Krakow, Poland

I have to admit Krakow definitely falls into the same category as Bosnia for me : if my travel companion hadn’t wanted to visit Austwitz and suggested Poland, I wouldn’t have considered it. Fortunately my cousin who I am traveling with picked Bosnia and Poland/ Austwitz (my picks were Croatia and Prague, but the very different destinations came together in a varied unique trip!).

Our first night in Krakow we (obviously) ate delicious polish dumplings and killed time walking around the park that surrounds the city and replaced the city walls that once stood there, waiting for our air B and B to be ready (for various reasons it wasn’t so we spent a LOT of time walking around)

The next day was a tour of the Old Town, Jewish quarters and Schindler’s factory which is now a national museum. After a lunch of more dumplings (don’t judge me!) We visited the incredible salt mines, hundreds of feet underground, complete with a breathtaking chapel and railway tracks. Despite being in a large group of 40 people, our guide kept us entertained with his humor and knowledge about the mines.

Next we visited Autzwitz, which was a confronting and heartbreaking experience, but a crucial one. The message we left with is “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The two camps, Austwitz and Birkenau, as our guide reminded us , are cemeteries first and foremost. While it wasn’t obviously a “fun” day trip, it was definitely a day I will always remember and I feel everyone should visit if they can.

We had the fortune to visit various bars in Krakow. Despite often drinking cocktails, I managed to start a losing streak of picking cocktails that lasted 2 nights over 4 bars! The main reason was most of the cocktails were experimental and I always think I should try something different although what I actually want is a simple whiskey sour! I won’t bore you with my choices but I did make the mistake of ordering their signature vodka cocktail which turned out to have mushrooms in it and it tasted like the worst mushroom soup I have ever had in my life!

I would recommend Krakow to anyone who likes an old European town- or even if you don’t, you will find something to love about this charming city. I know I did.