Krakow in April shocked me in the easiest way. Spring was within the air with flowers blooming, solar glowing on medieval structure, bustling classic cafés—after which a random hour of snow. Traditional April!
So we will all agree spring In Krakow is unpredictable, however what’s sure is you’ll get nice worth for cash. Kraków is full of historical past, heavenly meals, and top-class museums, all with out the big-city price ticket.
The altering skies didn’t spoil a factor. In reality, it made the journey extra memorable. Kraków is a kind of cities you simply maintain coming again to—belief me, I have already got. Right here’s what I acquired as much as this time round, plus some ideas that will help you plan your personal spring go to.
Stolarska Tower in Krakow’s Metropolis Partitions
Visiting Krakow in April
Krakow Climate In April
Kraków in April will be unpredictable, and there’s even a Polish saying for it: “Kwiecień plecień, bo przeplata, trochę zimy, trochę lata”, which suggests “April interweaves a little bit of winter and a little bit of summer”.
You would possibly get sunny afternoons heat sufficient for out of doors cafes, but additionally chilly mornings or sudden showers. On my journey, I wanted each sun shades and a woolly hat in the identical day as sunshine became snowflakes. In my expertise, it’s positively a month the place layering is your finest pal. Travelling low season all the time wins for me!
Sunny days in Krakow in April
Snowing on Floriańska Road
April Occasions in Krakow
Krakow’s all the time vigorous with one thing occurring; from meals and movie festivals to comedy reveals and spiritual celebrations, each trendy and conventional. There’s virtually all the time an occasion price including to your plans. Listed below are a couple of annual occasions that normally occur in Krakow in April (although dates fluctuate annually, so double-check earlier than you go). And maintain an eye fixed out for pop-up happenings too!
Easter Celebrations – Easter Markets in Rynek Główny
Misteria Paschalia Pageant – Performances of early European music with Christian roots relationship again to Center Ages and the 18th century – Held yearly in Holy Week.
Cravovia Marathon – 1000’s of runners are guided by means of Kraków’s historic streets, beginning and ending on the Principal Market Sq..
Kraków LGBT+ Movie Pageant – Showcases all kinds of queer movies in chosen arthouse cinemas throughout Krakow and Poland.
Cracow Artwork Week KRAKERS – Promotes modern artwork in Krakow with workshops, performances and exhibitions by means of mediums of from sculpture and portray to experimental music and poetry.
Confetti Wine Fest – The biggest pure, biodynamic and natural wine competition in Poland.
How Many Days Do You Want In Krakow
You may see lots of Kraków in two or three days, particularly if you happen to keep close to the Previous City. That offers you time to discover the historic centre, go to Wawel Fort, and take a look at Kazimierz and some museums. If you wish to take a day journey to locations like Auschwitz or the Wieliczka Salt Mine, I’d advocate including an additional day. On my final go to, I stayed 4 nights and felt it was the right stability of sightseeing and downtime.
Palemki: Easter-Bouquets
Greatest Issues To Do in Krakow in April
When planning a visit to Krakow in April, it’s price having a plan of indoor and out of doors actions.
Admire the Blossom in Planty
Planty is the inexperienced belt that wraps round Krakow’s Previous City like a peaceable buffer. As soon as the location of medieval metropolis partitions, this 4-kilometre park was reworked within the nineteenth century right into a tree-lined promenade full of benches, fountains and extensive paths.
Once I visited Krakow in April, the bushes in Planty had burst into blossom and the daffodils had emerged from the flowerbeds – it was so fairly! As I wandered round Planty, I noticed many historic statues and monuments, resembling that Nicolaus Copernicus, the famed astronomer, poet Adam Mickiewicz, and Chopin’s Piano Water Fountain.
Chopin’s Piano Water Fountain in Planty
Take a Strolling Tour Of Krakow
Top-of-the-line methods to get a really feel for Kraków is on foot. Usually, a strolling tour is my first exercise, however given I visited Krakow within the snow final time, I took the chance to take a strolling tour within the sunshine once I visited Krakow in April.
My tour started on the Barbican and St Florian’s Gate, the 14th-century northern entrance to the Previous City. Through the years, there have been a number of makes an attempt to tear it down; the final was within the nineteenth century, nevertheless it was safeguarded due to its shocking qualities. The gate helped block robust winds, stopped disagreeable smells and illness from spreading, and, apparently, stored girls’ skirts from flying up. In the long run, it was public well being and modesty that saved the final standing piece of Kraków’s medieval fortifications.
The strolling tour continued by means of the Previous City, a UNESCO-listed space full of historical past and character. We explored the huge Principal Sq. (Rynek Główny), one of many largest medieval squares in Europe, framed by elegant townhouses, St. Mary’s Basilica, and the Fabric Corridor, Krakow’s oldest business hub. Look out for the iron knife hanging on the wall contained in the Fabric Corridor, it’s tied to a bloody legend involving two brothers competing to construct the basilica’s towers.
Krakow City Corridor Tower
From there, we headed into Collegium Maius, the courtyard of the 14th century Jagiellonian College—one of many oldest in Europe. Our remaining cease was at Wawel Fort, a logo of Polish royalty and nationwide pleasure, with legends, dragons, and panoramic views rolled into one cease.
A strolling tour offers you the historic perception and a few curious native tales thrown in, and if you’re new to the town, it’s a improbable approach to get your bearings!
|| BOOK THE PRIVATE TOUR: 3-hour Previous City Highlights Tour || GROUP TOURS can be found–verify the free strolling excursions and different guided excursions in Krakow
Wawel Fort in Krakow
Discover Krakow’s Jewish Quarter
About Kazimierz
Kazimierz is Kraków’s historic Jewish Quarter which was based within the 14th century. As soon as an impartial city, it turned a coronary heart of Jewish life for hundreds of years till World Struggle II once they have been forcibly eliminated and relocated to the Podgórze ghetto.
What’s in Kazimierz now?
It’s a unusual mixture of previous and new. Cobbled streets lead you previous synagogues and church buildings the place religions lived in harrmony, previous buildings are embellished with avenue artwork, and shabby-chic cafés are aplenty.
Begin with a go to to the Previous Synagogue, the oldest of its sort in Poland, and cease by the Galicia Jewish Museum to study Jewish tradition by means of highly effective pictures and exhibitions. Step contained in the Corpus Christi Basilica to see the gold-adorned sanctuary, and take a second at Plac Wolnica, a former market sq. that’s now a peaceable place to pause.
Hand around in Plac Nowy, the place the previous rotunda now serves up Polish avenue meals and hosts a morning flea market. Or wander the close by streets of Józefa to browse impartial outlets and inventive areas.
Kazimierz can be identified for its quirky café tradition. Hevre is ready in a former synagogue and nonetheless reveals traces of its previous, and Alchemia mixes moody lighting with classic decor and opens into the night time. Eszeweria bar is a darkish atmosphere with bohemian vibes.
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Jewish Home
Corpus Christi Basilica
Uncover Krakow’s Road Artwork
Exploring the road artwork scene is one factor you need to add to your Kraków itinerary, particularly on a rain-free day. You’ll spot vibrant murals throughout districts like Kazimierz and Podgórze, typically hidden between crumbling partitions and previous condominium blocks.
A few of Krakow’s city items are political, others societal, and plenty of replicate the town’s advanced previous. One of the well-known is the Judah mural in Kazimierz, a compelling picture of Jewish heritage, or Ding Dong Dumb in Podgórze that challenges the facility of the Catholic Church.
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Mural No 658 by M-Metropolis
Take a Polish Meals Tour by A Native
Consuming my means round Krakow on a Polish meals tour was 4 hours properly spent. I attempted conventional Polish dishes like zapiekanka (baguette pizza), pierogi (dumplings), gołąbki (cabbage rolls), zurek (bitter rye soup), and extra. I cherished listening to about previous household recipes and the way meals ties into Polish tradition and historical past. Plus, having an area information meant discovering hidden spots I’d by no means have discovered alone.
TOP TIP: Skip breakfast if you happen to’re doing this meals tour. By the point we reached the ultimate cease for Kremówka Papieska (Pope Cake), I had run out of room, however nonetheless managed to rise to the problem!
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Plate of pierogies (Polish dumplings)
Go to The Fascinating Museums in Krakow
In case you go to Krakow in April, I might have an inventory of museums and galleries that you could be want to bounce in to ought to it rain otherwise you simply want a strong break from the strolling across the busier sights within the metropolis. This time I visited Czartoryski Museum and the Polonia Wax Museum for amusing–discover out extra beneath.
Another beneficial museums in Krakow I skilled on my earlier go to to Krakow are MOCAK (The Museum of Modern Artwork in Kraków) or Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Manufacturing unit.
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Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Manufacturing unit
Discover the Girl with an Ermine portray in Czartoryski Museum
The Czartoryski Museum in Kraków has a reasonably understated entrance and will simply be missed—nevertheless it’s completely price stepping inside. This was the primary public museum in Poland, with a exceptional story behind it. In 1796, Princess Izabela Czartoryska started gathering artworks and navy trophies, together with objects from the Siege of Vienna, as a part of a patriotic effort to protect Polish heritage. The memorabilia was moved from her Palace in Pulawy and the Czartoryski Museum formally opened Kraków in 1801 which included historic treasures looted from Polish castles and cathedrals.
After struggling injury throughout wars, present process nationalisation, and finally in depth renovations, the museum reopened with a brand new glass-roofed entrance that fills the house with pure mild. MNK Muzeum Czartoryskich is known for Leonardo da Vinci’s Girl with an Ermine and Rembrandt’s Panorama with the Good Samaritan. It’s loopy to assume these masterpieces are hanging in Poland, and you will get surprisingly near them. The everlasting assortment at Czartoryski Museum contains 21 halls, with work from the Center Ages by means of to the seventeenth century, housing Egyptian antiquities, Japanese artwork and a big assemblage of artefacts and manuscripts linked to Polish historical past.
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Entrance to Czartoryski Museum
Girl with an Ermine
Have a Giggle In Polonia Wax Museum
There’s a purpose the Polonia Wax Museum went viral, and it’s not for lifelike figures. In reality, it’s the entire reverse. The waxworks are so wildly off which you can’t assist however snort (and take a couple of selfies when you’re at it). It’s unintentionally hilarious and weirdly good—positively one in your “so bad it’s good” checklist.
The British Royal Household greet you on the entrance, with Queen Elizabeth’s wispy hair and a model of Kate and William you’d wrestle to recognise. Pop stars from completely different eras elevate eyebrows, Hollywood icons lose their sparkle, and the dungeon of dictators has an odd, satirical really feel. So if you happen to’re up for a little bit of light-hearted leisure, this place delivers.
Waxwork of Mick Jagger on the Polonia Wax Museum
Devour Low-cost Eats in A Milk Bar
Popping right into a milk bar in Kraków is like time-travelling straight into Poland’s communist previous, however with higher meals. These no-frills canteens have been initially set as much as by the federal government to advertise milk over moonshine, and Poland’s first ever milk bar (bar mleczny) opened proper on Kraków’s principal sq. in 1948.
In the course of the communist period, they turned go-to locations for affordable, home-style meals, particularly for employees. Right now, you’ll be able to nonetheless seize a plate of pierogi, a bowl of zurek, and a glass of compote (or a vodka, if you happen to’re feeling it) for pocket change. It’s quick, it’s filling, and it’s the form of meals that hits the spot.
Milk Bar in Krakow
Take A Day Journey From Krakow
Kraków is completely positioned for day journeys, whether or not you’re into nature, historical past, or one thing a bit uncommon. If the climate’s in your aspect, heading south to the Tatra Mountains round Zakopane is a superb approach to escape the town for a day for recent mountain air and mountain climbing trails.. Regardless of the forecast, a go to to Auschwitz-Birkenau is a should. I discovered it deeply transferring and confronting, nevertheless it’s one thing I consider everybody ought to expertise. Then there’s the Wieliczka Salt Mine, simply outdoors the town. I’ve been twice and nonetheless discover it fascinating, particularly the underground chapel, fully carved from salt.
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Wieliczka Salt Mine
Planning Your Krakow Journey
Getting To Krakow
There are a number of flight choices to Krakow from the UK and European airports. In case you are flying from the UK, verify Jet2 flights to Krakow as they depart from 13 UK airports. Residing within the north, it’s all the time handy to have the ability to get my flight from Manchester Airport.
Reaching Kraków by prepare is straightforward, with common connections from main cities like Warsaw, Prague, Vienna, and Berlin. Verify the prepare schedules to Krakow if you’re travelling from different European international locations. The primary prepare station, Kraków Główny, is correct subsequent to the Previous City, so you can begin exploring as quickly as you arrive.
Discover A Fab Lodge In Krakow
For a metropolis break, a central location and a yummy breakfast are prime precedence, and the Golden Tulip Krakow Metropolis Centre with Jet2 Holidays ticks each these bins. The 4-star resort is located only a quick stroll from St Florian’s Gate (Brama Floriańska) on the town partitions, proper close to the motion.
Different boutique choices to contemplate are Plantonia Aparthotel, Poland’s first vegan-friendly and sustainable resort, with ecological rules and luxurious in its 24 trendy residences. Or Bachleda Luxurious Lodge Krakow – MGallery, which has earned the a Inexperienced Key certification for its dedication to environmental safety and sustainability
FAQs: Krakow in April
Is April an excellent time to go to Krakow?
April is certainly an excellent time to go to Kraków. Whereas there’s all the time a gentle movement of vacationers, particularly round Easter, it’s nonetheless much less crowded than in summer season. The climate will be unpredictable (as I discovered), however spring blossoms and the return of outside cafes give the town a energetic vitality.
Is Krakow Value Visiting?
Kraków is totally price visiting! I’ve already been twice and wouldn’t hesitate to return once more. Winter in Krakow felt fully completely different to spring, so I’m curious to see what summer season’s like. The food and drinks are nice worth, the cafes and bars have a great deal of character, and the combo of medieval buildings and interesting museums retains issues fascinating. Better of all, you’ll be able to see most of it by yourself two ft, no want for public transport.
Is Krakow protected?
Kraków is mostly very protected for each guests and locals, with a low crime price. Like all well-liked metropolis, it’s sensible to remain alert in crowded areas and be careful for pickpockets, particularly across the Previous City and prepare stations. I discovered it a welcoming metropolis and by no means felt nervous, even at night time.
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PIN To Go to Krakow in April
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