Winter Krakow Trip (Day Three)

For our third and final day we wanted to spend some time in Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter. It was only a short walk from the Aparthotel to the main square. The main square is spacious with many restaurants down one side. We decided to stop for breakfast and a warn drink to heat us up in the wintery weather. Seated opposite the Remuh Synagogue (known best for it's wailing wall made up of Jewish tombstones destroyed by the Nazis) and next to a memorial for those who lost their lives during the second World War, it was nice to just sit and read my guide book soaking up a bit of history about the area.

At the end of the square is the Old Synagogue, that now houses a museum on Jewish holidays and traditions. If you already have a knowledge of Judaism you may not find that you learn too much but for a small price it is worth having a peek inside.

After we finished our time in the museum we spent a lot of time wandering and exploring the many Synagogues and Churches in the area. If you ever visit you will see loads of electrics cars that do tours of the area. For me I can't think of anything worse than whizzing round such a nice area with little to no time to look into the gorgeous buildings.

Unfortunately due to the sheer size of some of the Churches it was difficult to actually photograph them as I just couldn't fit them into the frame. Truly these things need to be seen in real life to be appreciated.

And that was it, we were out of time. I really feel like we could have done with at least another day. There was so much we still really wanted to see. For sure we will definitely be going back at some point.

If there's any questions anyone has about Kraków just ask in the comments.

Winter Krakow Trip (Day Two)

On the Monday we set off early for Auschwitz. An experience that I knew would be incredibly upsetting but I felt it was important to go and see first hand the sort of conditions the victims of the Nazi state were subjected to. Out of respect for those who lost their lives there I opted not to take any pictures. A decision that I hope my readers will understand and respect.

We decided that we would prefer to go early without a guide. I had heard how busy it could get with groups and I didn't want to feel like I couldn't spend the time I wanted to take it all in and absorb what I was seeing. If you do want to go round without a guide then you do need to go before a certain time. I can't quite remember. Check out the website for precise details but I think it's before 10.

We went for half 8. Do remember that if you are going by public transport it does take around an hour and a half on the bus. It's easy enough to do it yourself. The bus was cheap and took you straight from the bus station to Auschwitz. They are also fairly regular. We visited a Tourist Office the day before to make sure we had up to date information and didn't miss our reserved time. On that note, you MUST book your tickets ahead of time.

The whole experience of both Auschwitz I and II was enlightening, disturbing and extremely emotional. The exhibition of the possessions stolen from their victims was almost too much for me and I wasn't the only one walking round with tears streaming down my face.

At Auschwitz II (a short free bus journey) I was taken aback by the sheer size of the camp. It was massive and I found that I just couldn't comprehend how any human being could condone such actrosities on such a huge scale.

It is an experience I will never want to experience again with the exception of taking my kids in the future to ensure it is never forgotten. I hated every moment and felt physically sick, but it is something I am so grateful I got the chance to go and see first hand. It does take up the majority of your day so do make sure you put the proper amount of time away to visit.

On our return to Krakow we went for a wander by The Barbican. It's an incredible piece of military architecture situated next to St Florian's Gate.

We then headed back down for a few beers at Rynek Główny, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying people watching. As I said in my last post the square really is a stunning spot that any tourist will be sure to love, especially at night.

Afterwards we had a short walk to dinner. I'd seen another place recommended on TripAdvisor and was looking forward to trying it out: Pod Wawelem Restaurancja. Famed for its huge portions we were looking forward to a tasty meal. Beer aplenty: good. Breaded camembert with cranberry sauce: good again but definitely a case of quantity over quality. So far so good though.

That final picture is when it all started going wrong. We had pretty much only just started our starters when the waitress came over with our mains. Mine being the above pictured 'Officer's platter': a gigantic portion of all the meats with potatoes and rice. We told the waitress we weren't ready who just shrugged and rearranged the table to squeeze the plates on. Again it was definitely quantity over quality. None of mine tasted good. Needless to save I didn't finish it, went back to the hotel and fell into what can only be described as a 'Meat Coma'.

Read about our final day in Kraków in my next blog!