Krakow, poland's best kept secret

The market inside the sukiennice (Cloth hall). Simply walking around the beautiful town centre. The castle, including it's mythology about the dragon. Nearby are Birkenau and Auschwitz. Finally, an unexpected highlight was the Salt Mines about 30 mins from the city centre.

Quick Tips:

If approached by representatives for a hostel at the train station, avoid them unless they specify that it is in the city centre. Also, if inter-railing take care on the train into Poland as the border checks are stringent. My best tip is to read about the city before visiting, read the myths and legends and history, as it is fascinating.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is the easiest thing, as the city centre is not too large. There is also a tram which is convenient, environmentally friendly and easy to use. The buses are useful for trips out of town, with the public buses being particularly useful. Finally, taxi's are easy to come by and cheap enough to take quite often, so even if you do stay outside the centre it wont be oo much of a problem.

My experience at Auschwitz was very emotional, and affected me much more than i thought it would. Seeing the sign ('Arbeit Macht Frei'), and seeing photos of people who had been held prisoner in the camp made the experience deeply personal. There are various exhibits to see held in the houses used before as accomodation. In truth Auschwitz is a very difficult place to visit, and an even more difficult place to write about. It is hard to capture the level of emotion which is induced simply by seeing the buildings and by realising that the camp is actually very pretty. Nonetheless I have not regretted visiting Auschwitz, and would urge everyone to do the same, regardless of their pesonal connection with the camp, or their interest (or lack of) in history or the second world war. You will be moved and disturbed, and it's worth it.

The Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) is worth visiting to appreciate the beautiful building, but a walk around and through the building reveals a wealth of small shops and craft stalls, many of which sell unique handmade crafts, such as carved wooden toys or silver or gold jewellery. It is possible to pick up a bargain, and some beautiful gifts, because, as with many Eastern European countries, prices are relatively low. As much of the merchandise on offer is unique to poland, and some unique to Krakow, it is the perfect place to pick up mementoes to remind you of your trip.

I cannot stress strongly enough just how much i enjoyed visiting the salt mines. Although it took a little effort to get there, it was well worth it! We had to take the bus from Krakow, which proved to be easier than we thought it would be, although it was still quite difficult! The main bus-station is well-laid out, but we had some trouble understanding which stop we should be standing at. My tip here is to just ask as many people a possible. When we arrived at the Mines there was quite a long queue to get in, so take some water with you, althoughyou can purchase icecreams from a little cafe nearby! Although the entry-price is not particularly cheap, it won't break the bank, especially as most other activities cost next to nothing! The sight is well-run, with informative, interesting and (best of all) funny guides giving an extremely well-thought-out tour. There are many different chambers in the mines (which are several miles deep and long) and the stories of the different chambers are fascinating and revealing of polish culture. For example the underground chapel built for the miners, or the recently-carved statue of the pope made for his visit, which he actually never undertook. It was a pleasure and a privilege to visit this World Heritage Sight, and to learn about the beneficial properties of the salt, the lives of the miners and the various legends encapsulated in salt statues. I would never have believed so many things could be made out of salt, certainly not chandeliers and post offices!