Krakow with 15 and 11 year old in February

[peebles32]

Looking at going in Feb half term for four nights but need to ensure there is enough to do with the kids? I know it will be freezing but any recommendations?
I hate February half term as we always stay at home and get bored!

Krakow is beautiful, packed with history, and the place many (most?) people stay when visiting Auschwitz.
So, where as there is loads to see, I am not sure many 11 year olds would appreciate / understand the horrors there.

We've just returned from a trip around Poland, including a couple of days in Krakow - I would highly recommend the salt mine tour. Absolutely fantastic and our teens loved it. It's a constant temperature down there too which is a bonus if there's bad weather above ground! A day trip to the Tatra Mountains (Zakopane being the main resort there) could also be fun - lots of great winter activities there for teenagers.

There’s Auschwitz, the salt mines, Wawel castle (all those are a half day trip) some pretty churches and a couple of museums. If you plan to do most of those you’ve got enough to fill four days. The city centre is lovely to mooch around but the outskirts less so. There’ll probably be a market on at some point, and there are high street shops if you need to kill a couple of hours. And there are trains to other towns to visit.

The Owl Cave is good for a few hours in the city centre.

I think 11 is a little young for a lot in Krakow.
We went in May with DD 16 and it was great but busy and I think the salt mines are the only thing they would enjoy.
I wouldn’t bring a child to the camps in the cold weather, it’s harrowing enough without it being freezing.

We did the salt mines but chose the miners route. They give you a really interactive tour and you wear overalls. It was fantastic.

The pinball museum (it isn't a museum, it is a massive place full of pinball machines on free vend, and other old games, get the full day wristband, you will be in there for hours, but you can come in and out all day - it was about £10 for the day when I last went in). When you get out of it, go to Lajkonik just up the road for some teenager perfect lunch (very cheap, meal deals, wifi, clean, full of pastries and delicious stuff) and you can have a walk up to the Castle which is close (and great, and free as long as you don't go in). Salt mines are amazing, but book in advance, if there are 3 of you, it might be cheaper to just get an uber, although the public transport is OK too. Auschwitz depends on your view of your children and how they will find it. It isn't particularly well protected from the weather, and the sites are a bit confusing. Schindlers factory is probably better, but beware the queues and the cost. The underground city in the town centre is boring (sorry, but it was), but the town square is nice.

11 is too young for Auschwitz - it’s recommended for 14 up if you were thinking of doing that.

Wouldn’t do Schindlers museum, it’s a warren of rooms with photos. It was claustrophobic and took ages as all tours are guided.

I definitely will not be going to Auschwitz!

Wow Thankyou so much!