Krakow, Poland
Travel Dates: April 19 – 21, 2015

It’s been more than a month since we returned from our European adventure, and I’m still sorting through and editing photos. The weather’s just been too lovely to sit inside on my computer, but I’ve managed to push through the first few days of our trip. Instead of a day-by-day account, I’m just going to recap our favorites and add some photos. If you have any questions or want more specifics, let me know in the comments!

My first visit to Krakow was as part of a 10-day break trip in October 2011, and I spent a few days becoming acquainted with the city. It became one of my favorite places in Europe, and one that I feel is highly underrated. Lots of good food, easy to walk around, neat architecture, and a more relaxed atmosphere than many of the places I’ve been.

We stayed in Atlantis Hostel, which I would highly recommend. Only a short walk from the city center, we had a room with three twin beds and an ensuite bathroom for about $26 per night. The staff were pleasant and helpful, the wifi was strong, the room was clean and simple, and the place was pretty quiet overall. Our room overlooked the gardens and orchard behind the street, and there were grocery stores and restaurants nearby.

Because Krakow is so small, it’s easy to wander and fit a lot of sightseeing into one day. There were only a few main attractions we wanted to cover: Wawel Castle, St. Mary’s Basilica, the main square, and the Jewish cemetery. In addition to these we ate some nice meals, visited other churches, and had a fairly leisurely first few days in Europe. Two full days plus the evening we arrived turned out to be perfect for us to enjoy the city.

Some of our favorites:

• The Church of St. Francis of Assisi. This church was absolutely stunning. Check out the painted walls and ceilings and see how many different types of flowers you can count. The stained glass window is also wonderful.
• Pierożki u Vincenta. A great selection of cheap, delicious pierogi.
• St. Mary’s Basilica. Definitely recommend paying for the photo permit if you’re a photographer like myself. The interior is incredibly ornate and very lovely.
• Jewish cemetery and the small synagogue that is beside it. They are working to restore the synagogue and it is very interesting to see the cemetery.
• Bagelmama. Really delicious bagel sandwiches for breakfast.

As always, more photos to be found on my Flickr page. Next up, Wrocław!