A weekend in Kraków

A shame to admit prior to the last weekend I had never ventured to Kraków for purposes other than in business. I did not make it to the memorable (who of the attendees remembers it today?) blogosphere meeting in 2010, then for years there was no other reason to visit it, so keeping company to my girlfriend who ran the Kraków marathon last Sunday was sufficient to spend nearly the entire Saturday and Sunday in the former capital of Poland.

For years I have always had some sort of dislike for Kraków. Firstly because of the stereotypical conviction the city’s inhabitants are toffee-nosed and hold their heads up high, secondly on account of difficulties in finding a common tongue with workmates from Kraków several times during my career, thirdly driven by slow-flow and churchy nature of the city.

Unsurprisingly, we got there by the brand-new car, the journey duration was comparable to the fastest intercity train, but and here shame on the Polish railways, the petrol cost (with economic driving Octavia consumes mere 5 litres per 100 kilometres) was over 50% cheaper than train tickets. But I must admit driving around the city centre (only to reach our apartment and get out of it) was a big nuisance – thumbs up to the authorities of Kraków for their efforts to discourage private vehicle usage in the city centre.

Over two days I walked around 45 kilometres sightseeing the city and two days were still not enough. To the right – the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, being a blend of old and refurbished architecture. The market square of the district could have done without vehicles.

On Saturday afternoon we strolled down the boulevards along Vistula. River banks are full of greenery and are a superb hangout in the warmer half of the year. Spring in overdrive (those were the last two days of near-summer weather) lifted spirits!.

In the evening we roamed to Cmentarz Rakowicki to visit a grave of her friend who passed away in August 2023. The historic cemetery located in the city centre (which is a rarity) is worth visiting, if even you have no explicit purpose as we did have.

The main market square on Sunday morning was partly choke full of runners, but on the other end empty. Absence of crowds adds to the place’s charm. The morning was abnormally warm for mid-April, temperature at 9:00 a.m. was already above +15C.

To reaffirm my church-oriented associations, I need to pop by ulica Franciszkań- ska and snap the edifice of the Cracow bishop’s office (in Polish: kuria biskupia). You should know who appeared in the window above the door several times…

Not much later I scrambled to the Wawel hill, also do discover the courtyard of the Wawel castle is open to visitors free of charge. I have finally somewhat made up for my lack of familiarity with Poland’s former capital.

Down the Wawel hill, I came across a cross commemora- ting the Katyń massacre which until 1990 had not functioned in the public discourse. Recently laid wreath remind the anniversary of the genocide has just passed.

Around noon on Sunday I reached Zakrzówek on south-western edge of Kraków. The green areas have been redeveloped in recent years and now the city can definitely boast about them. I climbed a quite steep rocky mound to find myself on a natural terrace with a picturesque view on the city’s panorama.

Not far from the viewing point is the Croatia-like Zakrzówek pond with man-made beaches and nature-sculpted rocks, a spot jam-packed in summer months (the city had to place limits on number of visitors), was moderately crowded on a spring Sunday.

After the short trip neither have I grown fond of Kraków nor has the klimat of the city enchanted me, but once another opportunity arises, I will strive to explore it better.

Next post on 12 May (off to Wisła for the long May weekend and the days ahead of it).