If you ask any Polish person where should you travel to in Poland, 99% of the time, the first place they will tell you to go is: Kraków. Come explore the heart of Poland before our wedding, to get a glimpse into the beauty of Kinga's home country.

The historic city of Kraków, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Wisła River, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 and has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish academic, economic, cultural and artistic life. Cited as one of Europe's most beautiful cities, its Old Town with Wawel Royal Castle was declared the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world in 1978. 

One of the reasons that Kraków escaped most of the World War II destruction was because the Nazi's found it so beautiful. The Main Market Square, which is the largest Medieval square in Europe, was renamed to Adolf Hitler-Platz. Wawel Royal Castle became the residency for Hilter and the headquarters for the capital of the General Government. While other important Polish Cities were destroyed to the ground during this war (Warszawa, Poland's capital being more than 85% destroyed), Kraków's stunning medieval architecture remains till today. 

Kinga has family that lives in Kraków, she studied Architecture for a semester at the Polytechnic University of Kraków, and has spent uncountable summers and trips to the City. This is Kinga's favorite City in the world and she cannot wait for you to explore it!  

There is something here for everyone: history, culture, gastronomy, art, etc. Since people have different interests, please see our recommended tours and activity suggestions below. Kraków is very walkable, the public transportation is easy and fantastic, and we recommend at least one full day to experience this wonderful City.  While visiting Kraków is just a recommendation of things to do before our wedding, most people will be flying/taking a train into Kraków anyway since it is the closest international transportation hub near our wedding location, thus you might as well visit the City! We believe it is the perfect place to begin your journey and experience in Poland before our wedding!

The following recommended hotels are all near the Kraków Main Train Station (Kraków Głowny). They are located just outside of the Historic City boarder. We are proposing hotels outside of the Historic City because no vehicles are allowed into the Historic City, therefore if you are taking a taxi with larger luggage, it would not be able to drop you off near your hotel. All of these hotels are also near the Kraków Main Train Station, so that when you are coming into the City (most likely by train) you can simply walk over to your hotel. If you are flying into Kraków, you can easily take a train straight from the airport to the Kraków Main Train Station. We also selected these hotels to be within an 8 minute walk of the pickup location for the optional bus tour which we arranged for you on Friday, July 22nd. For more information on general travel, please visit the "Travel" tab.

Everyone has a different budget and preference of stay, which is why we are giving a variety of suggested places to stay; you may of course find a different hotel (there are plenty of them in the historic center), we just recommend it being a short walking distance to the bus pick up area for the bus tour if you will be joining that.

The location for the Friday bus tour pickup will be: Parking Stejkar, Stanisława Worcella 12, 31-154 Kraków, Poland.

This very big, historic hotel from the 19th century has housed many famous polish people. This hotel offers everything, and is one of the first things you see when you exit the train station. 

1300 ft from Kraków Main Train Station. 890 ft from Parking Stejkar (Bus Tour pick up location).

Very nice and modern. Directly in front of the Train Station. 

820 ft from Kraków Main Train Station. 220 ft from Parking Stejkar (Bus Tour pick up location). 

Great location and good prices! Only 500 ft from the Kraków Main Train station. 750 ft from Parking Stejkar (bus tour pick up location). 

Another very nice option.

2600 ft from the Main Train Station and 1640 ft from Stejkar Parking (Bus Tour pick up location).

The hotel is after a famous Polish Artist, Playwrighter, and Poet - Stanisław Wyspiański (you can see his stained glass, paintings and alter at St. Mary's Basilica  in the Main Market Square, as well as other churches in Kraków). 

While a little further distance, the price is good. 2750 ft from Kraków Main Train Station. 2300 ft from Parking Stejkar (Bus Tour pick up location).

If you don't mind sharing a room with other travelers, and meeting other people consider staying at this hostel! Kinga and John spent summer 2016 traveling Poland and the Czech Republic exclusively in Hostels and it's definitely a budget friendly and fun experience. For $16 a night you can get it all - amazing location, breakfast included, typical security lockers for your luggage's, etc. 

750 ft from Kraków Main Train Station. 130 ft from Parking Stejkar (Bus Tour pick up location).

Kraków has far too many wonderful places to see in just one day! Here are a few of our must see attractions.

1. Old Town (St. Mary's Cathedral, Main Market Square) 

2. Wawel Castle 

3. Jewish District

Below our top three list of things to do, are some tour recommendations that may interest you if you do not want to explore on your own.

The entire medieval old town is among the first sites chosen for the UNESCO's original World Heritage List. The Main Market Square is the largest medieval Market Square in all of Europe. You must visit St. Mary's Basilica (pictured above). Half of the Basilica is reserved at all times for prayer and mass (free of course), the other half can be toured through a small ticket fee. During masses, the Basilica is closed for touring. I really recommend climbing up the tower for an incredible view of the whole square. At every full hour, a trumpeter plays a melody to all 4 sides of the Square. If you climb up right before a new hour, you can see him play. Tickets are first come, first serve, you cannot purchase them ahead of time. Please see the website in the link before for more information on visiting the Basilica. 

The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill constitute the most historically and culturally important site in Poland. For centuries the residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood, the Castle is now one of the country's premier art museums. You can walk up into the Castle grounds for free, visit the Royal Cathedral, see the Main Courtyard, but if you would like to take one of the tours of the insides, you definitely need to reserve a ticket beforehand because they sell out quickly the day of. Some exhibitions and tours are free (for example: "Lost Wawel", "Wawel Rediscovered", "The Armory" etc. check the website below for obtaining free tickets). The "State Rooms" tour is quiet neat to see. For the "Dragon's Den" tour, you do not need to reserve a ticket beforehand, you can get it right before you want to leave the castle. According to a legend, there was a dragon that lived underneath the castle and you can visit his cave and see a fire-breathing statue near the Wisła River. This is why you will see dragon images all over the city. 

This 2.5hr walking tour is a great way to see some of the most historic and culturally significant parts of old town Kraków.

There is not set price to attend this tour but you are highly encouraged to compensated your guide with what you believe is fair at the tours conclusion. There will be two English tours on July 21st at 10:00am and 2:00pm. Tours begin between St. Florian´s Gate and Barbican. Look for the guide with yellow umbrella or Walkative! sign.

This 2.5hr walking tour will take you through the Kraków Jewish District. Includes stops at the main “square” of the old Jewish Quarter, the “Schindler’s List” sites with the real story behind the movie, the WWII Jewish ghetto and much more.

There is not set price to attend this tour but you are highly encouraged to compensated your guide with what you believe is fair at the tours conclusion. There will be two English tours on July 21st at 10:30am and 2:30pm. Tours begin in front of the Old Synagogue on Szeroka 24 Street. Look for the guide with yellow umbrella or Walkative! sign.

Did you know that the bagel was invented in Kraków?

Dive into the culinary culture of Poland with this 3.5 hr walking food tour. Kazimierz is one of the oldest districts in Krakow, dating back to the 1300s. After being largely destroyed in World War II, the neighborhood experienced a renaissance in the 1990s. It’s now the perfect place to experience the city’s blend of rich tradition and contemporary culture, filled with stylish cafés and restaurants housed in beautifully restored historic buildings. 

 You’ll visit 5 restaurants and have the chance to sample nearly 15 different dishes and drinks, including two Polish vodkas and two craft beers. Your passionate local guide will steer you away from tourist traps toward authentic Krakovian favorites.

Make the most of sightseeing in Krakow on a guided bike tour, a great way to explore the city while orienting yourself. This is an awesome way to cover a lot of ground quickly while seeing the main attractions such as the Main Square, Wawel Castle, and Kazimierz.  Spend an afternoon outdoors while you learn about the area’s rich history and architecture.

This is a fun and eco-friendly way to explore the highlights of Krakow. Set off in an electric car with an audio guide to teach you about the sights you pass. The tour can drive through a variety of areas—such as the Old Town area, the Jewish Quarter, Wawel Castle, and the former site of Schindler’s Factory. No need to worry about missing great photo opportunities—the tour is able to stop for photo breaks.

Please look at the "Travel" tab for general information about getting to Kraków, traveling to the wedding destination near Tarnów, and train travel within Poland. 

As for public transportation, Kraków has an amazing tram and bus system. The easiest way to figure out how to get somewhere is by using - "Jakdojade". This is the #1 app/website for using public transportation (Trams & Buses) within any Major Polish city. It works for Kraków, Tarnów, Warszawa, etc. If your location is "on" on your phone, the app/website will automatically select the city for you. If not, then you'll have to select the City yourself. You can either type in the destination or just select it on the map if you don't know what it's called. Please click on the icon image for an example of how "Jakdojade" works, this image shows how to get from where your recommended Kraków hotels are to the Oskar Schindler Factory.

Uber and taxi's are also cheap and reliable :)