How to be a responsible tourist in Krakow

How to be a responsible tourist in Krakow

A vibrant café culture, a UNESCO-listed Old Town steeped in history, plentiful parks and an exciting nightlife are just a few of the reasons to pay a visit to Krakow. But with so much to take in as a tourist, it can be easy to forget you’re a guest in the locals’ home. To make the most of your trip while also minimising your travel impact, we suggest keeping the following tips in mind. Not only will the local appreciate your efforts, but you’ll end up having a better experience of the city and local life.

Practice street smarts

When visiting Krakow, it’s always a good idea to walk on the right side of the sidewalk as you explore, and when you’re crossing the street, use proper pedestrian crossings rather than trying to cross just anywhere. Also make sure the light is green when you start crossing. It’s not only common sense that puts safety first, but also protects you from the steep fines fines given by the city guards (Straż Miejska) if you cross when and where you’re not supposed to.

Public transit tips

While riding the tram or the bus, remember to stamp your ticket in the small machines on board. Be sure to do it immediately after getting on, to avoid a potential fine if there is an inspector around.

If there is no place to sit when you get on a bus or tram, make sure to stay away from the door so you don’t disturb people who want to get off at the next stop. It is also seen as rude to talk loudly, use your mobile phone, or to eat on public transport,

Be polite when taking photos

In many monuments and museums you can’t take photos with a flash, or in some, like St. Mary’s Basilica or in the Wieliczka Salt Mines, a special payment is required if you want to take pictures. Other sites, like Wawel Cathedral, do not allow photos at all. Ask your Krakow tour guide or a local if it’s okay to take photos before snapping any pictures. It’s also important not to take any photos in religious places while there is a service going on.

Dress for respect and practicality

There is no special dress required to visit Krakow, but there are some places like Catholic churches or Jewish synagogues where you will be asked to cover your knees and arms when sightseeing. If you are going to visit a very elegant restaurant in the city centre or attend a theatre performance, it is a good idea to wear something more than just a t-shirt and leggings. While it’s not forbidden to enter while wearing casual clothing, you might feel strange if everyone else is dressed more formally. In addition, if you plan on doing any trekking in the nearby mountains or visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines, don’t forget to take warmer clothes, comfortable shoes and a raincoat as the weather can change quickly.

Shop and explore like a local

There are many handmade products like amber jewelry or Polish pottery available around the city centre of Krakow. If you want to go deeper into local products, take our Made in Krakow tour with a guide who will take you to our favourite local galleries and small, locally owned shops selling clothing, leather products, jewellery and more.

In terms of more touristy sites, it is our subjective opinion, but the interior of Wawel Castle can be skipped as the monument is more fascinating to see from the outside than the inside. It’s a good option for rainy or cold weather, but on sunny days, it is much better to visit the up-and-coming Podgórze district, or climb Krakus Mound for amazing panoramic views of the whole city.

There are many local, extraordinary neighbourhoods to visit while in Krakow. We especially recommend Podgórze, Debniki and Zwierzyniec, where you will be surrounded by beautiful parks, historic homes and local, colourful markets full of fresh and tasty products.

Be season-smart

Krakow is a beautiful city all year round, but if you want to avoid crowds, we suggest visiting in the spring or early autumn. Usually the weather is very nice for sightseeing and all the monuments are more accessible than in June or July. If you like winter, Krakow in December is nice if you want to visit the Christmas markets. January and February can be cold but still offer the chance for quieter sightseeing. Our local secret for feeling good and warming up during this time of the year is to enjoy a lot of hot soups, hot wine or even hot beer.

In the summer between May and August, Krakow is quite crowded, but still less so than some of Europe’s top destinations. If you want to sidestep crowds during this time, it’s a good idea to visit the highlights of the city like Wawel Castle, Schindler’s Museum, etc., immediately after they open or (even better) one hour before closing time. Make sure to book your tickets in advance online to save time, rather than waiting in long ticket lines.

Be an eco-visitor

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Krakow is a clean city and in many places around the city centre you will notice special litter bins for separating waste. You can easily avoid single-use plastic bottles as our tap water is drinkable and available for free in the majority of local restaurants.

Avoid food waste

If you ordered too much food and want to help the local community, you can always leave uneaten items in one of our many social refrigerators, available for people who need them. The one closest to the tourist areas is in the Kazimierz district at 28 Paulinska street. A list of others is available on the Foodsharing Krakow Facebook page.

Put your feet to work

Krakow is a great city for pedestrians and you can also use public bikes to get around, which are available in many places around the city. There is detailed information in English about how to register with bike-sharing systems like Wavelo. Taxis, Uber and private cars are quite expensive, contribute to traffic, and increase pollution. If you don’t feel like walking or riding a bike, try to stick to public transport, which is cheap, local and available even during the night.

Learn the lingo

Making a small effort to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in Polish can make all the difference for showing your respect to locals. Keep these phrases in your backpocket when you’re wandering around Krakow:

• yes = tak
• no = nie
• hello/good day = dzień dobry
• goodbye = do widzenia
• thank you = dziekuje
• cheers = na zdrowie
• Please do not add straws to my drink = proszę napój bez słomki

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be feeling – and acting – like a local in no time! And of course, don’t forget to hop onto one of our locally led Krakow tours for even more insight into life in this fascinating city.

Pierogi – the only Polish dish patronised by the saint.

Pierogi – the only Polish dish patronised by the saint.

If you’ve ever eaten pierogi, chances are fairly good that you fell in love at a very first bite – and we wouldn’t blame you. But if you’re wondering where this popular Polish dish originated, we have a secret to reveal.

Pierogi are pierogi – there is no better world for this famous Polish dish, although some people try to translate the name as Polish dumplings, Polish raviolis or even small empanadas – none of which are accurate. For us, it is a national dish – something unique and integral to our culture. You can picture pierogi as half-circular dumplings stuffed with many types of different fillings, made out of unleavened dough, and then boiled. The most classical fillings are cheese and potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms, or different type of meat. For Polish people though, it is also ok to have as a main course (not dessert!) sweet pierogi filled with strawberries, blueberries or any fruit of your choice. Once a year, you can find even more offbeat fillings like marzipan with poppy seeds or turkey with peaches or… anything you can imagine to have inside such a small thing like pierogi. This special occasion is the Pierogi Festival we celebrate in Krakow in the middle of August to honour the legendary, patron saint of pierogi: St. Hyacinth, the first Polish Dominican monk.

According to legend, when he was travelling to Krakow to settle down and create the first Dominican congregation at the beginning of 13th century, he was stopped in a village nearby by a huge thunderstorm and he had to spend the night in the local house. He found the peasant and his family very sad because, due to the awful weather and heavy wind, all the crops were totally damaged and they were afraid there would be nothing to collect and they might die of hunger in the wintertime.
So St. Hyacinth promised to help and proceeded to spent the whole night praying to God and asking for mercy. In the morning, a miracle allegedly happened and the villagers discovered that the whole agricultural area had been reborn and they could come back to their fields and cultivate crops. They were so happy and grateful to St. Hyacinth that they took wheat and barley, made flour, and prepared for St. Hyacinth the first pierogi ever.
That is why pierogi is said to be a dish with a patron saint. There is even an old expression of surprise – “Swiety Jacku z pierogami!” (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) meaning more or less, ‘good grief!’

Still hungry for more? We suggest jumping on our online Traditional Pierogi Cooking Class (aktywny LINK kierujący do imprezy) or join us during your real visit to Krakow for Home Cooked Krakow workshop (aktywny LINK kierujący do imprezy).

You’ll learn even more about this famous and delicious Polish food and you will have a lot of fun while visiting our house to prepare pierogi according to our family recipe.

Europe’s best-loved dishes

While you’re likely to find Asian fusion in Denmark or pizza in Poland, if you want to travel like a local (and we know you do), a great start is knowing some traditional foods in the destinations you visit. The following is a list of foods with a rich history that have stood the test of time; foods with deep ties to the culture and the ways in which a country has developed over time. These foods encourage us to learn more about a place, well beyond museum visits and guidebooks. If you’re curious about some of the best-loved local foods across Europe, we have got you covered.

Czech Republic: vepřo, knedlo, zelo

It’s not easy to pick one specific dish that could represent the cuisine of the Czech Republic in all of its variety. In fact, we have a whole range of unique foods, all of which could compete for the status of a national dish. But we think most people would agree that vepřo, knedlo, zelo is an appropriate representation of the Czech culinary scene.

The literal translation of vepřo, knedlo, zelo is “pork, dumplings, cabbage,” which is quite a telling name. To be even more specific, this truly Czech delight consists of roast pork in delicate gravy, our world-renowned dumplings (which you might know under the title of knedlíky), and either red or white braised cabbage. It’s tender, it’s juicy, and it simply bursts with flavour. These three ingredients are the absolute staples of Czech cuisine, so it makes sense to try them all in one go with a portion of this absolute classic.
Denmark: stegt flæsk med persillesovs

Denmark: stegt flæsk med persillesovs

As far as food goes, crispy pork belly with parsley sauce and boiled potatoes (stegt flæsk med persillesovs) is without a doubt the most traditional dish you can come across while you’re in Copenhagen or Denmark. In 2014, our government set out to find the most Danish dish – and this hearty option came out on top with more than 60,000 votes. It consists of crispy pork belly with boiled potatoes and a white, creamy parsley sauce with chopped parsley on top. The dish can be traced all the way back to the 1800s and has, during its history, been considered a poor man’s dish since it was one of the fattier dishes and pork was very easy to come by. If you didn’t know, Denmark actually still has more pigs than people!

If you find yourself in Denmark try some stegt flæsk med persillesovs, which is served on many menus in Copenhagen and throughout the country.

Greece: souvlaki & gyros

If you visit Greece, you should definitely ‘go for souvlaki’ as Greeks simply say when they mean the trio of classic Greek fast foods: souvlaki, gyros, and pita souvlaki. All of these dishes are served in the same kinds of venues, called a souvlatzidiko, a Greek culinary institution. Souvlaki (sometimes known as kalamaki), first appeared in the town of Livadia in 1951 but with origins dating back to ancient Greece, as archaeological artefacts have revealed. The name refers to the wooden skewer (or “little reed”) the meat is cooked on. Skewers are filled with cubes of meat that have been marinated overnight, broiled over charcoal, and finally salted and peppered.

Gyros consist of either pork or chicken meat placed on a large metallic skewer and broiled while the skewer is rotating on a vertical rotisserie. The cooked and sliced meat is then wrapped in a slightly grilled flatbread called a pita and then filled with tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce, and French fries. In the case of pita souvlaki, the gyro meat is replaced by souvlaki inside the grilled pita. No matter which one you order, you won’t be disappointed.

Hungary: goulash

The true character of Hungarian cuisine is based around simple, hearty dishes rich in flavour – the kind that stick to your ribs. It’s safe to say that the most famous Hungarian dish undeniably goes to goulash, a filling, paprika-flavoured soup with beef and some vegetables. Without going too deeply into the details, goulash started out as a kind of a stew, but didn’t include paprika at first as the Hungarians were not introduced to it until the mid-18th century.

But for goulash to become what it is today, paprika was essential. The ground pepper gave the dish not only a nice colour, but a distinct taste. Oddly, goulash as a stew in Hungarian used to be referred to as pörkölt (a stew), while the name goulash (gulyás in Hungarian) referred to a soup. This is why even now, different dishes can go under the same name, sometimes even in Hungarian restaurants. But it doesn’t really matter if the dish is listed as pörkölt, a goulash, or even our other famous dish, the paprikash (paprikás), because they are all based on the essential combination of fat, onion, and paprika. As such, they are all closely related – and equally tasty.

Madrid: torrijas

Similar in nature to bread pudding and French toast – but with it’s own regional flair – the Spanish torrija is a simple yet must-try traditional dish with an interesting history that’s well worth seeking out on your next visit to Spain. If you take some basic ingredients such as bread, egg, milk or sweet wine, you can create one of Spain’s most traditional desserts. The torrija, a fried three-day-old slice of bread which has been dipped in milk, egg, honey and cinnamon (or in a sweet white wine and sugar), is now a must during Easter week in Spain.

If you visit Spain during Easter, all you will seem to see are people who eat, breathe, and fry torrijas. However, for those desperate to try a torrija outside Easter, you can find them at La Casa De Las Torrijas in Madrid.

Poland: pierogi

If you’ve ever eaten pierogi, chances are good that you fell in love at first bite – and we wouldn’t blame you. The soft, pillowy dumplings filled with cheese and potato (among other possible fillings) is the ultimate in comfort food: filling, hearty, and totally satisfying, whether boiled or fried.

Pierogi are pierogi – there is no better world for this famous Polish dish, although some people try to translate the name as Polish dumplings, Polish raviolis or even small empanadas – none of which are accurate. For us, pierogi is something unique and integral to our culture. You can imagine them as half-circular dumplings stuffed with many types of different fillings, made out of unleavened dough.

The most classical fillings are cheese and potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms, or meat but you can also find sweet pierogi filled with strawberries or blueberries, and so many other flavours. For example, marzipan with poppy seeds or turkey with peaches, especially during the Pierogi Festival we celebrate in Krakow in the middle of August to honour the  legendary, patron saint of pierogi: St. Hyacinth, the first Polish Dominican monk.

Romania: papanaşi

If we’re talking about Romanian national food, papanaşi should be given the title of best national dessert. Based on a recipe originating in Moldova (the northeastern part of Romania), this delicious fried dough and sweet Romanian cheese has the shape of a doughnut. The traditional sweet treat is then garnished with fruit jam and sour cream. The combination of the hot, fluffy doughnut with the cold, melty sour cream and the mouth-watering fruit notes of the jam will be instantly addictive for anyone with a sweet tooth. You’ve been warned.

Nowadays, papanași have become popular all over the country and restaurants compete to come up with the best rendition. If there was one thing, and one thing only that you could choose to experience Romanian cuisine, take our advice and go for papanași.

Slovakia: halušky

There’s no way you can visit Slovakia and not try a national dish called halušky. What is it, you ask? Halušky consists of what you might call a noodle (some would argue a dumpling — many English versions of menus have translated this as gnocchi). While we won’t sit here and argue semantics, we will say that basically all of these descriptions are correct. The noodle camp may be confused by the shape, which is more gnocchi-like than anything else, but hey, what are gnocchi but tiny potato noodles? And what are dumplings but larger versions of those potato noodles? The debate could go on and on, but the gist of it though, is halušky is the ultimate comfort food.

In addition to the noodles (or dumplings or gnocchi), halušky is smothered in a cheese sauce made of not just any cheese. No, this Slovak staple is smothered in sauce made with the traditional bryndza cheese, which #localsknow, is best when it comes straight from the farm (although it’s still just as tasty in its pasteurised form served up in Bratislava restaurants). This decadent dish is then topped off with a bit of hot, tasty bacon to provide the ultimate culinary solution for when you just want the travel foodie equivalent of your go-to childhood comfort food. It’s like having a long-lost Slovak grandma give you a warm hug.

If you’re looking to try the best food in one of our destinations, please join us for one of our group food tours, or if you have something more specific in mind, why not have a go at curating your very own private food tour?! Fill out the online form and a local member of our team in your chosen destination will be in touch to help you organise your best foodie day ever!

Ultimate guide to being vegan in Krakow

Polish cuisine at first glance is not very vegan, but in Krakow, vegan and vegetarian restaurants have been popping up like trendy mushrooms, there are so many of them now that it’s hard to keep track. This is great news for vegan travellers to Krakow or anyone who wants to eat a more plant-based diet. Want to know more? Our local city guide, Monika, shares everything you need to know about being vegan in Krakow.

Local food

You can’t talk about local food in Krakow without talking about pierogi. While not inherently vegan, pierogi can be made vegan if you omit eggs from the dough (totally possible) and stuff the delicious dumplings with plant-based ingredients rather than cheese or meat.

Something you’re likely to see a lot of in Krakow, is obwarzanki, one of Krakow’s staple street foods. This dough ring (kind of like a bagel) is sprinkled with salt, poppy or sesame seeds and can make for a quick vegan snack. Some are served with cheese, so make sure to avoid those ones.

Borscht, a vibrant and hearty beet-based soup may include meat, but it’s just as tasty without, using vegetable stock rather than chicken or beef stock and omitting the meat. Similarly, cabbage rolls, another Polish staple, can easily be made vegan by sticking to rice and vegetables for the filling.

In addition, depending on the season, you can get some seriously good local produce in Poland, something you’ll notice in the sałatkas (salads) you’ll find. Surówka, for example, basically just means shredded, raw vegetables (think slaw) and it can be made with anything from red or green cabbage to celery root and apples. Just make sure those vegetables aren’t dressed in a dairy-based dressing (which is possible).

The Urban Adventures Krakow team offers several vegan-friendly group food tours, like Krakow Food By Foot and Markets & Flavours of Krakow. Just let us know at the time of booking what your dietary preferences are and we’ll do the rest. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a vegan tour that showcases the best of the city’s vegan cuisine, why not let us organise a private vegan food tour just for you. Enquire here for more details.

Eating out

Veganic: Located in the former Dolne Młyny (Lower Mills) cigarette factory complex, Veganic is a fashionable and multi-functional place. Due to long opening hours, the place is good for breakfast as well as for lunch or dinner. I especially recommend the vegan breakfast buffet for PLN 25 (about EUR 7 per person). In summer, a nice garden and live music make the place even better.

Karma: A good place for a quiet lunch, Karma serves a large selection of meatless dishes, sandwiches, and vegetable pates, as well as freshly-roasted, delicious coffee. It tastes like heaven with the local cheesecake or lemon tarte.

Glonojad: This popular restaurant is located in a convenient spot just behind the medieval Florian Gate. It’s worth taking advantage of a two-course set lunch at a good price, which changes every day. I also recommend delicious, freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

Momo: If you’re looking for a good place for the quick, simple and healthy lunch, Momo is a good bet. The interior is a bit old fashioned, but on the other hand, all the dishes served at Momo are tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive.

Mazaya Falafel: If you love falafel, Mazaya is a great place to full up. In my opinion, they sell the best falafel in the city. In addition, in the summer you will find in a small garden with two small tables and few chairs, which makes for a lovely place to sip your strong, Arabic coffee with cardamom or tea with sweets.

Bhajan Café: If you’re in the mood for Indian food, Bhajan serves up a menu of vegetarian and vegan Indian dishes with a variety of vegan options to choose from. They also host yoga and meditation events.

Hummus Amamamusi: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the food at this place where you can eat a freshly prepared hummus with pita bread and pickles, drink coffee or squeezed juice, read a newspaper, and even talk with the owners or other hummus-eaters sitting nearby.

Vegab: Fancy a kebab? This spot is the first vegan fast food restaurant in Krakow. Nice interior, good quality products, friendly and enthusiastic owners. A place for everyone, does not matter who they are and what they eat daily.

Shalom Falafel: Krakow’s only kosher street food restaurant, where everything is made exactly like in Israel, and dishes are prepared under the strict supervision of Krakow’s Rabbi Eliezer Gurary. The tiny place hidden in the basement brings to mind Kazimierz of old times. Everything is delicious, affordable and healthy. The only thing that bothers me a lot is the fact that all the meals are served on plastic, single use plates. It would be ideal to come with your own cutlery set and a small plate.

Vegan shopping

Fairma Ethical Design: This spot sells 100 percent vegan, ethical, and fair trade items including clothing, accessories, and shoes for both men and women.

Naturalny Sklepik: Both a café and an organic grocery store, Naturalny Sklepik is where to go for stapes like vegan meats, plant milk and cheese, as well as household products.

KOKOWorld: Head to this local clothing brand to browse and buy unique, handmade clothing and accessories made from natural materials.

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Krakow Souvenir-making workshop: giving something back to the local community

Our local guide Monika talks about why she is so passionate about her new Krakow tour, which teams up with social enterprise organisation ŻyWa Pracownia (Alive Lab) to support local residents who are living below the poverty line:

My team and I have partnered up with ŻyWa Pracownia (Alive Lab), a socially engaged organisation based in the Podgorze neighborhood of Krakow, that specialises in giving workshops on traditional crafts, design, architecture and urban gardening. The main idea of its creators, Magda and Adam, was to combine nature and folk culture (a natural combination for them as Magda has a background in arts and crafts and is fascinated by Polish ethnographic design, while Adam is a nature lover with highly effective social skills). Together they are dedicated to ecological and cultural education and to the promotion of a world which is open for everybody, without any social or cultural barriers. The organisation is very hands-on in the local community, regularly working on community projects such as designing natural spaces for children, building outdoor installations that enhance neighbourhoods, and introducing urban gardens to built-up areas.

All the workshops run by ŻyWa Pracownia are open for all, particularly those at risk of social exclusion; street children, senior citizens, the poor, the disabled, refugees and the homeless. Many workshops are held at the organisation’s HQ, 5 Celna Street, but they also do a lot of out reach work. ŻyWa Pracownia cooperates with many local non-profit organisations and cultural institutions and are very visible the whole year round as they participate in numerous festivals and cultural events such as the Ethno Festival in Krakow, the Feast for the Poor, the Pannonica Folk Festival in Beskidy mountains etc.

Krakow Urban Adventures’ In Focus Souvenir Making Workshop is your special invitation to see the real city of Krakow, with its joys and sorrows, without separation between locals and foreigners. If you join us on this tour, not only will you learn how to make a traditional Polish folk doll to take home with you, you’ll learn about Polish history and local traditions as well as everyday life in the city and the challenges its citizens face and you’ll contribute directly to the great work of ŻyWa Pracownia.

ŻyWa Pracownia are also behind the very special Sunday initiative called – Zupa na Plantach (Soup in the Planty Park), which began somewhat spontaneously some years ago but soon became a weekly tradition that inspires people people all over Poland. Thanks to ŻyWa Pracownia every single Sunday local volunteers work together to prepare a huge pot full of tasty, hot soup; they then bring it from their kitchen to Planty Park near the railway station to share with poverty-stricken local people. Inclusion is a big part of the initiative; eating together shows that the poor are accepted and encouraged to talk about their problems and open up.

In addition to this project, ZyWa Pracownia also provides clothes and hygienic materials for those in need and a Mobile Library for the Homeless which provides easy and free access to education and culture for people who cannot afford to buy books or simply have no home to collect them.

We at Krakow Urban Adventures love what ZyWa Pracownia are doing and we constantly keep our fingers crossed for the success of their mission of helping others. That is why we promote them a lot during our tours and why we participate in the Zupa na Plantach Sundays project regularly. Proceeds from our In Focus Souvenir Making Workshop go directly to support this initiative.

Our tour guests know that the beautiful dolls that they are taking home with them from Krakow as a gift have a story behind them. Each doll made on the tour provides 5 free soups for local people in need. Isn’t it great that you can create something for you and help others at the same time? We really think it is!