Last Dinner in Krakow

Although it was our last meal in Krakow before departing, it was definitely one of the best I had in the city. The name of the place, if I recall correctly, was Wieczorki Gitatowe and came highly recommended by other travellers. They've got a really nice atmosphere with lots of rustic, homely decorations that definitely exuded a lot of charm. Seating was very much cafeteria/beer hall style although the tables definitely felt very sturdy and not cheap.

Last Day in Krakow

It was with some mixed feelings as we got to our last day in Krakow. The former Polish capital was one of the more fascinating European cities I've been to and I had definitely enjoyed my stay but I was also hyped for Budapest which was next on the list. We began the day with another round of pierogies and delicious cabbage rolls.

Wieliczka Souvenirs and Meals

Having completed the tour of Wieliczka, the gift shop was the final stop before heading back up to the surface. Here, there is another elevator which takes you to another observation level within the mine.

Underground lakes at Wieliczka

The Weimar room was definitely one of the highlights of the tour. This famous cavern has been visited by many a noted figured including Frederic Chopin, Nicolaus Copernicus, Bill Clinton and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, author of Faust and one of the more famous visitors to the mine. A sculpture made to his likeness is seen here.

Chapel of St Kinga

Continuing our expedition in the Wieliczka Salt Mine, you can see salt as you venture through the tunnels and escavated paths the tour takes you through. Just as a note, the tour takes about two hours and you'll be with a large group of people typically so don't get trapped underground if you're not really into salt mines!

Wieliczka Salt Mine

One of the most famous attractions in Krakow is the huge Wieliczka Salt Mine located not far from the city. There is a public bus near Plac Jana Matejki which you can take directly to the Salt Mine bus station.

An Evening of Music in Krakow

After a scrumptious dinner at Jadetkol's, after dinner entertainment was at Bonerewski Palace located at the north end of the main market square.

Dinner at Jadetkol

After a long day walking through Wawel Castle, we decided to go to a traditional Polish restaurant by the name of Jadetkol for dinner.

Wawel Castle Courtyard & Cathedral

The interior courtyard of Wawel Castle is quite splendid with its numerous arches and columns.

Wawel Royal Apartments and State Rooms

A few more beautifully crafted tapestries depicting various stories are seen throughout Wawel Castle.

Walk through Wawel Castle

Lunch at Pod Wawalem was delicious aside from the sauerkraut. For some reason, sauerkraut doesnt sit well with my stomach =( In any case, the sausage, soup and cabbages were delectable.

Wawel Royal Castle

Wawel Castle was originally started in around the 11th century with parts of the castle, such as the Cathedral, dating back furthest. As a long-time royal residence, the castle retains huge historic value as parts of the fortress were constructed throughout the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras.

Churches in the Krakow Old Town Square

I had to make a separate post for this as Krakow has some of the most gorgeous churches I've seen in Europe. Starting with St Mary's Basilica in the main old town square, which has architecture which is quite reminiscent of some of the buildings I've seen in the Prague Old Town Square.

A stroll through Krakow's Old Town

We started out fresh and early in the morning just outside our hotel at the Plac Jana Matejki. Strangely, the horizontal street heading in on the left of the photo is named after Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a composer, pianist, diplomat and former Prime Minister of Poland. In front of the statue stands another grand piano, a symbol of the city of Krakow.

Pod Wawelem

It wasn't without reason that we had wandered all the way down to the vicinity of Wawel Castle after a hop from Dortmund to Krakow. While most restaurants are almost closed, Pod Wawelem was recommended to us by our hotel as it stays open late and offers nice large quantities of authentic Polish fare.

I was quite taken in by the unique curved roof of the establishment with the dimmer lighting and chandeliers giving the place a very warm, homey feel.

Krakow, First Impressions

The flight from Dortmund to Krakow was a quick 2 hour hop on Easyjet. For those not familiar with budget airlines in Europe, Easyjet is a UK-based carrier with service to a number of cities in continental Europe for an ultra low price! This particular flight after all taxes cost just 25 euros per person! Mind you, that doesn't include luggage or any other fees they might tack on so keep that in mind if you plan a trip with them.