Krakow - Krakovo

Krakow (pole: Krakow) is a city in the south Poland, capital of the Small Poland Province. It is located on the Vistula River and its region is located near the Carpathians. It is the second largest Polish city, with a population of 756,183 people in 2010 (1.4 million, if we also count the agglomeration).

Understand

History

Krakow is one of the oldest cities in Poland. Archeology shows that people lived here twenty thousand years before Christ. Legend has it that it was founded by King Krak, who succeeded in defeating a dragon that lived in a cave in Wawel. However, the first historical mention of the city dates back to 966, when a Jewish merchant from Spain described it as an important trading center in Slavic Europe.

Thanks to trade with all of Europe, it grew from a small settlement in 1000 AD. to a large and rich city belonging to the Vistula people. Eventually it was conquered by the Polish dynasty of Plast. In 1038 Casimir the Renovator made Krakow the capital of Poland.

In 1241 the city was almost completely ruined by the Tatars, who invaded central Europe. It has, however, been rebuilt and has since remained largely unchanged to this day. However, after further successful attacks by the Mongols in the late 13th century, King Casimir the Great decided to build fortifications to defend the capital. At the same time the Krakow Academy was founded (now - Jagiellonian University). In addition, King Casimir founded the district Kazimierz for Jews, that they might live free from persecution. The area remained predominantly Jewish for centuries until the Nazi German occupation during World War II.

The 16th century was the "golden age" of Krakow. Due to the Polish-Lithuanian dynasty of the Jagiellonians the city became a center of science and art. In 1569 the two countries were united and as a result the government began to move to Warsaw. Finally in 1609 King Sigismund III Vasa made Warsaw the capital.

However, the 17th century was a return to trouble for Krakow and for Poland. After being invaded by Turks, Swedes, Russians, Prussians, Germans, Austrians and French, the country ceased to exist in 1795. In 1807 the Duchy of Warsaw was formed under the great influence of France. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Krakow Republic was founded, theoretically independent, but in fact influenced by neighboring Austria. After the Krakow uprising in 1846 the town became part of it.

After the First World War, Poland became independent again. However, this lasted only twenty years - until World War II, when Germany and the Soviet Union divided the country. In September 1939 a German army entered Krakow. The Nazi Germans killed many Polish professors, destroyed many historical sites and monuments. A concentration camp was built around the city, including Płaszów and Auschwitz. The city managed not to be blown up because in 1945 it was joined by the Soviet Red Army and in Poland the communist period began.

In the period a large steel foundry was founded in the suburb Nowa Huta ("New Foundry"). The communist authorities thus tried to diminish the significance of the Krakow intellectuals and the religious milieu. In 1978 UNESCO listed Kraków on the World Heritage List. In the same year, the Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, was elected pope John Paul II. The communist period ended in 1989, when, once again, the renovation of historic buildings began.

Climate

Krakow is located in a temperate climate. There are four seasons, summer is usually hot and humid (from about 20 ° C to about 35 ° C), in winter it sometimes snows, the temperature can vary between -10 ° C and 10 ° C (sometimes it can be either warmer or colder). ).

Due to relatively little wind, the city suffers from air pollution, which can adversely affect children and people with breathing problems, especially during winter. It is advisable to consider the air quality when planning your trip, you can check it for example at AQICN.

Enter

Enire avie

The airport Krakow Airport (page in Polish and English), also known as John Paul II International Airport Krakow - Balice (John Paul II International Airport Krakow – Balice; IATA: KRK, ICAO: EPKK) is the main airport of Krakow, the second largest in Poland. It is located in Balice, about 12 kilometers west of the city center.

To travel to the city center:

• by public transport: it is easiest to find a connection through the web jakdojade.pl (available in Polish and English). It shows communications by means of the urban transport (KMK: buses and trams) and by regional trains (KMŁ and PolRegio), also shows the price of the ticket. In addition, with the mobile application of the same name it is possible to buy the tickets.
  • by bus: No. 252 and No. 208 both depart from in front of the main airport building. No. 252 goes twice an hour to the vicinity of the city center (next to the National Museum in Krakow, stop Narodowe Museum); No. 208 goes once an hour to the main station (Kraków Główny, right next to the store Krakowska Gallery, stop Dworzec Główny Wschód). The cost of the ticket varies according to the time of its duration (see #Public transport). Remember that the airport is located in the second zone. Be sure to validate the ticket immediately after the start of the trip.
  • by night bus: No. 902 - the ticket is the same as for the day buses.
  • by train: trains SKA-1 starts once an hour from the station Kraków Lotnisko next to the airport via Krakow to Wieliczka (Wieliczka Rynek-Kopalnia). The journey takes less than 20 minutes to Krakow Main Station (Kraków Główny), almost 50 minutes to the terminus in Wieliczka. The ticket costs 12 zlotys to any station in Krakow, and 16 zlotys to the terminus. Tickets can be purchased at vending machines on the platform, at vending machines on the train and at the conductors. If you do not have a ticket, remember to train using the first door and address the conductor as soon as possible.
• by taxi: Krakow Airport Taxi is an official taxi company, under the control of the airport. Taxis can be used in front of the airport building. The price depends on the distance. You can predict the approximate price yourself by exploring the distance, for example at Google Maps. A trip to the city center should cost less than 70 zlotys.

Get on the train

The main station, Kraków Główny (the names are also used Dworzec Główny, Dworzec Główny PKP), is located about five minutes walk from the Main Fairgrounds (center of the Old Town). The new station is located entirely underground, it can be reached by Krakowska Gallery or through the old station. The station has direct international connections inter alia from Prague, Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin. Schedule and train connections throughout Poland you can search on the page Passenger Portal (Polish and English).

Enter the bus

The bus station is located right next to the train, on its east side. It's called Małopolski Dworzec Bus (pole, angle, ruse).

International bus connections are offered by several bus companies, for example Flixbus, Eurolines and Ecolines.

A useful website for viewing bus connections (local, national and international) is Busy KRK.

To be transported

To be transported on foot

Depending on your athleticism, you can see the entire city center without using any transportation. There are some beautiful walks, such as the Royal Road or the one through Planty Park, which surrounds the Old Town. There are also a few through the Kazimierz district. They can be seen on maps that can be found in many recognizable places, for example near Vavelo.

Be aware that during winter, snow, ice or a combination of snow and mud may appear on sidewalks. Usually this is removed as soon as possible, but the walkways can be slippery and wet especially in infrequently visited streets and avenues.

Public transport

Public transportation is the best way to get around the center. Most buses and all trams are run by the company MPK (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne). At their website you can see maps with the stop names [1] and look for best connections between the stops [2]. Hours 7-9 and 15-17 are peaking in traffic, so driving then can be very difficult.

Tickets can be purchased at kiosks or on a tram / bus by ticket machine. Trams and buses that have the machine have over the door written AUTOMAT BILETOWY and capital letter A on the left. The last possibility is, if there is no machine, that you can buy a ticket at the driver. The driver sells only 60-minute tickets for both zones (5 zlotys) and accepts only one note. Immediately after entering a bus / tram, you must validate your ticket by placing it in the slot of the validator. All tickets, except the double tickets, can be validated only once.

Ticket prices can be checked on the website of the tram and bus company MPK [3] (the first price is the normal one, the second is discounted - among others for ISIC / EURO 26 owners^[1]):

• a) temporary
  • 20 minutes
  • 50-minute or 1-time (it is possible to change bus / tram and travel up to 50 minutes or continue a single trip to the final stop)
  • 90 minutes
  • 24-hour
  • 48-hour
  • 72-hour
  • 7-day
• b) weekend family ticket (valid for a group of two to seven people in which there is at least one child up to 16 years old and one or two adult caregivers)
• c) group ticket (up to 20 people)
• d) common ticket for trams, buses and trains SKA-1 (except to the airport)

Transport by car

Traveling by car to the city center is really difficult, there is often heavy traffic, many streets are accessible only to locals and taxis. There are no parking lots, the existing ones can be expensive. Taxis for a day it costs about 5-7 zlotys as an initial payment plus about 2-3 zlotys for each kilometer. Each taxi should have a "TAXI" sign on the roof and a price tag on the back door. There are others as well car services like iCar [4], Car-o [5] or MaxiDriver [6]. They are less expensive, with them the price is calculated according to the distance and is given at the beginning of the trip.

See

The most popular sights, including the hill Vavelo (Wawel), on which the royal palace and the vavela cathedral, and the Main Fairgrounds (Rynek Główny) is found in the Old Town.

Next to the Old Town is the Jewish quarter Kazimierz, which is certainly very interesting for those who want to see the Jewish heritage of Central Europe. For example, it is worth visiting the Remuh synagogue and a nearby 16th-century cemetery, recently revived.

Nowa Huta is a typical example of socialist realism. It is a neighborhood built during the communist period for workers of the Nowa Huta (New Steel Foundry), whose name has the whole part of the city. In addition to the architecture, there are also many parks and artificial ponds.

Fari

Krakow is the former capital of Poland, so there are many things to do, for example:

• Walk between the Royal Road, from the Barbican and the Florian Gate, through Floriańska Street, Main Fairgrounds, Grodzka Street to Wawel.
• Listen to the hejnalon (trumpet signal) played every full hour from the higher tower of the church of Mary. The melody ends abruptly, reminiscent of a trumpeter killed by a Tatar arrow in 1241.
• Walk all over Planty Park, which surrounds the Old Town.

Buy

Stores

Near the city center there are two shops where you can buy clothes, food, books and much more:

• Krakowska Gallery (ul. Pawia 5) - right next to the main station, about 5 minutes walk from the city center;
• Kazimierz Gallery (ul. Podgórska 34) - south of the Kazimierz district, on the shores of Vistula.

Larger, but also more distant stores are among other things Bonarka (ul. Kamieńskiego 11) and Bronowice Gallery (ul. Stawowa 61). In addition, many stores (such as Auchan, Carrefour, Real, Tesco, Lidl, Biedronka) are located in various parts of the city.

Learn

In Krakow there are 10 public, 2 ecclesiastical and 11 private colleges. The majors are:

• Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Jagielloński) - Oldest university in Poland.
• AGH University of Science and Technology] (Górniczo-Hutnicza Academy)
• University of Economics in Krakow (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie)
• Krakow Academy by Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski (Krakowska Akademia im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego)
• Krakow Polytechnic (Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki)
• Pedagogical University (Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny im. Narodowej Education Commission)
• Agricultural University (Uniwersytet Rolniczy im. Hugona Kołłątaja in Krakowie)

Eat

The most characteristic food from Krakow is obwarzanek (ring bun), also called precel (breco). It can most often be with poppy seeds (z makiem), with salt (z solą) or with sesame (z sezamem), sometimes also with cheese (z serem). It costs about 1.30-1.60 zlotys.

If you want to taste Polish food for little money (full lunch for 8-14 zlotys, but self-service), you can find Bar mleczny (milk barrier, very popular during the communist period, so called because they do not sell alcohol). The nearest to the Main Fairgrounds is located at Grodzka 43, others you will find for example at Królewska 84 and Czarnowiejska 75. Most often you can order only in Polish.

Typical "lunch" Polish foods are:

• visit you - rye soup made of rye, it is sour and thick, often served with sausage or hard-boiled egg;
• barge - red beet soup, spicy;
• pierogi - balls stuffed with cheese and potatoes (ruskie), meat (z mięsem), cabbage (z kapustą), fungi (z grzybami), strawberries (z jagodami/z borówkami) or apples (z jabłkami); in special "pierogejos" (pierogarnia) you can taste pieroges with various fillings.

The most popular “street food” is kebab and zapiekanka - half a loaf of bread, about 30 cm long, with baked ingredients (usually cheese, mushrooms and many condiments such as ketchup and garlic sauce). The most popular "scarecrow" is at Plac Nowy in the Kazimierz district. On weekend nights one can wait there in a row until the morning.

Drink

To live

The number of tourists in Krakow is growing rapidly, so are housing prices. Try to avoid hotels and hostels in the district Nowa Huta, as most of them are former residences of part-time industrial workers. In addition, the district is quite far from the city center.

More and more detailed information can be found in the tourist information points (InfoKraków).

Esperanto housing

In Krakow is 7 hosts of Passport Service^(2021/1).

Campsites

There are few campsites in Krakow, most of which are closed during cold months.

Hostels

In the Old Town and Kazimierz there are many hostels with prices around 40-60 zł, including breakfast (bread, jam, cheese), bed linen, deposits and internet connection.

Hotels

Throughout the city there are many hotels, from the most luxurious (Sheraton, Qubus, etc.), located right next to the city center, to less luxurious and more remote, but less expensive.

Security

Esperanto

Local Esperantists

For more information and a tour (if possible) you can contact the local Esperantists:

• Krakow Esperanto Society - meets every Thursday (except summer) at 4 pm on the ground floor of the House of Culture "Podgórze" (address: Sokolska 13).

Consulates

• Austria, ul. Cebulskiego 9, (12) 424 99 40. (full consulate) [7]
• Brazil, ul. Wrocławska 53, (12) 633 40 88. (Honorary Consulate)
• Britio, ul. św. Anny 9, (12) 421 70 30. (Honorary Consulate)
• Chile, ul. Floriańska 3, (12) 428 92 50. (Honorary Consulate)
• Croatia, ul. ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki 36, (12) 290 65 10. (Honorary Consulate) [8]
• Danio, ul. św. Anny 5, (12) 421 71 20. (Honorary Consulate)
• Estonia, ul. Floriańska 15/4, 0501 014 230. (Honorary Consulate)
• France, ul. Stolarska 15, (12) 424 53 00. (full consulate)
• Germany, ul. Stolarska 7, (12) 424 30 00. (full consulate) [9]
• Hungary, ul. św. Mark 7/9, (12) 422 56 57. (full consulate)
• Italy, ul. Wenecja 3, (12) 429 29 21. (honorary consulate)
• Japan, ul. Grabowskiego 5/3, (12) 633 43 59. (Honorary Consulate)
• Lithuania, ul. Chłopickiego 10, (12) 413 65 18. (Honorary Consulate)
• Latvia, ul. Malborska 130, (12) 350 55 50. (honorary consulate)
• Mexico, ul. Wiedeńska 72, (12) 636 52 59. (Honorary Consulate)
• Norway, ul. Mazowiecka 25, (12) 633 03 76. (Honorary Consulate)
• Peru, ul. Straszewskiego 28, (12) 422 80 18 ext. 28. (Honorary Consulate)
• Russia, ul. Biscupia 7, (12) 422 26 47. (full consulate)
• Slovakia, ul. św. Tomasza 34, (12) 425 49 70. (full consulate)
• Svedio, ul. św. Anny 5, (12) 421 73 80. (full consulate)
• Turkey, ul. Jaracza 10, (12) 416 30 05. (full consulate)
• Ukraine, ul. Beliny-Prażmowskiego 4, (12) 429 60 66. (full consulate) [10]
• United States, ul. Stolarska 9, (12) 424 51 00. (full consulate) [11]

Visit further

• Auschwitz-Birkenau - Nazi German concentration camp of World War II, 2 kilometers from Oświęcim, about 65 kilometers from Krakow
• Wieliczka - a town known for its salt mine, now partially accessible; about 17 kilometers from Krakow, it can be reached by public bus No. 304 (bus ticket costs 4 zlotys; the ticket for the mining museum is expensive, i.e. 64 zlotys)

Remarks

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