grocery store to buy things like yogurt and cheese, as we were heading to Gdansk by train the next day. The city is generally full of stone buildings. There are not many of those old timber framed European houses I imagine, but the atmosphere is very pleasant. You also have to be careful with trams at pedestrian crossings, they can catch you off guard at any moment.
On the way to the Old Town, we saw handmade model castles placed all around the city for the pre Christmas period. These were fascinating art pieces with bright lights and rotating mechanisms. The decorations in the city center are a bit flashy in style. Later, we went to a rib restaurant called Crazy Pig in the Jewish quarter. The food was tasty, but the area was very quiet. It felt like the locals had gone away for the Christmas holidays, with crowds only on the main street. Even so, compared to extremely touristic places, this area still felt calm. On almost every corner, there are small shops that stay open even on weekends.
The number of venues here is massive. There are high quality places like Black Duck with thousands of reviews. On the streets, they sell huge versions of trdelník, also known as chimney cake. Prices are similar to Germany, but the portions are much bigger. The next day, in places we found open, we tried the famous rose jam filled donuts. Krakow’s food culture really surprised me. While Stuttgart has only a few main streets, here you come across an amazing restaurant or an atmospheric bar at almost every corner. One of them was even a fantastic place converted from an old synagogue.
We passed in front of that blue ceiling cathedral in the main square and looked at the Christmas tree on Florianska Street. After spending a few days in the city, I felt that this place has a warmer and more welcoming atmosphere than many other cities. In terms of food, it could easily take second place on my list after Florence and maybe even challenge it. Since Italian cuisine is my favorite, Florence has a special place for me, but Krakow offers a much more authentic option. Here, it is possible to find top quality versions of everything, from pizza to burgers. We ended our walk by listening to the story of that famous city symbol, a fake horse setup with someone wearing Tatar style clothing. After that, we returned to our building behind Kosok. The next day, we had a full day to explore the city in daylight. In my next posts, I will continue sharing the rest of our Krakow trip. See you soon, friends.