Krakow - Κρακοβία

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THE Krakow is a city in Poland

At a glance

History

Krakow is one of the oldest cities in Poland, with finds showing habitation from 20,000 BC. The first mention of its name was in 966 by a Jewish merchant from Spain, who described it as an important trading center in Slavic Europe.

By trading with various leaders in Europe, he grew from a small settlement in 1000 to a large wealthy city, under the leadership of the Vistulas. However, in the 9th and 10th centuries, it was conquered by the Great Moravians, after the Bohemians, before its occupation by the Piast dynasty of Poland. In 1038, Kazimierz the Restorer made Krakow the capital of Poland.

In 1241, the city was almost completely destroyed by the Tatars. It was rebuilt in a design that remains largely unchanged to this day. However, after more successful attacks by the Mongols in the late 13th century, Kaminez the Great fortified the city. Walls, fortifications, and the original Wawel Castle were added. The University was also founded. King Kazimierz established the Kazimierz area for the Jews to live free from persecution. This area remained predominantly Jewish for centuries until the Nazi occupation.

The 16th century was the golden age of Krakow. Under the influence of the joint Polish-Lithuanian Jagiellonian dynasty, Krakow became a center of science and the arts. In 1569, Poland formally united with Lithuania and as a result, state activity began to move to Warsaw. King Zygmunt III officially moved the capital in 1609.

However, in the 17th century a return was made to difficult times for Krakow and Poland. After the invasion of the Russians, the Prussians, the Austrians, the Chansilvans, the Swedes and the French, it went through a phase of various forms of political control. These included part of the Duchy of Warsaw, which was founded by Napoleon and became an "independent city". However, it mostly fell under the sphere of influence of the Austrian Hapsburg empire in the province of Galicia.

During World War I, Jozef Pilsudski's goal was to liberate Poland, and the Treaty of Versailles (1919) established an independent sovereign Polish state for the first time in more than 100 years. This lasted until World War II, when Germany and the USSR divided the country, with German forces entering Krakow in September 1939. Many academics were killed and historical relics and monuments destroyed or looted. Concentration camps were set up near Krakow, including Plaszow and Auschwitz. After the departure of the Germans, the city escaped total destruction and many buildings were saved.

During the communist era, a large steel mill was established in the suburb of Nowa Huta. This was seen as an attempt to reduce the influence of anti-communist intellectuals and religious communities in Krakow. In 1978, UNESCO inscribed Krakow on the World Heritage List. In the same year, the Archbishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II.

The communist government collapsed in 1989 and Krakow went through another period of renaissance, with historic buildings being restored.

Economy

Krakow is Poland's most popular tourist destination, and tourism is the main source of income for the local economy. However, the university and many colleges make education an important part of the economy.

The services and technology sector is developed, with many banks, and IT companies such as Google having offices here. There is also a large industry, mainly in the steel industry, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.

Unemployment is lower (5%) than in the rest of the country (9%) and is considered a good investment in the real estate sector. A new financial and business district is planned next to a sports center in Nowa Huta on the Vistula River. This is planned to upgrade the Nowa Huta district, Krakow's poorest district.

Climate

There are four different seasons in Krakow, summer is hot and mild (about 30-35 ° C), winter always finds Krakow in a snow veil with cold days (-5 to -20 ° C). Due to the low winds, Krakow has a high level of air pollution, which mainly affects children and adults with respiratory problems.

Reading

Ideal period of visit

How to get there

By air

Kraków Airport (also known as Ioannis Pavlos II Krakow International Airport - Balice ) (IATA: KRK) is the main airport, located in Balice, about 12 km west of the center. It is the second largest airport in Poland.

The following airlines operate from / to Krakow:

Internal:

• Eurolot (Gdansk)
• LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw)

International:

• Aeroflot (Moscow)
• Air Berlin (Berlin)
• Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
• EasyJet (Belfast-International, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London-Gatwick, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• Eurolot (Amsterdam, Zurich)
• Finnair (Helsinki)
• Germanwings (Stuttgart)
• Jet2.com (Newcastle upon Tyne)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Norwegian (Bergen, Copenhagen, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stavanger, Stockholm-Arlanda)
• Ryanair (constantly changing list of Western European destinations)

Krakβw Airport is known for foggy days, which force flights to be diverted (to Katowice, Warsaw, Rzeszow or even Brno) or even canceled. The fogiest months are November, December, February and March, those dates, morning and evening flights are rescheduled for somewhere else.

To travel between the airport and the city:

• The Railway connection has been interrupted due to modernization, at least until 2015.

• Bus # 292 and Bus # 208 connect the airport to the city center every twenty minutes and about once an hour, respectively. If you need to go to the main train station, get off at the bus stop Dworzec Główny Wschód. This bus stop is next to the mall Krakowska Gallery, about 100 meters from the entrance of the main train station (Dworzec PKP Główny). The journey takes about 40 minutes.

A one-way ticket from Balice Airport to the city center costs 00 4.00 (or 00 2.00 for ISIC / EURO 26 holders). Make sure you have purchased the "agglomeration ticket", this type of ticket is valid for two zones, and for the area where the airport is located. bus or bus stop Make sure you have validated your ticket immediately after boarding the vehicle.

At night, you can take night bus # 902 which departs from the airport to the city center late at night. For the journey from the city to the airport, the bus departs from the main train station. There is no difference between day and night tickets.

• Kraków Airport Taxi is the official taxi company under the supervision of Krakow Airport. These taxis are available in front of the international terminal (T1). The price of the trip depends on the distance. You can calculate the price yourself by checking distance in Google Maps or any other service. The route to the city center should not cost more than 70 zł.

• Transport companies: There are many transport companies in Krakow that offer private, door-to-door transfers from the airport. A big advantage of this service is that the transfer price is determined at the time of booking. Also, their quality is very often better than the average taxi service.

Katowice Airport (IATA: KTW) is another airport located about 100 km from Krakβw that has direct connections to over 30 destinations throughout Europe and Asia. The airport is its base Wizzair and has a strong Wizzair flight network. It is also the only one in southern Poland with a direct connection to Barcelona, Kiev, Agriculture, Glasgow the Israel, which makes it a good airport for passengers who can not buy direct flights to Krakow.

By train

THE Dworzec Główny PKP is Krakβw's main train station, and is located just outside the Old Town. Connect with other cities in Poland and the rest of Europe.

International trains arrive daily from Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Kosice, Lviv, Kiev and Odessa with connections to the rest of Europe.

The station has a luggage storage service, a lounge, small cafes and shops. However, food is not the best, and it would be best to go outside the station to buy from nearby stores. There is a mall (Krakowska Gallery) next to the station with some fast-food restaurants. The station staff is not always the most helpful for non-Polish speaking foreigners, as they often do not speak English and can spend a long time waiting in line, they tell you to go to another huge queue. If you get confused, ask a young person to help you, most young Poles speak good English and are very helpful. Staff at the International Ticket Office speak English.

About every hour between 06:00 and 20:00 there is a railway connection between Krakβw and Warsaw. Some of them are Express InterCity (EIC), with a travel duration of ~ 2ω40λ. It is by far the most convenient way to travel between Krakow and Warsaw. The ticket costs PLN 120 per adult. First class tickets are about 25% more expensive, and offer more legroom. Other all-day trains are classified as Express (116 PLN) TLK (55 PLN) or Interregio (47 PLN). They vary in comfort for the most part, travel time is similar, maybe with Interregio it takes a little longer. Some of them have discounts for people <26 years old, ask at the ticket office.

Bus

There are pan-European buses operating in Krakow as well Eurolines (from France, Italy, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Central Europe), Ecolines (from Russia, Baltic States, Central Europe and Balkans). The duration of a bus trip from London, for example, is about 24 hours. It is quite uncomfortable, and is not recommended for anyone except the desperate or the environmentally conscious.

From Budapest you can go to Krakow with Orange Ways or take her bus -budapest-bus.html Eurobusways. Eurobusways also connects with Dresden, Prague the Vienna.

Bus links to other cities in Poland can be found on its website Intercity Bus Station in Krakow. In addition:

From Warsaw and several other cities in Poland, you can reach Krakow with Polski Bus and Link Bus. Polski Bus only accepts online bookings and their prices can be much lower if you book a few days in advance.

From Wroclaw you can reach Krakow by:

• Lajkonik - another company that connects the Wroclaw (with a stop at Katowice). Three times daily in each direction. A one-way ticket costs 43 PLN (there are some small discounts for students).

When traveling between Krakow and Zakopane it is recommended to take one of the buses Transfer, Szwagropol, Polski Bus (2 hours journey) instead of train (3.5 hours). Buses leave every 30 minutes from Intercity Bus Station.

By road

The Polish government has completed it A4 highway starting from the German border (where it meets the Autobahn A4) and reaches Krakow. That makes traveling from the west quite easy. The speed limit is generally 140 km / h, and there are 18 PLN tolls per direction between Krakow and Katowice. There are also 16 PLN tolls on the A4 motorway between Wroclaw and Katowice. Driving to or from Warsaw (300 km) is more difficult, as the «A1» has not yet been completed. The easiest way is to walk through the road 7 / Ε77, the journey should take less than five hours.

Apartments

How to move

By foot

Depending on the level of fitness, you can see the whole city center, without the need for any means of transportation. There are some beautiful walking routes, try the Royal Road or the Planty Park that surrounds the Old Town all the way from the Florian Gate to Wawel Castle. It is very relaxing. There is also a manicured walkway along the river next to the castle to walk around.

However, be aware that in winter the snow sometimes does not move away from the sidewalks, resulting in a mixture of snow and mud. You need to bring waterproof shoes if you plan to walk in the winter.

Bus - Tram

During the day, there is an excellent public transport system consisting of trams and buses operated by the MPK (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Communication) [1]. On their website you can check routes or stops [2] and find the best links [3]. Rush hours are mostly between 07:00 - 09:00 and 15: 00-17: 00 and you can lose a lot of time in traffic jams.

It's better to buy tickets before boarding a kiosk or ticket machine at the tram / bus stop (these are mostly in the city center and provide assistance in some languages). Trams and buses equipped with ticket machines are marked with a large A above the entrance. As a last resort, if there is no automatic ticket machine on the vehicle, you can buy a 5 zł ticket from the driver, but you will have to pay for it with the expensive price (guide will not accept an amount higher than the ticket price).If you buy a ticket after boarding try to be quick, ticket checks are quite frequent and the fines are quite high (250 zł) and the process is a hassle.

From the moment you board, put the ticket in the validation machine. Tickets should only be validated the first time you board, not the transfer. You can use a single ticket for multiple trips as long as its time period has not expired.

Ticket prices: single ticket / 40 minutes with 3.80 zł, 20 minutes with 2.80 zł, one hour 5.00 zł, 90 minutes with 6.00 zł, 24-hour 15 zł, 48-hour 24 zł, 72-hour 36 zł, 7 days 48 zł, family ticket (Sat-Sun only, unlimited daily travel) 16.00 zł.

ISIC and 'Euro26' Students studying outside of Poland can use 50% of the discounted tickets which means discount: 20 minutes with 1.40 zł, 40 minutes with 1.90 zł, one hour with 2.50 zł, 90 minutes with 3.00 zł, 24- hours 7.50 zł, 48-hour 12 zł, 72-hour 18 zł, 7 days 24 zł.

When traveling to neighboring villages or to the airport you should have one agglomeration (zone) ticket. All buses that go outside the city limits have 2 at the beginning of their line number. Remember that you need a zone ticket when boarding, even if you have a city ticket for the rest of the time (as they only cover the city area). Zone Tickets are slightly more expensive than city tickets and follow a similar time system.

Night bus and tram lines start with Start with 6 (the 9 when referring to Zone) at the beginning of their line number. The prices of overnight tickets are the same. 24/48/72-hour tickets are also valid for night buses.

Tram and bus stops have a route board and most kiosks will be able to advise you on the route number. Modern trams and some of the modern buses also display the route through the screens and announce each stop.

By road

Do not bother to drive downtown. There is often a lot of traffic, parking spaces are limited and expensive, and Polish driving takes time to get used to. There are also rules around local "driving zones" that prohibit non-resident vehicles from entering. Taxis are cheap and it makes more sense to use them.

Cab, for reliable taxi drivers from the airport or for longer distances you will need to book in advance online. For example a transfer from Krakow airport to Krakow costs around 70PLN. During the day, most routes will be around 20PLN. All taxis must have a 'Taxi' sign on the roof and a sticker on the rear passenger window with the prices. There is an initial charge of about 5-7PLN, plus 2-3PLN per kilometer. The price list must be displayed on the door.

Car services such as iCar [4] or Car-o [5] or MaxiDriver [6] They are almost always less expensive than taxis, and they will tell you the price in advance (based on the actual distance between you and your destination). An 8 km route will cost you about 22 PLN.

There are cases where drivers overcharge tourists, especially those who do not speak Polish. Check on the map in advance how much it should be and if it will go far above that, haggle the price.

Bike

It is easy to get around the center by bike, as there are some bike lanes, including the "Planty" that surrounds the old town. Some bicycle rental shops offer cycling tours in and around the city.

• Bike Rental, ul. .w. Anny 4, ☎ 48 501 745 986, e-mail: [email protected]. Summer 9:00 until night. 7 zł for 1h, 40 zł for 24h. 
• Cruising Kraków, ul. Basttowa 17, ☎ 48 12 312 60 20, e-mail: [email protected]. 9:00 AM-8:00PM. 20 zł for the first 3h, 40 zł for 24h. 
• Happy Bike, ul. Mogilska 51, ☎ 48 504 982 043, e-mail: [email protected]. 40zł / 24ω. 
• Amsterdamer, ul. Koletek 9, ☎ 48 518 150 155. Bicycles in the style of Amsterdam. 7zł / ω, 50zł / 24ω. 
• Two Wheels, ul. Joseph 5 (Kazimierz), ☎ 48 12 421 57 85. 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. 50 zł for 24h. 

What to see

Most of the popular tourist attractions like Wawel hill with the Royal Castle, Wawel Cathedral, the Central square with the Basilica of the Virgin and Sukiennice are located in Old Town.

Its region Kazimierz is very interesting for those who want to see the Jewish heritage of Central Europe. The Remuh synagogue, for example, was built in 1557 and although it is not as well maintained, and the entrance fee is 5zł, it has a wonderful atmosphere with old walls and ancient vestments. Apart from that, there is her cemetery. It was created in 1511 and has been recently renovated. The atmosphere there is very melancholy, and it is worth a visit.

Her area East Krakow (Nowa Huta) It was built during the communist era, and was made for the people who work in the huge steel mills (5 times larger than the Old Town of Krakow) located there. The architecture of the area is typically socialist, with huge buildings surrounded by lush parks. The area today is poor, and you can feel the real climate of that time.

Travelers coming to Krakow often visit the concentration camp Auschwitz. What many do not know is that in Krakow there was also another Nazi concentration camp located in South Krakow (Podgórze) area.

Entertainment

Krakow, the old royal capital, is famous for its many valuable architectural monuments and unique friendly atmosphere. There are many things to do:

• Walk the whole thing Royal Road, from St. Florian Gate in Floriańska, crossing the main market square, in Grodzka at Wawel Castle.
• Listen to it Hejnal Mariacki (trumpet) drinking a coffee at Rynek Główny. The signal is played live every hour from the tower of St. Mary's Church and is cut short in memory of a trumpet player who was killed by a Tatar arrow in 1241.
• Walk around it Planty, a large park that surrounds the entire Old Town.
• Relax and soak up the sun on the Vistula River. See her Dragon Cave and watch the dragon burn.
• do one river cruise, is a perfect way to admire Tyniec Abbey and Bielany Priory. In summer there are many ferries mooring next to Wawel Castle and there are also public ferries water tram but are harder to find.
• Early Sunday, go shopping outdoors bazaar at Plac Nowy and Hala Targowa. 7: 00-13: 00
• Join a services in the Church of the Virgin. The church is impressive.
• Take a walk with dorożka carriage with a horse. There are always plenty to park at Rynek Główny.
• Visit it Nowa Huta, get lost among the apartment buildings, do your shopping in the cheap markets of the area.
• Visit his area 'Kazimierz' , getting lost in the narrow alleys and looking for traces of Krakow's Jewish past.
• Take part in one city ​​game which combines the sights of the city with adventure and fun. You will find advertisements in hostels.

What will you buy

Studies

Job opportunities in Krakow

Where to go for coffee - drink

Where are you going to eat?

Where will you stay?

Stay safe

Health and precautions

Communications

Next destinations

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