Tips for exploring the city

Old town

Kraków’s old town is a compact area that can be easily explored on foot. The central area consists of basically 7×7 blocks around a magnificent central square (Rynek Główny — ‘Main marketplace’).  In fact, this is the largest medieval square in any European city.

A southern extension of the old town ends in the castle (Wawel).

The former moat around old town has been turned into a beautiful park called Planty.

Plan at least half a day to explore the old town, visiting places such as the Cloth Hall (medieval shopping mall), St Mary’s church, the city walls at Florian gate, the Wawel (castle) with its string of courtyards and ornate rooms.

There are plenty of cafés, restaurants, and bars in this neighbourhood, and it’s easy to forget about the passing of time.

While most museums are closed on Mondays, the Wawel is open.  Buy your tickets online, in advance.

More info soon

Typical day trips from Kraków

We may have a couple of organized trips — for the rest, you can form groups and go on your own

Wieliczka salt mine

This medieval salt mine is one of the most extensive and most spectacular ones in Europe, and it’s easily accessible from Kraków for a half-day trip.

There are underground lakes, all kinds of things carved out salt (e.g. the seven dwarves or Leonardo’s Last Supper).  The single most spectacular part of the visit is an entire undeground chapel, complete with chandeliers and a crucifix, obvously all carved out of salt.

You’ll be walking down a lot of stairs to reach the actual mine (although there’s also an elevator for wheelchairs).   Only group visit are allowed.  At the end of your visit, you’ll be taking an elevator back to the surface.

We may have an organized trip here, but it’s also easy to do it on your own. There’s a direct train from near the conference hotel to Wieliczka town, and the ride takes only about 20 minutes.

Dunajec :: Rafting on a border river

A section of the Dunajec river forms the border between Poland and Slovakia, with some breathtaking scenery.

We’ll probably have a rented bus to take us from Kraków to the embarkation point.

If you have some whitewater experience, you can paddle down in groups of 4-6 in inflatable boats.  (There are only some mild rapids, so it’s fairly easy.)

Alternatively, about 12 people can sit on benches on a raft (video), while a guide will help you downriver with a huge pole to avoid the rocks.  Don’t worry, it’s absolutely safe.

On the way back you can either take a bicycle along the river or take a bus.

Time permitting, we may also visit the medieval castle of Niedzice  (wiki / video).

Oświęcim :: The dark side of history

A visit to the death camps in Auschwitz is not for everyone, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.  It’s an educational trip, and a rather sobering one. Yet, many people do visit it, due to its proximity to Kraków.

The older camp used to be military barracks that existed before WWII. This is where you can see the infamous ‘Arbeit macht frei’ gate.  This camp is a grim museum with exhibits telling you one of the the darkest chapters in human history.

The newer camp (Birkenau) is where you can see the infamous railway track and the gas chambers.

I’m still not sure how we should go about this trip.  Perhaps form small groups and join a public tour.  

More ideas for exploring Poland

It helps if you rent a car, but some of these places can also be reached by public transport

Some tips will be available later

Which fringe events are you interested in?