Krakow - the New Prague, only better

Some of the obvious places to see:

1) Market Square, Mariacki Church & Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) - Krakow's heart, also happens to be the largest medieval city square in the world. History, souvenirs, cafes, restaurants and pigeons: all your heart desires witin a walking distance.

2) Wieliczka Salt Mine - officially on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. An underground salt mine that's been operational for almost 1000 years. All the rooms and halls inside have been sculpted out of pure salt! Phenomenal acoustics!!

3) Oswiecim-Brzezinka (Aushwitz-Birkenau) Concentration Camp - not for the faint of heart, but an important place to go if you want to experience some history.

4) Wawel Hill & Castle - the home of Polish Kings and Queens. So much to see, so little time. There is the Royal Chambers and the Armory, and the Treasury, and the Dragon's Den, and the Virtual Wawel Tour... See it all!

Quick Tips:

Off The Beaten Track:

Go to Wierzynek Restaurant on the Market Square. You will dine in the oldest and one of the finest quality restaurants in Poland, yet end up paying what you would at a cheap restaurant in the US or Europe.

Mariacki Church Tower - when you go visit the Mariacki Church talk to security / curator, and ask him if you could go up the tower and see the famous firefighter play the 'Hejnal' on his trumpet. If you play your cards right, for a little 'incentive' he'll let you climb the tower.

Best Way To Get Around:

Krakow is incredibly compact. To discover the old town walk everywhere. As a good introduction to the city you could take the horse-carriage ride which should only set you back about 60 PLN (). To go to Wieliczka or Aushwitz, take a bus tour (there are tours available in English and German), or get there yourself by train or bus (however, you'll be better off knowing some Polish if you choose that route). Local transportation is cheap and very reliable, but most of the schedules and maps are only in Polish. If you're going to take a taxi, ask the hotel to call one for you, as you'll be assured to get an honest cabbie and a discount rate.

The hotel was undergoing a renovation while we were staying there (they were putting in elevators). Rooms were quite simple and small, but nice. Service was very pleasant and spoke several languages (English, German and French at least). The highlight of the hotel was the breakfast: great Polish buffet with sausage, various kinds of cold cuts and cheese, and all the American style items (like eggs, bacon, cereal). And of course there is the LOCATION. The hotel is right across from Florianska Gate (the entry gate to the Market Square), which made all of our exploring very convenient.

Check out their homepage at: http://www.polhotels.com/Cracow/Polski/

My girlfriend and I went to Wierzynek on our last night in Krakow as a way to say goodbye to the city. It was a wonderful experience. The food was very well prepared. We had rather exotic dishes: wild-boar roast for my girlfriend and a veal steak with wine sauce for myself with soup and salad. It was delicious! For dessert I would highly suggest their ice-cream with fruit and liquor medley. Decor was simple, but very fitting; service well-attired and polite.

Note on prices: while this restaurant would be completely out of the range for an average-earning Pole, it proved to be amazingly affordable for a couple foreign tourists like ourselves. For your information: our total bill came up to 187 zlotych (at the time's exchange rate that came up to $46). At $23 per person we each had: a soup, main dish, dessert, soda, cappucino and a beer. Being a lover of fine-dining I call it a bargain!

It's an important reminder of Nazi atrocities during World War II. There are two sites to see: Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau). A1 contains the museum, the wall of death, torture chambers and a reconstructed gas chambers and incinerators. A2 contains the living quarters (barracks) of the prisoners. Entrance to both museums is free, and multi-language guides are available. When I went there, I booked a bus tour with Orbis travel agency at Krakow's Market Square.

A tour to Wawel Hill and Wawel Castle can take an entire day if you're interested in history. First there is the Wawel Cathedral underneath which most of the Polish royalty has been buried. In the actual castle you can see the Armory, Treasury, Royal Chambers, as well as art galleries etc. There is Museum of John Paul II which is worth seeing. Virtual Wawel video is a must see. And if you have little ones, stroll down to Dragon's Den, to see a statue of a fire-breathing dragon!

Check out their web-site at:

http://www.cyf-kr.edu.pl/wawel/einfomuz.htm

Wieliczka Salt Mine is a site to see! I think it is close to 1000 years old and still in operation. The entire mine is made out of salt (obviously) and on a guided tour you can see many sculpted chambers as well as statues, chandeliers and chapels all sculpted out of salt. In this place pope John Paul II held a mass at one time.

Check out this web-site for transportation options and tourist information: http://www.wieliczka.com.pl/english/index.html

One of the greatest souvenir stand locations in the world! The old trading hall has been completely restored and repainted and now houses dozens if not close to a hundred souvenir stands, cafes, galleries etc. You can get anything here, but you won't spend a bundle because everything is so cheap. From amber jewelry to hand-sculpted chess pieces. From watercolor artwork from local artists to hand made swords. When you're done shopping inside, swing to the outside of Sukiennice and step into a gallery or a cafe for a nice cup of coffee.