Category: Krakow

Krakow is seriously one of the coolest cities I’ve visited to date. I spent such a fun-filled weekend there, visiting a Jewish cemetery, checking out the Pharmacy Museum, and heading to the nearby salt mine. On top of all this (and despite the mind-blowing cold temperature of -15 degrees Celsius), I spent a lot of time walking around the city, taking in all of the street art.

As I say over and over again on this blog, street art is a different and interesting way to get to know the vibe of a place.

The Vibrant Street Art In Krakow, Poland

Krakow is a rather suitable canvas for this renegade guerrilla art form. From touring the city’s streets, I learned that local artists have a preoccupation with fascists, love a good Star Wars reference, and apparently Reeboks.

Some people prefer professional-looking murals, but I personally appreciate street art in all its forms, be it a small stencil, a humble sticker, or something else.

You can check out some of my other posts documenting street art around the world – Mostar has some pretty powerful pieces of street art, while New York has some epic murals, and there’s an especially provocative piece in Vilnius featuring the faces of two of world’s most terrible men.

STAR WARS! Being the sci-fi nerd that I am, this almost blew my mind. This is quite possibly one of my favorite instances of street art ever, ever, ever.

What do you think about the street art in Krakow? Do you have any tips about where to find good spots or specific pieces? Tell us about it in the comments.

Good To Know

1) Need a hotel or other place to stay in Krakow? Check your options with booking.com.

Booking.com

2) Go on a guided tour with Get Your Guide.

3) Big fan of travel in Europe? Check out some of our favorite posts.

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*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

A long time back, I spent an unforgettable January weekend in Krakow. I remember it being really cold. A thin layer of pure white snow thinly covered the ground. My parka and newly purchased “Chewbacca” hat barely protected me from the elements. At times, my fingers and toes became numb as I walked my way through the city.

Krakow was devoid of tourists and it was fun to experience the city without the usual crowds. While there, I spent a lot of time wandering about the city, documenting the street art, visiting the New Jewish cemetery, and checking out the quirky Pharmacy Museum.

And just like when I took photos of Vienna by night, I did the same in Krakow too.

View Photos Of Krakow Poland At Night

I was out walking the city at sunset when the city transformed into a different being altogether. It became something quite beautiful and extraordinary as night settled.

The lit-up buildings were spectacular to behold!

Even though it was January, Christmas decorations were still up all over Krakow.

Just looking at these photos makes me long to get back to Poland right now.

What do you think of Krakow Poland at night? Do you like the city and have any tips to share? Pass on your best tips in the comments below.

Good To Know 

1) Find a place to stay while you’re in Krakow with booking.com.

Booking.com

2) When you’re in Krakow, make your time more memorable by booking a guided tour.

3) Our blog readers love traveling Europe so much, that they get plenty of inspiration from our content. Check out some of our top posts:

• A Tour of District 7 Through Budapest Street Art – Tour through District 7 to see Budapest street art, from murals to other smaller, but no less meaningful, works around the Hungarian capital.
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• The World’s Most Beautiful Concert Hall, Harpa Reykjavik – Set against the backdrop of the Atlantic & snow-capped mountains, the Harpa Reykjavik is one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world.

*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.

When I told people that I was headed to Krakow for the weekend, almost everyone asked me the exact same question, “Will you visit Auschwitz?” My answer was no, that due to my limited time in the city, I decided to save it for a future trip.

Because I didn’t visit Auschwitz didn’t mean that I couldn’t take in my share of the city’s important historical sites. The very first place I visited after arriving in Krakow was the New Jewish Cemetery in the city’s Jewish district of Kazimierz.

See The New Jewish Cemetery Krakow Poland

Founded in 1800 and sprawling across 4.5 hectares (11 acres), this massive cemetery contains over 10,000 tombstones.

When the Nazis invaded Poland in WWII, the cemetery was all but destroyed. Stone from people’s former grave markers were either sold to local masons or used as construction materials in a nearby concentration camp, Krakow-Plaszow. Some of the stone from the cemetery was even used in the courtyard outside of Amon Goth’s home, the notoriously evil man who ran the Krakow-Plaszow camp and the one who oversaw the efforts to evict the Jews from Krakow. The Nazis were also said to have left the scattered remains of the former cemetery inhabitants disrespectfully out in the open.

After the war was over, a camp survivor (thought to be Jakub Stendig) worked on the restoration of many tombstones, having them reinstalled in the cemetery. A renovation effort began in 1957 and continued for years. Only 10 years after the fall of Communism in 1999 did the cemetery finally see a complete transformation, and it along with the mortuary, were formerly classified as historical monuments.

The New Jewish Cemetery Today

The New Jewish Cemetery cemetery is now full of old and new graves as well as various memorials dedicated to those murdered during the Holocaust. Some of the memorials and the wall surrounding the cemetery are full of fragments of tombstones destroyed by the Nazis.

A walk through the cemetery on a cold winter afternoon provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the enormity of what happened there. Almost completely empty of people, it cast a solemn mood over the beautiful yet tragic place.

The sunset washed the cemetery with a warm golden light making the experience even more poignant.

Just as I was about to leave, I met a man standing beside a large tombstone. He asked me to take his picture and explained that the tombstone beside him was the grave of his grandfather. Overcome with emotion, he said he’d searched for his burial site for years. It was really a touching moment.

While I’m happy he was able to find his grandfather and end his long search, it was sad to see that a dark chapter of history still affects people even today.

Have you visited the New Jewish Cemetery Krakow? What were your impressions?

Location

Good To Know

1) To check out accommodation options in Krakow, take a look on booking.com.

Booking.com

2) While in Krakow, go on a guided tour.

4) Fan of Poland like me? Read some of my other top blog posts for travel inspiration:

• A Day Trip From Berlin to Visit Szczecin Poland – Find out why you should visit Szczecin Poland. From old castles to modern architecture, numerous museums, & craft beer, learn how to spend the perfect day.
• Journey To Middle Earth At The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland – Go 135 meters underground on a journey to “Middle Earth” to see the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland which includes a cathedral made entirely of salt!
• The Pharmacy Museum in Krakow Is A Must See – Visit the Pharmacy Museum in Krakow, filled with over 22,000 objects and reproductions of ancient apothecaries.

*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.