We’ve been told by several people that Kraków outshines Warsaw because more of it is “original”. While I have no doubt that Krakow is going to impress us, it is the very fact of Warsaw having been so lovingly rebuilt that created such a sense of wonder and emotional connection for us.
Our train journey today was about 3-1/2 hours, from Warsawa Centralna (the central train station) to Kraków Glówny (“Kraków Main”) in the heart of the city. It is definitely not as picturesque as Warsaw’s central station. There are no magnificent buildings immediately in view. There was, however, a barefoot and drunk young man in handcuffs waiting for his police van ride as we were waiting for our Uber.
Our Uber driver in Warsaw last week was a young man on a work visa from Uzbekistan, and from the moment we got in his car he absolutely gushed about “his” city – its cleanliness, its beauty, and its safety. In fact, every Varsovian we met was brimming with civic pride and excited to share information with us.
Our young Uber driver in Krakow this afternoon was a native Pole, who shared a couple of must-sees (the castle, the main square), and a suggestion not to eat in the Old Town unless money wasn’t a concern. He was very personable, but it was a different vibe.
Our hotel, on the other hand, is absolutely lovely. Betmankowska Main Square Residence (Adults Only) is right on the square. We were warmly welcomed with a bottle of Bottega prosecco, fresh apples, and caramels (!) in our room in an old building with exposed brick interior walls offset by lots of mirrors to make the space bright.
After settling in a bit, we headed out to dinner, which coincidentally was at the Krakow location of the restaurant we’d just eaten at in Warsaw. Once again, the food and beer were delicious, the portions huge, and the price reasonable (by Canadian restaurant standards). We did check out a few other menus around the square, and they were generally more expensive than in Warsaw.
We definitely needed to walk a bit after all that food, which gave Ted the opportunity to take a few evening photos of Kraków’s main square’s imposing buildings and skyline as a taste of things to come.
The 70m tall Town Hall Tower, built in the 14th century, is the only remnant of the old Kraków Town Hall, which was demolished in 1820. We’re looking forward to visiting it in the daytime.
St. Mary’s Basilica, famous for its two distinct towers of different heights and styles.
The Kraków Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) from several angles.
The small Romanesque Church of St. Adalbert (Kościół św. Wojciecha), most recently remodelled in the 17th century.
Having gotten a quick feel for Kraków’s main square’s, it was back to our room to drink prosecco and prepare for tomorrow’s visit to Wawel Castle.
We have just 5 full days here and have thrown down the gauntlet to Kraków: make us love you as much as we loved Warsaw.
Rose and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 