Pronounced Kraa-Kuv.
Not Kra-cow. Dont be like me and do what I did: which was walking around the city pronouncing it incorrectly. Yeah, not my finest moment.
When my friend and I chose Krakow to do a quick trip, it was a completely random decision. A “Cheap flights from the UK” search and see what comes up. Blindly, we picked Krakow – without knowing anything about it.
We lucked out. Krakow is a total hidden gem. Krakow is the second biggest city in Poland with so much history, culture and an old-town feel. It has retained its historic feel unlike Warsaw, which I hear has become a modern metropolis.
Not only is Krakow one of the most beautiful cities, it was also incredibly clean and felt very safe. We were two women travellers, so safety was important to us.
Where we stayed in Krakow
I am an avid hotel researcher, so this was no different. After some good research, we picked Holiday Inn Krakow City Center.
It was the perfect location, and the rooms were gigantic. Customer service was okay, nothing to write home about, but the hotel had decent amenities. Also, the breakfast buffet was fantastic.
Food and Wine
I did not know much about Polish cuisine prior to this, so it was all pretty new to me. I did go to this restaurant called Pierogarnia Krakowiacy that only served pierogies and mulled wine and it was AMAZING. It was the definition of cozy. The duck perogies were insanely good.
We also stumbled upon a beautiful restaurant called La Campana – which happened to be a Michelin star restaurant. Since I am an avid michelin star collector, I had to check it out.
La Campana was a traditional Italian restaurant with a well-curated menu of Italian classics. The interior was beautiful and the wine list was extensive as well. We enjoyed it very much.
The bars in Krakow were also so cozy and cool. The bartenders were friendly and were happy to help even considering a language barrier.
Krakow was a city of friendly people!
What to do in Krakow
- Krakow Old Town:
The old town square was grand and magnificent. It was so walkable. There was also a big market inside the old square. - Eat perogies: Other than Pierogarnia Krakowiacy, there were other perogies restaurants, but I didnt get to try any.
- Check out the bars: One notable one was Gin Mill.
- Check out a Michelin restaurant. The one we went to was an Italian restaurant called La Campana. There are more!
- Check out Galeria Handmade for some of the most unique gifts!
Would I recommend Krakow, Poland?
Yes, I would totally recommend Krakow as a short trip. It was a small city with enough to do over 3-4 days. Perfect for travellers who are already travelling through Europe and want to try something a bit more undiscovered.
We were there during November – a cold month – but still thoroughly loved it.
I also did an Instagram reel on Krakow, check it out.
Savouress 