From the Railway Station we headed, on foot towards the main square, Rynek Glówny. Our route was through the park and we found ourselves, quite by accident, amongst the children and dragons preparing for the start of the dragon procession which gave us a chance to see all the dragons up close.
Before the procession started we managed to grab a table at a bar and ordered some coffees. This was a great vantage point for watching the procession. Time slipped by and soon it was time to order some beers, this was followed by a spot of lunch and more beers. What a perfect start to any day, sitting in the warm sunshine watching the world go by in such a glorious spot.
Eventually we took a short stroll to Wawel Royal Castle which stands, impressively, on a hill overlooking a bend of the Vistula river. We spent several hours at this beautiful castle which dates back to the 16th century and I believe was built by Italians from Tuscany, the architect Bartolomeo Berrecci, was himself from Florence.
Walking back to the old town, we chose a different corner of Rynek Glówny and selected a restaurant with some good comfy chairs, ordered more liquid refreshments and got back to watching the world go by.
Eventually we decided that another stroll around the old town was in order which set us up for dinner, this was at a burger bar which served us burgers that were streets ahead of any McDonald's or Burger King. After this we strolled thought the park towards the station and decided to have a look around the huge and very modern shopping mall right next to the station.
When we had finished our retail therapy, (can men actually get therapy from shopping?) we had about an hour to kill before we boarded the overnight train to Budapest. So we sat in a bar across the square from the station, and yes there was more beer.
Kraków architecturally is a beautiful city with soul, it is alive & vibrant, and ladies, if you get tired of the history, the sights or the cafe culture then there is the modern Galeria shopping mall by the station which boasts over a hundred stores set over 3 floors.
I strongly recommend everyone take a visit to Kraków, it truly is fabulous and I am sure that I shall return.
I would like to give a big thank you to our hosts, Magda, Monika 1 & Monika 2 at the Elephant on the Moon hostel, three beautiful young ladies who made us very welcome and were always very helpful. x
Also thanks to Lisa Neath for recommending a trip to Kraków.x
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