My tag-along trip to Krakow left me in a sunny mood. It was May, the skies were almost always blue, the city was easy to navigate, and there was more to do than I could fit into the six days I visited. Here are five things I noticed about this gem of a European city.
5 Things I Noticed In Krakow
Krakow’s vibrancy outperforms its population
My hometown of Winnipeg has roughly the same population of Krakow (782,000 and 760,000 respectively). Despite the similar numbers, Krakow is more vibrant on the streets. A lot of this has to do with the number of tourists the city attracts annually (10 million compared with Winnipeg’s 3.5 million), but it must also have to do with the fact that the land area is 30% smaller. It’s also got one main centre (Old Town’s Main Market Square). Winnipeg is much more spread out making it seem less populated, and we have several small gathering spaces. I love Winnipeg, but Krakow’s got it going on!
Aside from noticing the numbers, it just seemed that during my May visit, everyone was outside and actively enjoying the city. There were tonnes of cyclists on Krakow’s designated bike paths, people crowded street café patios, and enjoyed soaking up the sun in the city’s lush parks. On a walking tour I took, the guide mentioned that spring weather had been far colder than normal, whereas the week I visited it was warm and sunny. As a fellow winter city inhabitant, I know the sheer giddiness one feels when trees finally start to bud, and the place thaws out. I think that was what was going on the week I visited Krakow. Everyone was just blissfully ecstatic to be outside and not shivering.
When it comes to traffic rules, Poles are exceptionally law-abiding
Very quickly, I noticed that pedestrians at traffic lights did not jaywalk. Not even when there wasn’t a car in sight. I later learned that police regularly issue on-the-spot fines for this infraction. Crossing against the light or in the middle of the street can result in a 50-100 złoty ($20-$34 CAD) expense. Apparently, tourists are not exempt, so beware. I also noticed that cyclists routinely get off their bikes when crossing at a controlled bike path intersection. Very good behaviour, Cracowians!
If you want to make an English word Polish just add “y”
Every now and again, I’d come across a vaguely English word in a sea of Polish. But, it wasn’t exactly English – it was an English word Polish-ified. The word “toilet” was “toalety,” “t-shirt” was “t-shirty” and “delicatessen” was “delikatesy.” At first, I thought I had magically broken the code for understanding Polish without the benefit of learning the language.
They go through a tonne of rye bread bowls every day
Sour rye soup (called żur or żurek) is a delectable Polish dish that has comfort food written all over it. It comes in a hollowed out sourdough bread bowl and contains pork sausage, potato, and a hard-boiled egg. Every traditional Polish restaurant we went to served it – a lot of it. All those little bread bowls. What happens to them after the soup is eaten? No one eats the bowl—at least we didn’t see anyone eating them.
It’s all about the Vistula River
The Vistula River is the largest and longest river in Poland, and it runs right through Krakow. Its banks are a verdant oasis from city life. It seemed everyone was out by the river having picnics, cruising along its bike paths, or enjoying a meal in one of many dockside boat restaurants. As a runner, the well-maintained pathways that stretched on seemingly forever were heavenly. I got up before 7 a.m. to run on a few days during our stay and was rewarded with the sight of rowers training on sun-dappled water, birds chirping, and the other sounds of a city coming to life. It was gorgeous!
One more thing – Brides and Grooms Are Everywhere!
I know this is number six. Consider it a bonus. I visited Krakow for just short of a week, and I spotted brides and grooms at least three times– on various days of the week.
What is up with that? Who gets married in the middle of the week? I THINK they were taking wedding photos. Back home, we take photos on the actual wedding day in between the ceremony and the wedding reception. It was unexpected and delightful to see brides and grooms as I strolled through city streets on a weekday.
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Krakow sounds delightful. A great backdrop for all those wedding photos!
It is a beautiful city and yes, a great backdrop. Maybe all the bridal parties were part of a stealth marketing campaign by Krakow Tourism. 🙂