Top Ten Things to do in Krakow

Krakow surprised us!

We had looked at photos online, watched video blogs and read our guidebook back to back but we still had no idea what this beautiful Polish city had to offer.

We spent four nights in Krakow and we could have stayed longer, the city was much more than medieval buildings, day tours and cheap beer.

It was charming, enchanting and welcoming with so many things to see and do for all tastes and interests!

Not only are there some very worthwhile day trips from Krakow, such as to Auschwitz-Birkenau and The Salt Mines but there are also a myriad of things to do in Krakow itself.

1. Visit Wawel Castle

Wawel Castle was built at the behest of King Casimir the Great III.

It is set very close to the city centre on the banks of the Vistula River, on a hill proudly overlooking the streets of Krakow.

Wawel Castle, despite not even being on our list of things to see, was one of the things we were so glad we did!

The castle is set up slightly differently from other castles in the sense you have to purchase separate tickets for each part of the castle you want to see.

It is worth having a jump on their website before you go to decide what you want to see as rather frustratingly if you change your mind once in there, you are sent back to the entrance to queue and buy more tickets.

There are no ticket stations inside for certain rooms or attractions.

The tickets are very cheap and equivalent to 2 euros will get you into the towers or the cathedral or the treasury.

The gardens are stunning displaying brightly coloured flowers with the castle walls as the backdrop.

Secret garden-looking wooden doors and sweeping trees. It’s beautiful.

There are a few restaurants and food stands as well if you want to stop for refreshments. Also, if you like photography, Wawel Castle has it all!

The website is www.wawel.krakow.pl/en where you can see all the attractions, opening hours and ticket prices.

2. Visit the River and one of its many bars or restaurants

We hired bikes and cycled down the river and it was pretty, had vividly green grass banks and gleaming water with boat tours meandering up and down and the pathways lined with boat bars and boat restaurants.

The river runs through the city but a portion of it is right behind the castle so very easily accessible after visiting Wawel.

The boats have rooftop bars and seats where you can soak up the sun whilst enjoying a beer or glass of wine!

There are many restaurants and bars on the river running through Krakow from casual lunch stops to 5-star dining experiences so it’s worth popping aboard to experience something different.

4. The bridge at sunset

This was discovered completely by accident on the way back from the Lake but trust us when we say, it is the most beautiful sunset/twilight we have seen.

The river reflected the light from the street lamps, the castle in the background looked like something straight from a Disney movie and the colours in the sky just looked stunning!

We couldn’t believe how lucky we were to see this… and whilst the bridge is not in the best of spots as it’s on main roads you could always take the short stroll down to the river banks and relax there whilst taking in the view.

Krakus Mound is a short distance from the city centre but easily accessible by a 10-minute taxi ride or a 30-minute bike ride (which we opted for).

Krakus mound was named after King Krakus and offers landscape views across the city. It’s also a really pretty spot to take a picnic and a blanket and just chill out.

Despite the uphill walk or bike ride to get there, at the top there are lots of grassy spots you can just relax and take in the views although it does get busier in the summer months.

It’s the highest point and you pretty much get a 360 view around the city and over the surrounding area. For photography lovers, it’s worth the trip.

6. Hire a bike to explore the city

We decided to hire bikes as there were a few spots just outside of the city we wanted to visit and initially had no intention of hiring electric bikes.

But as with us enjoying our sleep, we got to the bike shop late and all of the bikes had been hired out.

There were just two electric bikes left.

They cost around the equivalent of 15 euros each for 24 hours along with bike locks, a charger and baskets attached to the front for our bags, we left a deposit and a photocopy of our ID and off we went.

If you are going any distance and are not a lover of bike riding or an experienced bike rider, we would recommend e-bikes.

They make the day so much less arduous….. Yes, you still get bum ache but at least you can still walk to dinner that evening as you have had a little electric bike help throughout the day!

Whilst we didn’t opt to have a horse & carriage ride we certainly enjoyed watching them clip clopping around the square as the sun went down.

We booked through Krakow Day tours that are very well regarded and we both thoroughly enjoyed the day

Lovers Bridge’ connects Kazimierz to Bonarka and stands across the Vistula River.

The bridge is pretty big and has both walking and cycling paths across it, decorated with statues and padlocks with lovers’ initials engraved on them as you find in many large cities now.

No matter how many times we see it, we still love photographing and reading them!

We stumbled across the bridge on our way to Krakus mound so if you’re heading in that direction via bicycle then there’s no need to plan two trips to see both.

10. Try Pierogi and Lody (Polish dumplings and ice cream)

We were huge fans of the Pierogi when in Krakow.

A very traditional dish and essentially dumplings filled with cheese and potato or meats or vegetables served as a side or main course delicious!

We also thoroughly enjoyed the Lody in Krakow which is ice cream.

There were many ice cream stands and stalls throughout the city and the flavours ranged from anything chocolate-based to fruit, nut, and bubble gum, there was something for everyone!

I am not sure I have seen as many choices of ice cream anywhere on my travels aside from Italy which were super exciting!

Other Incredible places to visit in Poland

• Wroclaw is another city in Poland that is popular for its monuments, colourful architecture, cafes and beautiful river views – the perfect city for a European getaway!
• Gdansk in Northern Poland is a popular tourist destination packed with complex history and loved for its pretty old town that puts wandering the streets at the top of your bucket list!
• Warsaw is the capital of Poland and whilst other towns are often favoured over Warsaw, it is in its own right worth a visit