Going to Krakow & Zakopane (Poland) next week

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Hey guys,

so a friend of mine and I are driving to Krakow on Monday - we are planning to spend like 2 days in the city itself and go hiking for 2 days in the mountains around Zakopane. If we have some time left we plan to visit Auschwitz as well.
I am looking for tips and suggestions - not only what to shoot and to visit in these places but general advise (specific to the destinations) as well, like what to watch out for etc.

I hope you guys can help me out - thanks! 🙂


oh - and I plan to take my Bessa R2 with a 50mm Jupiter 8 as well as my Hasselblad with the good ol' 80mm. Good idea or bad idea?
 
Oświęcim (Auschwitz) is a strange place. There are a few places (bars/hotels) that are still very popular with neo-Nazis. Personally I'd avoid it. If you have any imagination, you will begin to understand how awful it was without "interpretation" (it is probably impossible to understand it fully unless you were there). If you have no imagination: why go there?

Pszczyna (half an hour away, but you might care to check the spelling) will give you a much better idea of modern Poland.

Tashi delegs (may it be auspicious),

Cheers,

R.
 
I would actually say the inverse. If you do not go to Auschwitz, you could fail to understand, what it really means to lose your humanity - both ways, if you are the hangman or the victim. You will see things you will never forget, and it is exactly for this reason, that you should go there. Zakopane could still be crowded, so I would avoid big excursions - I saw images of a long queue of people trying to reach Giewont ( the highest peak in the polish Tatras) a few days ago...
 
mfogiel said:
I would actually say the inverse. If you do not go to Auschwitz, you could fail to understand, what it really means to lose your humanity - both ways, if you are the hangman or the victim. You will see things you will never forget, and it is exactly for this reason, that you should go there.
Click to expand...

I agree. I visited Auschwitz a month ago and do not regret it. Eye opening, shocking, and heart breaking to see what man can do to fellow man. A visit there (by there I mean Auschwitz I and II not the bars/hotels that are still very popular with neo-Nazis) should be made compulsory for everyone. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

I was also in Krakow for a few days too. Beautiful place. Its not a big city so two days is enough to see the historic center and main sights.
 
Another one against Auschwitz - it doesnt mean a thing - too much cheap emotion tricks. They try to shock you in every was possible - but what is use - yes its concentration camp like every other in human history. Who need to watch that again...
But lets put that aside - you should visit Salt mine and be sure to visit Podgorze (it is located just accross the bridge from Kazimierz part of town..) Its very fun that architecture of that part is totally Austrian- so its really like entering other town.
In Podgorze you have Krakus Mound (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakus_Mound) and really lovely church 1000years old just accross the highway http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/krakow/sightseeing/Podgorze-Churches/St-Benedicts_49801v
and beside church you have some old cemetery and fort...
also in that part of town scenes from schindlers list have been filmed... hope it helps.
 
Roger, I think it really helps to appreciate life in a society based on the concept of human rights, if you see what happens to a human being, when he is no longer considered one. He becomes soap, lamp shades, cloth, fertilizer, etc. And it is easier to understand, when you see a mountain of sorted remains, and reflect.
This should be compulsory for everybody, and particularly for these born in the countries, where in the recent history people have failed to grasp the concept firmly, Serbia including.
UK is not exempt, as you may recall the bombings of Dresden.
 
Guys, lets not derail this thread any further.

> general advise (specific to the destinations) as well, like what to watch out for etc.

Getting back on topic, I skipped this part of the question the first time around. If by "what to watch out for" you mean safety/security/theft & scam prevention etc., as long as you take the normal precautions you'd take anywhere else in Europe you should be fine. Poland certainly didn't feel unsafe to me. Krakow felt considerably safer than some parts of Paris and London I've been to.
 
Auschwitz is a must, indeed. A truly gruesome testimony to what can happen when things go wrong. I'd recommend visiting. It will be hard (on the verge of unimaginable), but it simply should be done.

Other than that, Krakow is a great place. Make sure you will check out Kazimierz, which is very close to the Old Town. It's a beautiful Jewish quarter that at the moment is 'The' place. This is where art, food and all things hip 😉 happen. Plus there is, naturally, the Old Town with magnificent Wawel castle, beautiful Main Square and hundreds of other spots.

Places to eat in Kazimierz? Alchemia - a great pub/grub, Szafran Cafe - set up by my friends, really good. You should also try 'zapiekanki' which are like huge rolls filled with good stuff, eaten on the Kazmierz's square. Anybody can point you there. Be sure to try pierogi - traditional Polish dumplings.

On the Main Square, go for a chocolate to the Wedel Pijalnia Czekolady. Amazing. 🙂

If you are into coffee, Forum Przestrzenie (I know, impossible to pronouce 😉 is a great place and so is Karma (don't remember the address but can dig out).

Where are you going to stay? I know a very nice place just in the city centre, that is technically a hostel but is of such a high standard that it's like a hotel, effectively. With amazing breakfasts. 😀

Ask if you need any more detail about anything, I'll do my best to help.

Cheers
Wojtek
 
I thank you guys so much for your great tips and suggestions - we are currently already in krakow and have enjoyed about one and a half day in this city which is apparently really nothing like what you usually expect as a European from an Eastern European city. I really was quite surprised.
We also managed to check out the krakus mound - and I gotta say, you guys were like totally right - so worth it.

We plan on spending like one whole more day in krakow, checking out this sort of communist-architecture-style district and we're definitely going to check out the Alchemia. (I'm pretty sure we already walked past it)

As said we initially planned on going hiking in zakopane but the weather is not really in our side and so we still need to find something to do on Thursday/Friday - but apart from that we're already having a great time.

So thanks again - and if you have some suggestions on what to check out in this southern Poland region or even northern Slovakia please do not hold back - we are pretty much open for everything (although preferably something out in the nature)

All the best from Krakow, Sebastian
 
Hey Sebastian, glad you're having a good time!

If you like good coffee, go to Karma on 12 Krupnicza Street - it's near the Bagatela theater. When you leave Planty (the park surrounding the town square), with the Bagatela across the street from you, Krupnicza is the little street going to the left. Karma is on the left hand side after approximately 200m. It's the best coffee you can get in Krakow (if not Poland altogether - amazing)!

Try Wieliczka Salt Mines near Krakow if you have too much time tomorrow/Friday. It's an incredible experience, worth to be explored. Again, ask how to get there. Regular buses will take you there from the bus station.

You might also want to see Zakrzowek in Krakow (I know, hard to pronounce 🙂 which is a weird place; it's essentially an abandoned open-cast mine, now transformed into a very deep lake. And it's almost in the centre of the city! Worth having a look.

The district you are talking about is Nowa Huta. I don't like it much since it reminds me of my childhood a lot, but it's a good experience if you have never seen anything like it.

Go explore! 😀
 
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