Picturesque Krakow has much to offer travellers of all ages and persuasions. In recent years, cheap flights have made the city a favorite with bachelor parties from the rest of Europe. However, there’s a lot more to this Polish city than nightclubs and parties. Here’s how to spend a short 48 hour break in this fairytale destination.
The best way to start any trip to Krakow is with a delicious breakfast. The city is home to a delightful array of cafes and eateries to suit all tastes. For a great way to start the day, why not try Milkbar Tomasza (ul. Sw. Tomasza 24), the restaurant is famed for their delicious breakfast and lunch options at reasonable prices. Perhaps unexpectedly, Irish breakfast complete with blood sausages is among their most popular morning food offerings, but you can also get pierogis and other more Polish options.
Irish breakfast at Milkbar Tomasza
Once you’ve had your fill, get your walking shoes on for the city’s famous ‘Free Walking Tour’. The guided jaunt through Krakow’s departs daily from between the St. Florian´s Gate and Barbican areas in the centre of town at 10am, 2pm, and 4pm. The tour serves as a sort of ‘Dummies Guide to Krakow’ and allows visitors to sample a taste of the culture and history of the city’s charming Old Town. Best of all, the tour is provided free of charge with guides making a living from tips.
Be sure to tip the ‘Free’ Walking Tour’s excellent guides
Next up, you might fancy a spot of lunch at one of the city’s many traditional Polish restaurants. Introligatornia Smaku (Jozefa, 20) is a favorite among tourists and locals alike. This eatery serves up a selection of Krakow favorites at very reasonable prices.
Alternatively, nearby Bagelmama has the best bagels and lox in town. In addition to the classics, they experiment successfully with combos like warm brie and tomato. Soups and salads are also on offer.
Oscar Schindler’s former enamel factory is today home to a captivating museum detailing the horrors of the Nazi occupation during the Second World War. The museum documents the story of Schindler’s efforts to help save the lives of hundreds of Jews as depicted in the hit movie Schindler’s List.
Oskar Schindler’s factory
Afterwards, why not head east of the Old Town for an authentic Polish dinner at Restauracja Stylowa (Centrum C3), one of the city’s best known traditional restaurants? This Krakow must-see has been in existence since the 1950s and still serves up some of the best grub in town to this day.
Once your appetite is satisfied, it’s time to check out the city’s famous nightlife. Krakow is littered with top quality drinking dens, and many nightspots offering excellent local vodka. Our favorites are Wodka cafe bar (Mikołajska 5) and House of Beer (Świętego Tomasza 35).
After a hearty breakfast, and possibly nursing a hangover, you should enjoy a wander around the city’s historic old town to soak up the hustle and bustle of Krakow. Afterwards, travellers will almost certainly enjoy a walking tour of the city’s Jewish Quarter. The tour leaves the Old Synagogue on Szeroka Street every day at 10am & 1.30pm with an additional tour departing at 5pm between March-October. The ultra-interesting jaunt lasts 2.5 hours and allows viewers to delve into the city’s fascinating Jewish history. There is no set charge for the tour but the guides are paid in tips, so if you enjoyed the tour, don’t forget to give generously.
For lunch, tuck into some local fare at Przystanek Pierogarnia (Bonerowska 14). The prices are reasonable and the food is among the most recommended in the city.
Pierogi from Przystanek Pierogarnia
If you fancy checking out further sights from Krakow’s storied past then make a beeline for the Rynek Underground Museum (Rynek Główny 1). The glitzy museum first opened in 2010 to much fanfare and today, presents visitors with 6000 metres of exhibits outlining the entire history of Krakow.
Historical Museum of the City of Krakow
For your final dinner in Krakow check out Copernicus. It is Polish food at its finest, served in beautiful surroundings. While it certainly not the cheapest dinner in town, it may well be one of the best that Krakow has to offer. It really is the perfect way to round off your Krakow city excursion.
You may think you know Italy if you visited Rome, Florence, and Venice, but you haven’t experienced true Italy if you haven’t paid pilgrimage to modern Milan. This fashionable city is the energetic heart of Italy’s commerce but also packs a historical punch and culinary delights for travelers of all ages and tastes.
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then what better way to start your trip than with a traditional Milanese breakfast with the locals? Milan is famous for its coffee, so get your authentic experience on and have a civilized espresso and pastry at the many neighborhood coffee bars on street corners across the city. The experts swear by centuries-old Pasticceria Marchesi.
Energized with breakfast, we recommend you indulge in the many historical wonders that Milan offers. A crossroads of cultures and countries throughout history, Milan has a wealth of ancient and modern sights. A good place to start is the famous Duomo cathedral in the centre of the city. The magnificent cathedral is the largest church in Italy and the fifth largest in the world, taking six centuries and no less than 74 architects and engineers to complete. (Take that, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona!) Art historians often affectionately refer to the Duomo as the wedding cake cathedral emblematic of the International Gothic style. Throughout the years, it’s been the site of famous visitors; Napolean Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy at this Duomo, and authors Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and Henry James all had differing opinions on the aesthetics of the Duomo. Form an opinion yourself, you’re in excellent company!
Another stellar spot is the Castello Sforzesco. The former Visconti fortress is home to ten museums proudly displaying masterpieces by Mantegna, Titian, Caravaggio, and Michelangelo as well as ancient Roman and Egyptian works. It is easy to spend days in this museum complex. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s powerful last sculpture in The Museum of Rondanini Pietà.
If you fancy a spot of lunch, head to Luini, strolling distance from the castle. Line up with the locals for panzerotti, a sort of little deep-fried calzone stuffed with fillings like tomato and cheese. If elbowing your way through for fried business isn’t your style, there’s Giacomo Arengario, a “ladies-who-lunch” spot serving Milanese specialities and wonderful view.
Nearby is the storied Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This stunning glass, marble, and steel covered arcade is not only a premier destination for high-end shopping, but also a marvel of Belle Epoque engineering named after the first King of Italy. It’s also deservedly known as the salotto di Milano (Milan’s living room) where the refined and well-heeled Milanese shop. Expect to see the best in haute fashion; Milan is widely recognised as one of the cutting edge fashion destinations in the world.
Once you’ve had your fill of shopping, go for dinner at one of the city’s many high quality restaurants. As you might expect, Milan is a food lover’s paradise and the city plays host to an array of culinary fare from across the globe. For a truly special evening, check out Cracco, which offers two Michelin stars of contemporary Italian cuisine, or Hostaria Borromei where you can enjoy traditional regional dishes in an unpretentious space.
After an early breakfast, take a stroll to the Santa Maria delle grazie (Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie) to check out one of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Last Supper. Unsurprisingly, the masterpiece is extremely popular with tourists so make sure you book tickets to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site in advance.
Afterwards, enjoy a beautiful lunch at La Brisa, this modern Italian trattoria is among the best in town and caters to both meat-eaters and vegetarians. With an excellent wine list, it would be a shame not to order a glass to top off a delicious lunch in elegant surroundings.
A trip to Milan would not be complete without trying out the city’s favorite pastime, aperitivo. This Milanese tradition takes the concept of a happy hour and gives it a local twist for a city which isn’t known for its booze-soaked exploits. Once the clock strikes 6, locals like to enjoy a drink alongside a buffet of delicious appetizers.
A great place to check out some of the best aperitivo joints is the Navigli area, a beautiful canalside district packed with the city’s cool kids enjoying a glass of wine and some nibbles. The options are numerous and the best way to find your favorite is to go for a stroll around the area. La Prosciutteria Milano Navigli is a great option.
No trip to Milan would be complete without a visit to the legendary Teatro alla Scala (Via Filodrammatici, 2), one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses. Known simply as La Scala, it has presented the world’s most famous opera singers over its 240 years in existence, including Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo to name just a few. It hosted the historic world premiere of perennial opera darlings, Turandot and Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (the original Andrew Lloyd Weber). Take a tour of the magnificent gilt interior or even better, attend a performance. It will be a perfect finale to your trip to refined Milan, a thrilling modern city of history, arts, commerce, and culture.
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