Krakow

15 July 2025

Kraków is a city in Poland. That’s all I knew about it before going there. What do I know now that I have been there? Not a whole lot more, if I’m being honest, but I liked it.

Día 1

Rynek Główny
Sukiennice
Kraków Barbican

I flew into Krakow from Prague and made a beeline to the closest pierogi joint which happened to be Przystanek Pierogarnia. I ordered a mix of 10 different pierogis for about $7.50 USD and liked most of them. I don’t drink alcohol; instead, I like trying local colas and other drinks. I washed lunch down with a large cola zero that I quite liked.

Rynek Główny

Rynek Główny is Kraków’s main square and the centerpiece of the Old Town. It’s one of the largest medieval squares in Europe. In the center of the square is a market that was really fun to peruse.

Sukiennice

Sukiennice, or the Cloth Hall, is the aforementioned peruseable market at the center of Rynek Główny. It’s been a trading hub for centuries and I did my part to keep the hub going with some trading of my own. It’s filled with small stalls selling crafts, amber jewelry, and souvenirs. I bought Indi a couple of pieces of amber jewelry as a surprise gift and a peace offering for traveling to cool places without her.

Kraków Barbican

La Kraków Barbican is a fortified outpost that once guarded the main entrance to the medieval city. It was built in the late 1400s. I can’t believe this stood for 92 years before Columbus sailed the oceans blue.

There are walking paths and other interesting sights right outside the Old Town walls.

It turns out I’m not a Polish food super fan. That being said, I did enjoy the food from Bar mleczny “Pod Temidą”. It is a cafeteria-style restaurant in Old Town with good prices and simple fare. I fell back on my new Central Europe go-to: schnitzel.

I ended the day walking around the city and appreciating the architecture. When I had my fill and night fell, I walked back to my hostel – MEININGER Kraków Centrum

Día 2

Wieliczka Salt Mine
Holy Trinity Church
St. Florian’s Gate

Wieliczka Salt Mine

In the morning, I checked out of my hostel and took a train and then a bus to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. The mine was around 45 minutes away from my hostel, located just outside Krakow. The mine is huge, but it is only a medium-sized mine compared to other salt mines in Europe.

The real reason to visit is that it has been producing salt since the 13th century. Since then, the mine has been decommissioned and is now more of a museum. Inside are many tunnels, chapels, and sculptures carved entirely from salt. I was impressed and I’d recommend it.

Holy Trinity Church

After my tour through the mine, I returned to Old Town to spend the rest of my time before leaving the city in the evening. The Holy Trinity Church in Krakow is a Gothic Dominican church built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Christians have produced some seriously impressive architecture.

St. Florian's Gate

St. Florian’s Gate is the medieval tower that once marked the main northern entrance into Krakow’s Old Town. It’s no longer used for defensive purposes. In these peaceful times, it’s just a cool tower from the 14th century.

I walked to the train station a little early to make sure I could figure it out. My train ended up being delayed, but I eventually made it on the train headed towards Warsaw, which would continue to Gdansk.

Next time

On my next adventure, I visit a picturesque city on the Baltic Sea with a storied past – Gdansk!