3
Posts
3–4 days
City break
2014 · 2024
Visited
Two visits ten years apart: a November of Old Town walks and Wawel at dusk, then a December return for the Christmas market on the Main Square. Everything we’d fit into a three- or four-day city break, plus the pubs Ian found when it was time to warm up.
Why go
A medieval city with everything for a city break
Kraków has towers, churches and museums, a royal castle on a hill above the river, some of the darkest history of the 20th century close by, and food and drink good enough to plan the days around. Three or four days is the sweet spot, though there is enough here for a week. In December the Christmas market fills the Main Market Square, one of the largest medieval squares in Europe.
Start here
Kraków Christmas Market: What to Eat, What to Buy and When to Go
Stalls, food, real prices and when it’s open in 2026 — start here →
The Streets — Olesia
Walks and sights
Kraków Christmas Market: What to Eat, What to Buy and When to Go
Stalls, food and the Main Square lights in December
Coming next: 3–4 days in Kraków, what not to miss
Wawel, the Old Town, Kazimierz and the main sights
The Taps — Ian
Pubs, taprooms and breweries
Coming soon: Ian’s Kraków Taps post
Starting with CK Browar, the cellar brewpub we went back to twice
Kraków through our lens
Plan your visit
The practical bits
Getting there
By plane: Kraków John Paul II International Airport (Balice) is about 15 km from the centre, with a direct train to Kraków Główny, the main station beside the Old Town. We flew in and took a taxi to the hotel. The fare was reasonable enough that we never thought twice about it.
When to go
We have been twice: in early November 2014, when the Old Town was quieter and the lamps came on early, and in December 2024 for the Christmas market, which fills the Main Market Square from late November until early January. In December it can drop to minus ten, so pack for standing about in the cold. Ian has also been a few more times on business, once in summer, when the weather was lovely, and he liked it a lot.
Where we’d stay
We stayed at Hotel Indigo Kraków – Old Town on Filipa 18, just outside the Florian Gate — a short walk to the Main Square and close to the main station. The Old Town is compact, so anywhere just outside the old gates keeps everything within walking distance.
Keep exploring
More places we’ve written about
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