Curious things to do in Krakow
Author: Amber-Louise Large
Poland’s second biggest city is historically a home for royalty, with a hilltop castle guarded by a legendary dragon and a UNESCO-listed Old Town overflowing with Baroque and Gothic beauty. There is, of course, also dark and sombre history to remember: you’ll find plenty of museums and memorials relating to World War Two. See the important sights, see the tourist spots, see the culture-rich side of the city and then see even more at some alternative locations.
1. Museums
If you like art and acronyms, you’ll love Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK)
See how life in the last two decades has been interpreted by contemporary artists. MOCAK sits on a demolished part of Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory. This museum is all about the avant-garde, with a focus on modernism, postmodernism, conceptualism and other artsy ‘isms’ of recent years. Explore the permanent exhibits by stepping into Drozdz’s uncanny ‘In-between’, a white room covered with letters, and sitting on a replica of Warhol’s sofa inside Lupa’s interactive installation Live Factory 2. Don’t forget to also look at outdoor installations like Surowiec’s Berlin-Birkenau: a display of three birch trees replanted from the area surrounding Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Top tip: Entry to the MOCAK Collection exhibitions at Level -1 is free on Thursdays.
2. History
If you want to learn more about the city’s World War Two history, visit KL Plaszow
Today, KL Plaszow is part memorial park and part museum. It’s a stretch of land filled with trees, grass, a giant statue of five expressionless people joined together and signs saying: ‘You are entering the site of the former Nazi German concentration camp’. In the early 1940s, thousands of prisoners were forced to live here in constant fear. Those who’ve seen Schindler’s List will know Plaszow as the place where the camp’s commandant Goth instilled terror. Little evidence of the past horrors remains, but an open-air exhibit provides information about important locations.
Top tip: You can also see Liban Quarry, a former labour camp where some of Schindler’s List was filmed, nearby.
3. Sweet treats
If you like a baked treat (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love Obwarzanek Museum
Is it a bagel? Is it a pretzel? No, it’s an obwarzanek: a doughy ring sprinkled with seeds, often found behind glass cases on street trolleys. Baked fresh in the morning and best enjoyed warm, when the smell of golden-baked dough wafts under the noses of passersby, these slightly sweet and salted treats have been fuelling locals since medieval times. There’s even a rumour Wawel’s dragon tucked into one. The street treat is so beloved it actually has its own museum near Main Square. Your visit to Obwarzanek Museum will mostly consist of a workshop in which you’ll braid your own dough. It’ll be baked and put in a bag for you to take away – but let’s be honest, you won’t get far without eating the whole thing.
Top tip: Book ahead. The museum is for all ages and tends to be popular with kids.
5. Cool cafes
If you’re in Kazimierz, stop in at Alchemia
Kazimierz is all about culture: the historic Jewish district is laden with cafes, galleries, bars and zapiekanki (a kind of open, toasted sandwich typically oozing with cheese). If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a drink, Alchemia is the go-to spot. This club for the artistically inclined is designed for candlelit discussions surrounded by antique mirrors and photographs. Walk through wardrobe doors to discover new areas dotted with Tyskie-sipping creatives or follow the sound of live instruments down to the cellar. There’s often a bit of jazz improvisation or a full concert filling the space with music.
Top tip: The adjacent restaurant Alchemia od Kuchni is open until late, usually closing at 22:00 or 23:00, so you can grab a post-pilsner bite to eat.
6. Nostalgia
If you want to see what Poland might have looked like in the 1950s, go to Nowa Huta
Learn more about Polish life in the post-war communist years by visiting Nowa Huta. A socialist-realist experiment, this district was meant to be a model city built around the huge Vladimir Lenin Steelworks: a place for steelworkers to live and ideological convictions to thrive. Nowa Huta today is a snapshot of life in the 1950s, from the architecture of the People’s Theatre to the nuclear bunkers beneath your feet. You’ll also find a monument dedicated to the strikers of the Polish Solidarity movement at the southern end of the main square. There are multiple tours available – some even take place in old communist-era cars – if you want to make the most of your visit.
Top tip: Make sure to stop in at Arka Pana, which was built by locals despite authority pushback, to admire the unusual architecture and see the way light bends, scatters and streams into the church through stained glass windows.
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