Nowa Huta- a different side of Krakow

Despite the unusually warm weather, we had already managed to tick off all the "must-see" sights in Krakow after just a few days. Rather than repeating ourselves, we decided to do something completely different.

For the past few days, we'd watched small electric golf carts carrying tourists through the streets of the Old Town. Bengt booked us a guided tour, and I assumed we'd simply be getting another overview of the historic centre. Instead, we found ourselves heading east towards Nowa Huta, one of the fascinating and unusual districts in Krakow.

Nowa Huta was built after the Second World War as a model socialist city, centred around the enormous Lenin Steelworks. The idea was to create an ideal workers' community where everything people needed would be within easy reach. Apartments came with their own kitchens and bathrooms- still considered a luxury in much of Poland at the time- and the district was carefully planned with schools, hospitals, shops, restaurants, and generous public spaces.

The architecture reflected the ideals of the era. Wide boulevards, monumental buildings, and large squares were designed in the style known as Socialist Realism, where the city itself was intended to express order, strength and equality.

One detail that surprised us was that around 30 percent of the district was reserved for green spaces, something that still makes Nowa Huta one of Krakow's greener neighbourhoods today. The planners spoke about urban and social fairness, aiming to create a city where everyone had access to housing, healthcare, education, recreation and work.

Our guide drove while the commentary came through an AI-generated Swedish audio guide. The information itself was interesting, although the translation occasionally sounded a little stiff. More importantly, it felt as though an important chapter of the story was missing.

The audio spent a lot of time describing the ambitions behind the project but only briefly mentioned the protests, political unrest, and social tensions that later became closely associated with Nowa Huta. There was little explanation of why the district developed such a poor reputation for many years or why it has experienced something of a renaissance and is now considered one of the more desirable places to live in Krakow. I found myself wanting a little more history and a little less propaganda, regardless of which side it came from.

Still, it was a genuinely interesting tour and offered a completely different perspective on Poland's recent history than we'd experienced in the medieval streets of the Old Town.

Lunch turned into one of those unexpected travel highlights. We found a tiny local place where an elderly lady spoke very little English. Ordering quickly became a game of pointing, smiling, and nodding. A few minutes later we were presented with a plate piled high with large fried pierogi. Since we had only a vague idea of what we'd ordered, every bite was a surprise. Fortunately, every surprise turned out to be delicious and it was probably the cheapest lunch we'd had during the entire trip.

In the afternoon, the teenagers declared that they had earned another rest back at the apartment. Bengt and I happily accepted the opportunity to wander back into the Old Town on our own.

It was wonderful to experience Krakow without the relentless sunshine for a change. Cloud cover made the narrow streets and large squares much more enjoyable than they had been in thirty-degree heat.

We paused to listen to an opera singer performing outside one of the churches, browsed a small flea market filled with old books and antiques, took far too many photographs, and eventually made our way back to Wawel Castle.

From the castle walls, we watched the sun slowly set over the Vistula River. It was one of those quiet travel moments that don't require any grand attraction or busy itinerary- just a beautiful view and enough time to appreciate it (without whining teens).

On the way back to the apartment, we picked up some drinking yoghurt and cereal bars for breakfast.

Tomorrow, we would be leaving Krakow behind and continuing our journey south towards ZakopaneRead more