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A weekend in Krakow

Jackie spent last weekend in Krakow – Poland. It was a very reasonable package deal flying from LeedsBradford on Friday morning, returning on Monday afternoon.

She booked private transfers which worked perfectly. Someone was waiting with her name on a card as they exited arrivals and immediately took them off to a very comfortable car for the half hour journey.

The 3.5* hotel was situated just off the main square so was in a perfect location.

Krakow is just how you imagine with old buildings full of character and a tram system throughout the city. The locals are friendly and the food & drink extremely cheap – what more could you ask of a city break!

Obviously there is more to Krakow with its awful history and a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum is a must. You must book this in advance which we can do for you and Jackie booked a double tour for the Saturday which included the famous Saltmines in the afternoon. She would definitely recommend that you do not do these both in the same day if at all possible. It was a very long day, beginning at 6.15am and they didn’t get back until 7pm.

The memorial & museum are as expected, a tough few hours but a definite must-see. A good guide makes all the difference and you leave there lost in thought.

The Saltmines in the afternoon were a huge contrast and are well worth seeing. You need to be pretty fit though as there are around 1000 steps down to a depth of 135metres. Luckily, there is a lift back up! It is a fascinating couple of hours and not too far from the city either.

Because they bought the double excursion ticket they got a free walking tour the following day which was described as a Schindler Walking Tour but was more about the Jewish history of the city. Again, worth doing. All in all they walked & walked over the course of the weekend (approx. 20,000 steps per day) but learned so much about the sad history of this very interesting city.

Top tip – eat in the Jewish quarter rather than the main square for incredibly cheap & authentic polish food. Try the dumplings!