Krakow

Just go.
It is terrible, but bad things happen in the world and half the time you don't even know about them. Not going won't help anyone, and I can't see insurance accepting this as a reason for cancellation.

From safety perspective, Poland takes it very seriously long-term, it seems that armed police engaged the shooter 3 minutes after the first emergency call in this case, and they will be even more carefull now.

This kind of home-grown radicalisation is very hard to capture preventively, but very very rare in the area.

I've been in that square several times. Its just a place. Reclaim it as a lovely gathering place. I used to teach in a classroom that overlooked the site of Protestant martyrs being burned. I used to walk along the street where the bus on the 7/7 bombings exploded. Sadly, random acts of violence are everywhere. They have nothing to do with a particular place. The last thing Poland will want is a nosedive in their tourist numbers over the Christmas season.

It sounds like your concerns aren't about safety but rather about whether you'd feel right. Maybe try and think of it as an act of support for locals who live there, are upset and frightened by what happened but who rely on tourism for their livelihood? Can't let the fuckers take people's jobs away.

I mean this kindly, but but honestly, if we turned every place where something bad happened into a memorial, there would be nowhere left. Maybe go to the memorial square in the old ghetto there and take a moment to remember all victims of violence, past and present but then give yourself permission to enjoy the trip. Its a conscious choice.

Having been there, the fact he only managed to kill a couple of people shows how quickly the local police were on him. It is a terrible event but the security there is clearly tight. When we went their PM was touring with another PM and they were walking around with their entourage, so the area is very well protected.

The best thing you can do is not give air to the airhead who decided his opinions trump everyone else's. Go and have fun!

We are going tmrw, awful tragedy but I’m telling myself the same could happen as i take my lunch time walk in London. The city has four days of mourning and a national holiday on Wednesday so we’ll be respectful whilst enjoying the city

I’m also going next month. I don’t plan on not going.

I will reflect and remember when I’m there.

Millions of Londoners had to go to work on the 8th of July 2005. You might be too young to remember that of course.

I think for the local people, a Christmas without visitors would just be another blow. I’d definitely go.

We were in Berlin a week after the atracks on the Pride celebrations. Life goes on in big cities. Don’t let your fear take more from them.

Cancelling your planned trip and having the local people of krakow lose your business isn't going to help anyone. The last thing a city in mourning needs is a tourist boycott. This one tragic incident doesn't define the city. Its still beautiful and the people there will still be walking around it getting on with their lives.

I was there a month ago, and loved it so much I’m going back in January. The shootings seem to have been a lone wolf. Don’t let it put you off. I have never felt so safe in a city before. It’s beautiful.

I went there last week. Honestly it’s so weird seeing it on the footage but I would still go back. It’s a lovely place with great people. I get where you coming from but honestly go.

This

I was so shocked to hear about this because Krakow is hands down the safest city on earth. I can say this with absolute confidence. I have travelled a lot as a solo woman and honestly never felt safer than I did there. It’s my favourite place. This was an isolated incident, I believe the man was severely mentally ill.

You can go and enjoy the city whilst at the same time feel sad for the innocent victims and their loved ones.

Just because a Christmas market will be going ahead and people will attend and enjoy it, doesn’t make the lives of the victims any less. It doesn’t define them or the tragedy.

You can’t put your plans on hold or cancel them just because people have lost their lives in the same area. The world keeps turning.

I was there the day before the attack. One of the things I thought was that it was going to ruin people's livelihoods by putting off tourists. Reality is that security will be super tight this Christmas. Go it's fabulous.

I would go to support local businesses who rely on visitors. It was an awful attack, but I feel it was a one off although very shocking and devastating for the victims, locals and visitors.

Remember that Krakow is full of places of remembrance where awful things happened in the past. Not far away is Auschwitz, and the atrocity of the Holocaust doesn't stop visitors going there.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Krakow was also a place of astrocities during the occupation

Yet we still go and enjoy what Krakow has to offer, and if we feel the need we go and pay our respects

No going allows terrorism to win

Less than an hour from Krakow centre is Auschwitz which is also a site of terrible tragedy.

Would you feel the same if you weren't physically in the same city where it happened?

If you stayed at home, would you still be feeling bad about feeling joyful about Christmas coming up? Or is it just because of the physical location?

Because there will have been plenty of people living in NY who felt joyful a month after 9/11. Same in London after 7/7. And it'll be the same in Krakow over the next weeks and months as well. Life goes on, and people can remember the bad things that happen while also being thankful and joyful for the good things.

You're not disrespecting anyone by having a good time. Stopping yourself from doing so would serve noone aside from the man who committed the atrocious acts.