Best things to do and see in Krakow
Krakow is one of the most important cities in Poland. It is located in the south and is very close to its border with Slovakia and not far from the cities of Bratislava or Vienna. It is a city that enjoys a rich history and was deeply impacted by World War II. The Jewish neighborhood, (Kazimierz) and the old ghetto are the saddest and most affected areas or the city, where they are left as a reminder so that the atrocities of the past are never repeated. The Old Town (Stare Miasto) was one of the first places to be named a World Heritage site with its spectacular Market Square and St. Marie’s Basilica.
There are many guided tours in Krakow that give you the chance to get to know the city in 2 to 3 hours while walking to visit some of the most emblematic monuments and places the city has to offer. In addition to this, there are themed tours that have a more specific route centered around a specific place or topic, to visit Wawel Cathedral and Castle located on the banks of Vistula River are, without a doubt, some of the most iconic parts of this Polish city. Another interesting place to visit is St. Florian’s Gate, the old entrance to the Medieval city, with 8 gated doors and a total of 35 spires spanning its length. If you cross over the wall, you will come across the Krakow Barbican, a fort that is surrounded by a moat which was used to protect the ancient city. Other points of interest you should check out are the Collegium Maius, the Planty Gardens, Oskar Schindler’s factory, Bohaterow Square with the chair monument, which is very close to the city where the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Wieliczka salt mines were located.
The best free walking tour in Krakow is the one where you get to see the sites with a local guide who will help you to understand the context of the city’s history and those little-known details about the place and its people. You can choose to book a guruwalk in the morning, afternoon, or evening. If you would like to learn more about other tours or walkers and their experiences, you can read their reviews to get a better idea of which tour would be best for you. Other cities that are also popular for travelers looking for a guruwalk in Poland are Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw or Prague.