When I arrived in Cracow I felt little bit upset. I expected living and loud city at least like Cesky Krumlov. Was I really in Poland´s most famous, visited and historical "point of interest"? When I got to the very centre, I found out I was. In the streets, crowds of tourists (cca 70% Poles, 15% Japanese, 10% Czechs and Slovaks, 5% Britishmen) were taking happy family photos, superficially talking about architecture or buying Russian wooden dolls thinking it is polish traditional souvenire.
The center is concentrated on quite a small place. There is the Wawel Hill with medieval castle, then street leading to a cathedral and then one more street to main square, which is really nice. There is the world-known medieval textil market that offers.... chinese T-shirts with signs like *I LOVE KRAKOW* or *HEADMASTER OF THE EARTH*.
Now to services. We visited a café that looked OK. But than, the waiter came. With her terrible English she explained there are only belgian chocolate sweets to eat (described as *little cakes*). Coffee tasted like at home, a small piece of cheese cake was hard like a stone. In a city that is visited by milion of tourist per year is often required English and quality services, but we are in Poland...
Tips: The highest tower in the city offers opportunity for good photos. If you visit this city, don´t forget to o for a whole-day trip to concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau (it can take really a week!)
Final Evaluation: + nice architecture, every monuments close to each other, street entertainers and artists that miss in Prague.
- foreign language level, services level (!!!), majority of visitors are Poles (that means rude, strange people)
Stars evaluation: ** 1/2
Explanation of Stars evaluation:
- ***** city of dreams
- **** a favourite one (Prague is **** 1/2)
- *** I spent there an unforgetable day
- ** For one visit OK
- * simply WHY?!
- ** 1/2 means 2,5 stars
