Christmas in Krakow

9.12.2016

As has become a tradition, every year during Advent I visit the Christmas markets of a foreign city. This year, after the crowd of German-speaking cities, it was Krakow, Poland, even though I was there less than two months ago.

This year, we chose an unconventional car as our means of transport, and I set off with my parents towards the Polish border at around nine o'clock in the morning. Before Katowice we make a small detour as we were planning to visit the Guido coal mine in Zabrze. Unfortunately, we learn that the first free tour is not until 4 pm and so we continue along the A4 motorway to Krakow. In Poland they don't use vignettes, but you pay tolls at the toll booths. There are two in the direction from Katowice to Krakow and you pay 10 Zloty at each (we pay cash). Before 12 o'clock we arrive in the centre of Krakow. We park the car in the car park under the bridge next to the main train and bus station. To get to the historical centre we have to walk through this station, where I use the local information centre and take a map of the city. As we arrive at lunchtime the decision falls to head first to the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz where we plan to try the self-service Polakowski canteen. On the way there we make one more stop at the small Christmas market next to the station building.

As we drive around the historic centre, we admire the ways of parking in Poland and the way local firefighters park outside on the street. I guess their garages are being renovated.

Krakow - Polish-style parking

Before the meal, we walk around Kazimier and then head to the dining room. Upon entering, we are first and foremost impressed by the cramped space, which houses a reception-style ordering counter and a total of 7 tables, two of which are located in a side hallway. The dining room is full, but we're lucky because one table is still available.

Krakow - Jewish cemetery in the Kazimier district

Krakow - Self-service canteen Polakowski in the Kazimier district

Reinforced by Zurek and Bigos (both Polish specialties), we leave Kazimierz and head through Wawel Castle to the historic centre to our main point of the day, the Christmas markets.

Krakow - Wawel Castle

When we arrive at Rynek Glówny, which is a square in the centre of the historic city of Krakow and the main square with the Christmas market, we find that the standard of decoration and markets is generally quite low compared to German-speaking cities. After exploring the markets, we make a small stop for coffee at a nearby pastry shop, where we also sample local sweet specialties. We then head back to the markets, where we were previously intrigued by a local dish in the form of a large slice of bread smeared with lard and topped with smoked meat and sprinkled with an onion mixture. After eating this delicacy, we head back towards the station to our car.