City Rating: Krakow
Population: 770’000
Date of visit: October 2016
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 3/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Krakow is an inexpensive student city in Poland, which is attractive on the one hand for culturally interested travelers and on the other hand for party-mad bachelors. The city is manageable in size, has some nice sights and is also quite cheap. Krakow is well worth a (long) weekend, but the city is lagging behind other Central and Eastern European cities.
Where to stay:
Near the main square (Rynek Glowny). This is where life in Krakow plays and most of the sights are near the square.
The Good:
Krakow definitely has charm. The old town has a beautiful, colorful and yes, melancholic architecture. This old town is the showpiece of the city and certainly one of the more beautiful in Europe. Above all there is the Marian Basilica, probably the most important landmark of the city. An (exhausting) ascent to the tower is worthwhile and a must if you are in Krakow.
Those interested in culture can visit the Jewish quarter or the Schindler factory, or take a day trip to Auschwitz. Furthermore, there are a few sights worth seeing.
Besides the sights Krakow scores with cheap prices. The hotel prices are in the lower European midfield and also food and drinks are very cheap. Transport (taxi and bus) is also affordable.
The Bad & The Ugly:
The city is also a popular for stag parties and you will likely see hordes of drunk Brits even in the afternoon. As Krakow is a student city, nightlife around main square is a bit cheap (= headache booze).
And although Krakow has a lot to offer, the city can’t quite keep up with other cities in the surrounding area (Prague or Vienna, for example). These cities have the advantage that they are a bit bigger and offer more for the tourists. Nevertheless, Krakow is worthwhile, and the city is definitely better than Bratislava, Sofia or Bucharest.
Find other City Ratings here.
