Some
visitors, notably the business types, find life in
Krakow unnervingly relaxed for a million
agglomeration. And the
city center, with the huge medieval Grand
Square still at its heart, has about it
almost small-town atmosphere off season where most people appear
to know each other and they are never too busy for a
chat. Matter-of-fact as they are in their work habits,
and while family and family life remain most dear to
them, Krakow
dwellers generally relish good company,
good food,
and having plenty of free time. And humor seems a
permanent feature of the city that has always praised
highly jesters and comedians despite its reputation of
the country’s bastion of sobriety. Yet it is culture
that seems all-important in Krakow with its many museums,
innumerable national treasures,
splendid theaters,
glorious university,
and plethora of intellectuals. At the same time, also
Krakow thriftiness is legendary in Poland, and not
without reason.
Eating
the Krakow Way
The
Polish
daily diet of choice has been
traditionally rich in proteins and even richer in
starch. On the Krakow tables the former usually
materializes in red meat, eggs, cheese, and
sausages, whereas the latter as bread, potatoes,
and various noodles, pies and dumplings.
There are three main
meals in Poland: the morning sniadanie (breakfast),
the afternoon obiad (dinner), and the
evening kolacja (supper). In between they
may be supplemented with a lighter drugie
sniadanie (second breakfast) and a podwieczorek
(tea).
More
on the Krakow diet Drinking
the Krakow Way
Tea
is Krakow's everyday drink, while coffee gives
stimulus and sipping it in company often has social
function. Polish vodka remains the traditional booze,
yet beer has recently become more popular.
More
on the Krakow beverages Krakow's
Culture
Krakow is Poland’s cultural capital. The city
boasts the best museums in the country and some best
theaters. It is also home to one
of the world’s oldest and most distinguished
universities. No wonder Krakow was named a European
City of Culture in 2000.
More
on the Krakow culture
Krakow's
Churches
Krakow’s abundance of magnificent churches earned the city a reputation of
“the Northern Rome” in the past. They have remained the centers of spiritual
life till now, attended throughout the week and crowded on Sundays.
More
on churches in Krakow
Music
in Krakow
The city resounds with music of every kind. Its lively
club scene is divided between hip-hop, house, funky,
techno, traditional rock and still more traditional
jazz. And demanding audience may choose among frequent
concerts and recitals of classical music.
More
on Krakow's music
Polish
phrasebook
Polish words and phrases useful to visitors to Krakow.
See
handy expressions in Polish |
Krakow Festivals
Hardly a month passes in Krakow without some
time-honored occasion for common festivities or
colorful ceremony. Krakow residents have their own unique way of
celebrating Christmas,
carnival,
Easter
etc. The city is also famous in Poland for its many
spectacular festivals unknown elsewhere, such as the
wild Lajkonik parade (see the picture above).
More
on Krakow's festivals
Krakow
Restaurants
Krakow has always been Poland’s gourmet Mecca. And
the recent decade brought about a genuine restaurant
explosion all over the city owing to the hectic
efforts of aspiring restaurateurs–native ones as
well as immigrants. The Old Town historic district
seems virtually stuffed with establishments catering
to all kinds of diners.
More
on Krakow’s restaurants
Krakow
Nightlife
There
is no shortage of places to drink, eat, and stay merry
late into the night in Krakow.
More
on Krakow nightlife
Shopping
in Krakow
From designer garb to
jewelry, and from antiques to books and CDs–Krakow’s central
Old Town historic district,
turned into a pedestrian precinct, teems with stores
of all sorts, crammed into every available space.
More
on shopping in Krakow
Sport
in Krakow
As in the rest of Europe,
soccer is the favorite
sport of Krakow residents, at least the male half: the young
play it, grown-ups watch it on TV. Hiking remains the most popular outdoor
activity:
the city abounds in fine jogging paths
but few natives take advantage of it. Also bikeways
crisscrossing metropolitan Krakow and its environs
seem mostly underused.
More
on Krakow sports Krakow
Folk Traditions
Krakow region has always been rich in colorful folk traditions, handed down from
generation to generation, with almost every village cultivating its own set of
time-honored customs. Nowadays, as new lifestyles spread, some ancient practices
are dead but many flourish.
More on
the Krakow folk traditions Krakow
Theater
Krakow features prominently on the theater map of
Europe. Its legendary National Stary Theater
counts among the continent’s best companies of
players. As the rest of the city's repertory theaters
it runs several playhouses of varied capacity.
More
on Krakow theaters
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