Anyone been to Krakow / Auschwitz...

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has been to Krakow / Auschwitz?

Have wanted to go there for many years and never got around to it, well now I've finally decided to do something about it.

Was looking to go to Krakow for a long weekend and visit Auschwitz whilst im there. Other than Auschwitz, is there much else to do around Krakow? Anyone know of cheap flights / hotels / bars / restaurants etc ?

Cheers

M

Been to Auschwitz twice. First time drove there from Krakow and spent several hours wandering around both camps (Auschwitz and Birkenau up the road)

Second time did an organised tour and felt a bit rushed.

I really loved Krakow, not a million things to do there, but that's kind of the point.

Pretty much everything revolves around the main square - and no matter where your hotel is (we stayed in a couple of cheap and cheerful hostels) they'll no doubt be walking distance to anywhere you need to get to in the town.

The nightlife's pretty decent (it's a big place for students), and there's plenty of bars and clubs - again all just off the main square. One to check out is CK Browar, where they brew their own beer, and you can have it brought to your table in something like 6/8/12 pint tubes, and then just pour it yourself from the tap. Couple of restaurants I'd say are a must, first one is "U Babci Maliny", lovely place done up like a woodshed from a fairytale or something - and you can get a massive meal for about £4. Then there's a place literally across the street which sells "pierogi", little Polish dumpling things. Again, about £4 a plate (the street both those places are on is Slawkowska, right off the square again).

You've got the old Jewish quarter as well which is great to wonder about, and the only area where pretty much no one speaks English, which makes ordering food from the little market stalls a bit of an experience. Then there's the castle with the river and everything, umm yeah just a lovely place really. A bike tour is well worth doing - worked out at about a tenner for almost the whole day - get to see all the old ghettos, Schindler's factory and areas you probably wouldn't get to by yourself.

Definitely enough to do for 2/3 days not including Auschwitz!

Ecco what LS said about CK Browar great bar. The dont like you drinking straight form the beer tap but I guess thats understandable. If your on facebook search for me julian ganley, I have an album from Krakow on there, there's a few pics from that bar, also from Auschwitz which wasnt so nice but a must being so close.

Look out for harry potter in that bar though, has a wicked right hook!

Pretty much all of it has been covered, but I would add why not make it a week or so and head down to Zakopane on the Czech border.

If skiing is your thing it's the place to go, and if not the views themselves from the top of Gubalowka are worth the trip on their own!!

Edit : There is a lot of outdoors involved with Auschwitz so the Spring might be a better time to go...

Also you should visit the salt mines : http://www.krakow-info.com/wielicz.htm

I went to Krakow, Auschwitz and Warsaw about 4-5 years ago. I absolutly loved it out there. Auschwitz is a difficult day. As you might expect it is so eerie, and it is true what people say, the birds really do not sing there! Krakow is a lovely city and unless I'm getting confused with Warsaw, there is a fantastic cathedral in Krakow which is well worth a visit

My Grandad was from Krakow, I have promised myself a trip there one day. Would be weird to meet some relatives, but probably quite hard to track them down, unless they're is a Polish genealogy.com tout there somewhere (in English).

What's the best (affordable) way to do the trip?

My Grandad was from Krakow, I have promised myself a trip there one day. Would be weird to meet some relatives, but probably quite hard to track them down, unless they're is a Polish genealogy.com tout there somewhere (in English).

 

What's the best (affordable) way to do the trip?

We went Ryan air from Stanstead to Krakow, but while being cheap you're in the lap of the Gods with Ryanair.

Flights also from Bournemouth to Krakow Belice which is about an hour away....

My Grandad was from Krakow, I have promised myself a trip there one day. Would be weird to meet some relatives, but probably quite hard to track them down, unless they're is a Polish genealogy.com tout there somewhere (in English).

What's the best (affordable) way to do the trip?

Train

A few million Jews, gays, gypsies and socialists went there once. Not many left though. Nasty business. Not entirely sure what to make of all the 'tourists' descending on the place though. I know it has to be remembered so as to not happen again but can't quite stop thinking it is a bit of a carnival of the morbid.

Train

yeah, one-way ticket in a box car.

yeah, one-way ticket in a box car.

Out of order!! My grandad died at Auschwitz.

He fell out of a machine gun tower.

GF is from Krakow, went for the first time in July. Loved it.

Needs a good two days of walking to see all of it, the old Walled City around the main square but also down to the old Jewish area and the ghetto (forget what they call it), and the Castle is a good few hours (get there early for tickets to get inside many of the parts0

Auschwitz is a trip everyone should make at least once in their lives and make the effort to spend the time reading the many exhibits on the walls of the Dormitory blocks (You don't really need a tour guide - that sort of takes the whole thing to the wrong level IMHO)

The main square in Krakow is great in the evenings watching the world go by and the beer Zwicky as they say is great and cheap.

I also really enjoyed the Salt Mines much more than I expected - make sure you have your camera gear in full technical operation mode - pointing and shooting won't work ISO 1000 for the Cathedral to do it justice!

Zacopane was where everyone told us to go but we had some problems that day with the motor and missed out - next time.

There is an excellent Bus & Tram system for getting around the City. I have NO idea how it all worked or how to catch things to places but then I had my interpreter with me so was fine! BUT it is worth researching in English before you go as if you CAN use it will save a fortune in taxi fares or getting lost staring at weird Road signs in a rental car.

As for getting there, Easyjet from Luton was our return, we went out from Stansted to Wrozlaw on RyancabinbagnazisAir and had some time there, was about a 3 hour drive between the two cities.

At least I have plenty of garden space on offer for camping should England get to Euro 2012 and get a game in the area!

Make sure you guzzle plenty of Zubrowka (with Apple juice)

As for getting to Salt Mines & Auschwitz, there are LOADS of touts and travel Agents in the old town shopping area (especially just inside the City Gate) offering day trips to both locations. We had wheels and did both sites in one day

Hi,

 

Just wondering if anyone has been to Krakow / Auschwitz?

 

Have wanted to go there for many years and never got around to it, well now I've finally decided to do something about it.

 

Was looking to go to Krakow for a long weekend and visit Auschwitz whilst im there. Other than Auschwitz, is there much else to do around Krakow? Anyone know of cheap flights / hotels / bars / restaurants etc ?

 

Cheers

 

M

Went there in the Summer. Krakow is a great place. I would book an aprtment if I were you - they're good value and some of them are spacious and luxuriant for similar price of hotels.

There are plenty of good eating places - get down to the Jewish quarter - we left it to the last night and were gutted not to have spent more time there, it was lively and fun with lots of good bars and eating places.

There are lots of nice bars and such like in the main square.

Auschwitz is worth going to, simply because of what it is. To be honest I found myself not as moved as I thought I would be. It's because of the headphones you get on the guided tour (which is complusory unless you get there before 10.ooam or something). The constant commentary and being rushed from building to building means that you never really get time to stop and think about the place - it's more like a museum rather than the site of historic importance and tragedy. My advice is to get there early, avoid the toursand let it all sink in - all the tour guide does is read the boards anyway, and they're in English.

Planning on going there this month. Wanted to go in winter time but, thought it would be too bleak. So hopefully all the flowers will be out and the birds will whistle.

Deppo do you have a link to the appartments you stayed in?

Went to Aushwitz 10 years ago in the summer, didnt seem that busy, we just wondered around. Very disturbing.

Went to Aushwitz 10 years ago in the summer, didnt seem that busy, we just wondered around. Very disturbing.

Probably something to do with it being closed for 65 years.

Probably something to do with it being closed for 65 years.

you wrong dawg

Off to Krakow on Friday, anyone else got any recomendations?

Off to Krakow on Friday, anyone else got any recomendations?

Zwiec beer. Lots of.

HTH

No Problem with that! I think thats a given there is 11 of us going!

Looking at visiting the camp next month and would like to get there by train. So leaving friday evening from London on a sleeper, arriving saturday morning, day at the camp and night in Krakow, then again on sunday, leaving monday morning to get back for monday afternoon.

Is there a night train that goes direct?

Looking at visiting the camp next month and would like to get there by train. So leaving friday evening from London on a sleeper, arriving saturday morning, day at the camp and night in Krakow, then again on sunday, leaving monday morning to get back for monday afternoon.

 

Is there a night train that goes direct?

Is this the set up for another joke?

Currently planning a trip to Auschwitz with my 2 eldest. They are half-Brit and half-Austrian, and the oldest has started making a few comments he has picked up from school that I dont care for and I want to put my foot down on it.

Currently planning a trip to Auschwitz with my 2 eldest. They are half-Brit and half-Austrian, and the oldest has started making a few comments he has picked up from school that I dont care for and I want to put my foot down on it.

One tip

Check online as well but up to about 4pm each day you "have" to take a guided tour. We went there on way from the Salt Mimes and found that after 4pm you could go without a guide. We just got the simple 3 page information sheet and spent our own time going around. Found it FAR more moving away from a herd of tourists