To ask you what I should do in Kraków?

[chilimartini]

I'm off to Kraków for a wedding but have extended my stay for an extra 3 days...any tips on places to visit / how to get there / places to stay /restaurants / cafes would be hugely appreciated...thank you

Another shout for the free walking tour. I didn’t enjoy the salt mine trip.

Great city though and will definitely be going back. In two minds as to whether to go back to Auschwitz. It was incredibly moving.

Schlinders factory, Auschwitz (whole day and takes it out of you- prebook a tour), the Castle. Just walk along the river it’s very pretty. Lovely restaurant in the Square called the Spaghetti.

The old Jewish quarter is lovely and really interesting. I also wouldn't recommend Auschwitz and the salt mines on the same day. I have been twice and the Auschwitz tours I did were from 8am til around 2pm. You will need some time to recover emotionally.
Wawel Castle is also great for history, and beautiful views on a good day

Visited Krakow recently, a Polish tour guide was adamant we should avoid the horse drawn carriages as the welfare of the horses is so terrible.

The salt mines are well worth a visit and the free walking tours are excellent.

Agree that after Aushcwitz you need some down time to reflect and recover. The salt mines are amazing - we took the bus.
Rynek museum under the square is fascinating, and Schindler’s factory well worth a visit.

I loved the Jewish quarter, and pierogi! Also did Auschwitz which was very sobering but felt like an important experience.

I’ve been twice, first time we went to Auschwitz, we only had one day as we were travelling on elsewhere and our flight had been seriously delayed so we lost our first day. Second time we were there for 3 days and went to the salt mines (favourite thing we did) and Schindlers factory and spent a lot of time walking! We went to a really nice beer hall, looking at pics online I think it was House of Beer, food was fab!

Have a meal here! szarages.com/
Soooo good and very reasonable 🤗

Salt mines for sure - go on a local bus then you are not limited to times - you can even have lunch in the restaurant down there
Auschwitz if you can face it though it does take a while to get there
Free walking tour is great
Dinner at Starka in the Jewish Quarter - I’ve been twice several years apart and it’s excellent
Krakow is great!

I came on here to say to go to Starka! It’s excellent food. You need to prebook though as it’s so popular.
We missed our train to the salt mines the second time we went so we just got an uber. Uber transport is cheap and easy but they are not allowed in to the main old town square so it depends where you are staying.
Schindler museum has free entry on a Monday.

Wawel Castle.
Trabant tour to Nowa Huta.
Visit to the Basilica to see the Veit Stoss altarpiece being opened - check the timing.

Go up to the beautiful Zakopane mountains.

I went in September - Auschwitz was devastating but an absolute necessity, i truly believe anyone who can go, should. Also as PP suggested, the salt mines are utterly incredible and I can't rate them highly enough.

Lots of wonderful restaurants around Rynek Glowny (the main old town square in Krakow) and we also took a horse and carriage ride - being horsey myself I was very particular about making sure they were properly looked after and healthy before I deigned to hand over any money - but the horses are adored and the carriages immaculate and traditional.

Krakow is an amazing city and I'd so love to return one day. We stayed the Vienna House Easy Cracow and it was super, clean, friendly with excellent food and drink :)

Forgot to say. If you are doing Auschwitz, please try and visit Birkenau too. Most Jews were not based at Auschwitz and it can give a very misleading view if you just visit Auschwitz.

Try the prohibition bar "Mercy Brown". You go through a cloakroom to get in and the cocktails are fantastic. Booking is a must! The haunted house onForianska Street was pretty entertaining and terrifying.

There is also a lovely restaurant on the river (although hit and miss service!)

Go up to the beautiful Zakopane mountains

You can do a day tour that goes to Zakopane (which is like an Alpine town and v nice) via the wooden architecture "trail "(a region with lots of lovely traditional wooden houses etc. inspired by a Scandinavian style). Try the local cheese that they heat on a griddle thing and serve with sharp berry sauce (each cheese looks like a little yellow croissant) at stands there

Every day in the main square at 5pm I think (unless it no longer happens), in the tiny church that occupies one corner - there's a classical music concert.

The museum if Krakow under the main square is pretty good too.

The classical concert in the little church is in the main square in Krakow, not Zakopane - in case I was misleading there.

Salt mines and Auschwitz are each a day trip each. Both unmissable in my opinion. Cathedral is amazing, and I also enjoyed doing a walking tour, particularly the Jewish quarter.

I found it to be a really fascinating city because its architecture has so much this meets that about it - the Jewish heritage meets the wartime destruction meets the rich 17th/18th Russian style opulence meets the stark and depressing communist era buildings.

One of my favourite cities. Stayed here for a week.

This restaurant is fantastic, but you will need to book in advance. One of the best restaurants I've ever been to. Expensive for Krakow but a bargain in sterling.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d5582351-Reviews-Introligatornia_Smaku-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

Sorry not sure how to do clicky link

We went just after Christmas.

The queue for the Salt Mine tickets were insane! I advise booking in advance or going on a tour. We couldn't cope so turned back!
Same for Oskar Schindler's factory - book in advance online, or you will end up having to do a more expensive tour as they seem to take up all the tickets.

We really enjoyed the Museum of Illusions !

I'm a local expert on Krakow on TripAdvisor and these recommendations are spot on. If you do go to Auschwitz then dont plan anything else that day as it will leave you emotionally drained.

Aushwitz
Salt mines
There's a cellar museum about the history of krakow in the bottom of the big main building in the main square. I'm sure someone on here will come up with the name
Schindler's factory

The Kraków philharmonic orchestra do good gigs.

Great advice already - here are some excellent (and mindbogglingly good value) restaurants:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d697169-Reviews-U_Babci_Maliny-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d11909192-Reviews-Kuchnia_Polska_Gaska-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d2340711-Reviews-Smakolyki-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d3573518-Reviews-Milkbar_Tomasza-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274772-d1802187-Reviews-Morskie_Oko-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html