Night train
One thing is to go by bus for 6 hours to Berlin, or even 8 to Budapest by train. But 11 hours on a seat... no way! This is how long it can take to Krakow, Poland by train from Prague. In this case, it is probably better to take the night train and stay on a cabin with bed.
This is awesome! Not only comfortable, the sound of the tracks, the rocking movement, the blue light outside, it all makes the trip worth the 60 euros. Plus, think about it - you save on accomodation for one night, so in the end, it is a really good deal.
Prague-Krakow train tickets nifo
Krakow's hot drinks
Hot beer with raspberry vodka - 70%!
Seriously, when I heard it, the thought of it made feel close minded. When you drink beer, you want it cold, right? Hot beer is very good too, of course, with some special flavoring. The bar tender boils it, then adds cinnamon and sweet syrup, like raspberry or ginger, and a wage of orange in most places. Then there is the option of adding flavored vodka - raspberry for example. Oh, what a difference! It is good to try it.
Hot wine is popular in many countries here in Europe. In Poland, it is called Grzaniec. During the winter season, there are lots of stands in the shape of wine barrels around the main squares. It is so cool to get your small cup, and then drink it standing near the food stands where is warm. Here, hot wine also can have honey, which taste very good.
Winter, and in particular Christmass, feels very nice in these cities. It is cold, but people gather in large groups, seating on old wooden benches or standing around tall tables. Here you drink hot wine or beer, eat all kinds of dishes with sausages, potatoes, rice, sourkraut, and bread. There is more in the menu, but these are the favs.
City of details
The view from Krakus Mound is awesome. This day in particular was freezing cold, and the day was cloudy, so the view was not as colorful and long, but it was good. From up here, the entire city can be seen all around. On each side it is possible to see the old town, the power plant, the cemetery, and a huge hole on the ground where the dirt came from to form the mound, and the hole seems just as deep as the mound's hight, as if it was scooped like an ice cream ball.
There are lots of interesting details in Krakow. The buildings are similiar in design, but they all have something different and interesting if one looks closely. Also, in every district there is a particular set of designs and details that can make you feel you are in a different place every few blocks.
The city felt gray the entire time. That's because it was cold, the leafless trees, no snow, gray sky. Still, it was nice to walk down the streets, see the castle, the souvenir market, the food and drink stands, the cafes, the restaurants with their own themes, the old churches and sculptures on the walls, the locks on Most Józefa Piłsudskiego symbolizing couples' compromise to stay together, and then all the types of clubs, which can be really active.
The Jewish Quarter
I should have known better. The Jewish quarters in Krakow as in Prague is not like saying Crown Hights in Brooklyn, NY, to use an extreme example. Communities like Kazimierz had long seen Jewish populations (from the 14th century in many cases) dimish after WWII. Places like this are full of history. Today, Kazimierz is seeing an economic revival, and luckly, many of its features from the time the Jews left, are still visible, and now there is an interest to restore more of them.
This place is different from the rest of Krakow. It has its own building designs, Jewish details like fences shaped like manorahs, cafes and book shops with Jewish motives and signs in hebrew. At the moment of writing this posting, I was not sure whether there was also an increase of Jews moving to town, although my guess is that only the economic part of it was (showing how little I know about the topic). Some of this is also visitble in Prague, where the Jewish quarter is Josefov.
City of hidden variety
Funny thing - I was convinced I would see lots of old synagogues when I spotted them on the map. Looked around for them and only found one that was really old, and it was closed. And even that, I think it was only a library. The Jewish museum in Kazimierz was very good, and had lots of collections from centuries ago.
And in the process of finding these synagogues, we found a Tango Cafe. It was quite something to see Tango dancing after so long, in such a far away place. And it felt really good to be there, seating on an old and squeeky chair, having a small cup of capuccino, listening to Gardel and seeing couples dancing with some of the passion you would expect fromTango. Really good.
I also liked the cafes in the Jewish quarter. The ones I visited had old pictures. Looking outside, I realized the pictures could easily have been taken just a day ago, in black and white on purpose, because lots of buildings and streets still look like they did at the end and beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries - like in the pictures.
Josef street is another part of the city with its own charater. This is where most art shops and underground cafes and pubs are found. Nearby there are also a few bars where Salsa tunes mix with hot beer a few nights a week.
For a more alternative crowd, close to Beera Meiselsa street there are lots of pubs, underground clubs, and street food. For more main stream, pop culture, there are plenty of trendy clubs around the Old Market Square - and yes, you can defenitely hit all of this in two nights till early in the morning.
Krakow is a good place to visit. If coming from far away, say 10 hours on the road, I would recommend a cabin with bed in a night train. You arrive early in the morning, say at 7:00 am, and go to a coffee shop around the Old Market Square, have a capuccino with bagel and cream cheese, watch outside the window as people walk by on their way to work or back home after a rough night. Then the rest is what you make of it.
The city has its charm and is full of history, things to see and do, and it is heaven for photographers, I would think. During the winter is not as easy, for a summer trip - in my list.
Photo album