Krakow
night spots
Krakow has no shortage of nightspots of any kind. Many of them transmute into
eateries or coffee shops in daytime while others abhor sunlight and open fairly
late at night. Closing time may be any hour between midnight and 6 p.m. What all
nightspots in Krakow have in common is the sale of alcohol.
Nightclubs can be
found in every part of the city but most are concentrated in the central Old
Town historic district and Kazimierz area two blocks to the south. A typical
club in downtown Krakow occupies a maze of cellar spaces but a second floor
situation or even higher upstairs isn’t uncommon.
As elsewhere, nightlife in
Krakow fills very different niches from cheap watering holes to cultured music
venues. Yet the city’s nightclubs largely fall into several popular categories.
Clubbing clubs
attract young crowds on weekends when domestic and imported DJs
spin their sets. Otherwise such places turn into chillout hangouts though some
simply stay closed on weekdays. There are big differences between clubbing sites
that seasoned clubbers spot on the fly: drum-n-bass vs. house, cool thirty-somethings
vs. hot post-teens, etc.
Music clubs
in Krakow seldom feature live acts every day. Concerts usually take
place a couple of times a week, typically on Friday and Saturday nights but it
may also be any other day. Most places oscillate between different types of
music from pop to classical occasionally but a few specialize in one genre, be
it jazz or rock.
Adult clubs are
rather scarce in Krakow. There are just a few of them and they
provide standard entertainment such as striptease, lap dancing,
exotic dancers, etc.
Safety matters
Nightlife carries some risks and sporadic incidents in
nightclubs in Krakow, some highly publicized, demonstrate that
this jolly city isn’t free of them. Excesses of booze, youth,
and vigor lead to fights and a few ended in fatal stabbings in
the past. And a collapsing stairway in a popular Krakow club in
2011 has drawn attention to inadequate safety measures in some
nightspots - from unsatisfactory fire escapes to insufficient
ventilation.
As regards building safety you can do little but
avoid overcrowded and ramshackle places. Yet almost always it’s
possible to steer clear of arguments with strangers. And never
count on the police to arrive to your rescue on time: policemen
are usually elsewhere when you need them most and they are
anyway reluctant to intervene in nightly merrymaking.
Note: Beware of
mousetrap clubs - there are two or three in downtown Krakow -
where customers are charged a small fortune for a beer and risk
ruin for a cheap bubbly. Better don’t trust beautiful strangers
inviting you on the street for a drink and check the price-list
first.
Krakow's selected
night clubs
Any following information has been provided by respective
establishments on their sole responsibility.
Harris Piano Jazz Bar
Address: 28 Rynek Glowny (Grand Sq.) Phone: (+48)
124215741.
Everyday live music. Mondays, Wednesdays jam sessions. Blues
concerts on Fridays. |
