After a long, dark winter, how wonderful it is to see the sun in the sky – and to jump on a plane to the brilliant city that is Krakow.
And direct from Aberdeen International Airport too! It this month became the 17th overseas destination you can fly to from The Granite City – so why not take the chance to indulge?
Krakow is Poland’s second city behind the capital, Warsaw.
It’s a city that 800,000 people call home – and they provide a warm welcome to more than nine million tourists a year.
Krakow is ideal for a three or four-day break – which is just as well because the flights from Aberdeen leave on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
On arrival into Krakow Airport, you can take a 20-minute train into the city for about £4.
Or you can pay about £12 for a taxi – the best apps are Uber and Bolt, though I found the tram was all I needed to get around the city, and each single journey costs about 90p.
Something for everyone in Krakow
So what does the city offer? It’s a cliché – but something for everyone, whether history, nature or food and drink are your passions.
If you’re a history buff, Krakow is full to the brim with churches, synagogues and an iconic castle.
I began my first day in the city with a guided walking tour and my guide Jerzy Korta was a fountain of knowledge.
On a pleasantly warm morning, we began our stroll around the Jewish Quarter, in Kazimierz to the south of the city centre.
King John I Albert expelled the Jewish population to this suburb in the 15th century and it is now a hub of Jewish life.
The open-air markets, outdoor cafes and buildings in this neighbourhood are magnificent – and you can break up your walk by tucking into a bagel, pierogi or challa.
Jerzy then guided me further north, along the riverbank, passing the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology along the way, with its picturesque cherry blossom trees outside.
Fire-breathing dragon
Soon enough we stumbled upon a scary looking creature which breathed fire before hundreds of open-mouthed spectators of all ages.
We needn’t had worried as this dragon was only a statue – with the fire feature on show every wee while.
The story goes that, long ago, a scary dragon lived in a cave beneath the city – and the king had to stop it terrorising his people.
So the king promised his daughter’s hand to whoever slayed the beast.
Step forward a shoemaker’s apprentice who bribed the dragon with a poisoned snack.
And, when the dragon drank from the river to get rid of the poison, it exploded.
The king kept his promise, and the apprentice married the princess. The people were saved, and the dragon became legend, with dragon-themed souvenirs aplenty on sale there
Anyway, up the hill we climbed to the entry of Wawel Royal Castle.
This place was an absolute delight.
Like the Louvre in Paris or the Medici in Florence – you could return to this cultural gem for days on end if you really wanted to.
Work of da Vinci
The highlights include Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Lady with an Ermine, and a collection of swords and other artefacts from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s interactions with the Ottoman Empire around the 17th century.
Tickets range from £4.50 to £18, depending on what you want to see.
All that sauntering around in the sun was thirsty work, so I spent my first evening at the fabulous Craftownia craft-ale bar.
It had a blackboard featuring 18 ales – many of which packed a punch – and the 1990s rock music was right up my street.
Pints were around the £3.60 mark – a far cry from paying £6.50 back home.
If the weather is nice, there are several outdoor dining areas on the same street – Sw Wawrzynca – where you can grab a bite from a food truck.
Food wise, my absolute highlight was Veganic, in the north-west part of the city centre.
The white radish cake with chestnuts and pine nuts was delicious and I loved their matcha lattes too.
An underground work of art
My second day began with a morning drive out to Wieliczka Salt Mine – one of the area’s most popular attractions.
The mine was used from the 11th century all the way up to 1996, when falling salt prices made it unprofitable.
But clever Polish craft turned that into an opportunity and it now it welcomes around 1.2m visitors annually.
The mine reaches an incredible 327m in depth and there are 178 miles of passages and chambers.
Along the way you can see a series of stunning statues and chapels carved out by the miners and get a sense of what it must have been like to work so far underground for long periods.
Tickets cost around £25 and you can buy travel-and-ticket packages online or from kiosks around the city.
I spoke to many others on city breaks during my stay and their feeling was visiting the Salt Mine or Auschwitz Concentration Camp works well, but cramming both in to a long weekend is quite ambitious.
A sobering experience
I’d visited Auschwitz on a previous trip and can highly recommend it.
What strikes you is that more or less everything is left just as the Allies found it when it was liberated.
You see the belongings of those who died, where they lived, their jail cells, the firing-squad area and, most soberingly, the gas chambers.
There is no filter. It’s an important educational experience you’ll never forget.
Entry is free but most people pay for a guided tour, which takes around two-and-a-half hours and costs around £21.
Back in Krakow, there are some impressive attractions in or close to the central market square.
On the hour, you can enjoy a trumpet performance from St. Mary’s Basilica.
According to legend, a fireman spotted a Mongol invasion approaching in the 13th century.
He climbed the tower to warn the citizens by playing his trumpet – but was struck with an arrow mid note.
Since then, the city has honoured his sacrifice by playing the melody every hour, stopping abruptly at the same spot where the legend says the fireman was silenced.
There are many more nuggets of history and culture I could share from my trip – but why not try book a trip and see it for yourself?
Travel facts
I stayed as the guest of the Polish National Tourist Office at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kazimierz, where rooms start from around £100 a night, based on two people sharing. Book at krakow-kazimierz.goldentulip.com
You can now fly direct between Aberdeen and Krakow on Ryanair on Wednesdays and Saturdays until the end of October.
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