European Football Championship Euro
2012 and Krakow.
Krakow readies itself for extra influx of foreigners in
summer 2012, courtesy of the European football championship. The
Euro 2012 tournament, co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, takes
place between Friday, June 8th and Sunday, July 1st. Its Polish
events has been allotted to four cities - Gdansk, Poznan,
Warsaw, and Wroclaw, not even a single match awarded to Krakow.
Being spared belligerent crowds, the city is nevertheless
certain to attract due attention and benefit from its worldwide
reputation as Poland’s top destination which has no equal in
Ukraine either. Besides, three leading national sides of the
Euro 2012 championship - England, The Netherlands, and Italy -
have made the city their base throughout the tournament.
Football stars shine in Krakow.
The majority of Europe’s top footballers will live and practice
in Krakow in June 2012, their coaches and staffs plotting here
the assault on Euro 2012. The England squad stays at
the OId Town’s stylish Hotel Stary at 5 Szczepanska street, just
a stone’s throw from the central Rynek Glowny square
(allegedly, wives and girlfriends of English players are to be
stationed two blocks away, in Hotel Pod Roza at 14 Florianska
street). As regards
training facilities the English soccer stars have to make do
with modest Hutnik Municipality Stadium at 4 Ptaszyckiego
street. Krakow’s premier football arena,
Wisla Stadium at 22 Reymonta street, has been secured by the
Dutch who will stay at spacious cosmopolitan Sheraton at 7
Powisle street situated close to the central historical
districts, namely two blocks from the Wawel Royal Castle.
The Italy squad have opted for a peripheral Hotel Turowka in
suburban Wieliczka. At the same time Italians outfoxed the
English and have taken over downtown’s ultramodern Cracovia
Stadium at Kaluzy street.
Wisla Krakow football arena adjoins the city's vast Blonia
common.
Football Fan Zone.
Krakow mayor’s office expects about 200,000 visitors to arrive
to the city because of Euro 2012. A sizable fan zone on
Krakow Blonia
common, a ten minutes’ walk from the
Old Town
historical city center, is meant to receive 30,000 football
enthusiasts at once. They’d be able to enjoy live transmissions
of matches shown on a gigantic screen measuring at least 100
square meters. The fan zone boasts such conveniences as eating
places, pubs, souvenir stalls, playgrounds for kids, mini soccer
pitches, and a VIP area. Plus toilets, first aid, and
information booths. A Women Zone will offer female football fans
beauty parlors and a spa.
All of the above will be
suitably situated on a vast expanse of grassland flanked by
Krakow’s two main soccer arenas, Wisla and Cracovia stadiums.
Lodgings.
It’s always advisable to
book
hotel in Krakow
possibly early if you plan a summer visit. The same applies to
Krakow hostels
and the city’s other accommodations such as
vacation rentals,
bed-and-breakfasts, guest houses, etc. Thousands of football
fans will compound the usual high-season shortage of lodgings.
Also, the rates may well to go up sharply with Euro 2012
approaching. A last-ditch lodging option is a campsite set up on
the Wisla club's grounds, between the football stadium and a
sports hall, even though
the place is off limits to
camper vans .
Travel to Krakow and away from it.
The city has good air,
rail, and road connection with Europe and the rest of Poland.
Krakow airport
is Poland’s second busiest and it’s located just 15 kilometers
from the city center. The Krakow Glowny central train station
and the adjacent main bus depot are conveniently situated on the
edge of the Old Town historical area. In addition to regular
services there are plans for special buses and trains during
Euro 2012 championship to provide football fans with transport
to games, be it Poland or Ukraine.
Food
Restaurants in
Krakow are plentiful and diverse. Gourmets can dine out in
style in numerous fine eateries concentrated in the historic
districts of Old Town and Kazimierz. Frugal visitors may choose
between varied fast-food joints and inexpensive restaurants. The
latter usually serve Polish food though there are also many
places that boast foreign menus, Italian dishes being most
popular.
Dos and don'ts during the UEFA Euro 2012 football championships.
When leaving your Krakow quarters for an Euro 2012 soccer match
you need to
-
have your ticket
with you (please remember that no replacement is
possible under any circumstances, tickets lost
or stolen are gone for good),
-
have an identity
document with your photo,
-
have some cash with
you in local currency as plastic money may be
useless at the stadium.
At the same time don't take with you
-
cars and other
vehicles because no parking is possible near the
stadiums,
-
cigarettes and other
tobacco goods as no smoking is allowed at the
arenas,
-
umbrellas,
pyrotechnic materials (including fireworks),
sticks longer than one meter or thicker than one
centimeter (including flagstaffs), weapons,
knives, bags larger than 25 cm for 25 cm, laser
pointers, drugs, alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic
drinks, banners larger than 1.5 m for 2 meter,
advertising stuff (whatever that can mean),
racist stuff, streamers (including toilet
rolls), trumpets, megaphones, aerosols, cameras,
camcorders.
The above items have been prohibited at Euro
2012 football events and may be confiscated at
the entrance to the football stadium.
Krakow's selected
establishments and providers of services
Any
following information has been provided by respective Krakow hotels on their
sole responsibility.
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in Krakow
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