Castles, heat and a taste of Krakow

One thing we have really appreciated on this trip is staying in apartments rather than hotels. We enjoy being able to ease into the mornings at our own pace, and buying breakfast from the local supermarket meant everyone could choose exactly what they wanted.

The only thing we couldn't provide ourselves was freshly brewed coffee. So on this first morning, Tilde and I popped into one of the many cafés in Kazimierz to get our coffee fix. The coffee was excellent but it was really, really pricey! A café latte cost more than 50 SEK, which felt unexpectedly expensive. That little experience convinced us to find another solution. During our next grocery run, we bought a packet of ground coffee and some coffee filters, deciding that making our own coffee at the apartment was a much better option.

This was definitely one of the warmer days of the trip, with temperatures well above 30 degrees. The kind of heat where even a short walk feels like a small achievement.

After the brief coffee run, Tilde struggled a bit to get ready so after breakfast Bengt, Freja, Viggo and I headed towards Wawel Castle. It was only a ten-minute walk from our apartment. At Wawel, each attraction required a separate ticket, and with quite a lot of visitors around, we decided not to try to see everything. Instead, we were happy to explore the castle courtyard, admire the cathedral from the outside, and visit the Royal Gardens. The gardens were beautiful, but according to my slightly sceptical opinion, perhaps not quite worth paying extra for. A nice place to stroll through, but not exactly a life-changing garden experience.

We then bought tickets for an exhibition called Inside the Walls and Tilde made it just in time to join us. This turned out to be one of the highlights of the visit. The exhibition takes place inside the actual space between the castle’s inner and outer defensive walls, allowing visitors to physically walk through parts of the old fortifications while learning about the history of Wawel.

Along the route, we saw archaeological finds, learned about the construction techniques used to build the castle, and got a glimpse into how the site developed over centuries. The exhibition also told the legendary story of King Krak, the mythical founder of Krakow, and the famous dragon said to have lived beneath the castle hill.

The tour ended by leading us out through the Dragon’s Cave. Outside, by the river, we found the famous dragon statue, completing the slightly unusual journey from medieval history to Polish folklore.

By now, it was the middle of the day and the heat was becoming quite intense. We escaped into the shade of Planty Park, the green belt that surrounds Krakow’s Old Town, before continuing to the air-conditioned comfort of Galeria Krakowska shopping centre. There, we managed to find a dress for Freja and a pair of shorts, which was a practical and very necessary shopping success.

From the shopping centre, we walked through the Old Town and took in some of Krakow’s most famous sights. We passed through the Florian Gate, one of the old entrances to the medieval city and a remaining part of Krakow’s historic fortifications. We also saw St. Mary’s Basilica, the impressive Gothic church dominating the Main Market Square, famous for its two uneven towers and the hourly trumpet call played from the taller one.

Eventually, even sightseeing had to surrender to the heat, and we stopped for an ice cream to cool down before making our way back home. The stone buildings and streets in the city centre really absorb and reflect the heat, turning the Old Town into something resembling a giant outdoor oven. Apart from Planty Park, there are surprisingly few green areas in central Krakow where you can escape the sun.

When we finally made it back to the apartment, I took a well-deserved one-hour nap. The children were perfectly happy with a simpler dinner solution, so we picked up kebab boxes for them and let them enjoy a quiet evening at home.

Meanwhile, Bengt and I managed to squeeze in a mini date night. We went to a small ramen restaurant just outside our aparthotel and enjoyed a quiet meal together. Afterwards, we took a walk along the river before heading back for the night.

A very warm, very full, and very Krakow kind of day.Read more