Related Krakow Favorites Tips

Favorite thing: Bob Taxi -
First class service and loads of local knowledge from start to finish. We arranged an airport pick-up and tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau with Bob's Taxi by email before going to Krakow. He was quick to reply and offered great prices. His driver,was waiting for us at the airport with a name sign and Bob was at the hotel on Thursday morning bang on time. On the way to Auschwitz he showed us a DVD about Auschwitz (quite depressing but informative) and also made a pit-stop so we could use a toilet and get refreshments (you may need tissues for Auschwitz). He arranged everything once there waited for us (2 1/2 hours) and then took us for the second part of the tour at Birkenau. He is a very knowledgable guy with lots of extra info about the area and history. We were that impressed with Bob's service we arranged our transfer back to the airport on Saturday. Again he was punctual and got us there safely. We will definitely use Bob when next in the brilliant and beautiful city of Krakow. A very professional, funny and friendly person.

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Favorite thing: While visiting St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, we noticed another set of bell towers adjacent, turns out that they have a wall in common with St. Andrew's Church.. We did not have time to visit, but I did look it up on the internet so you would at least have some information, this is what I found at
(http://www.sacred-destinations.com/poland/krakow-st-andrews-church.htmHistory)
St. Andrew's Church dates from the 11th century and is the finest example of Romanesque architecture in Kraków. Local residents took refuge within the strong walls of St. Andrew's during the Tartar raids. The simple, white Romanesque exterior with two round towers has a humble, gentle beauty. The interior, on the other hand, was given a Baroque makeover in the 18th century and jars the senses. The furnishings include a fanciful pulpit resembling a boat.

Quick Facts
Names: Kosciól swietego Andrzeja; St. Andrew's Church
Type of site: Parish church
Faith: Roman Catholic
Status: Active
Dates: 11th century
Architecture: Romanesque with Baroque interior
Location: Grodzka 56
Phone: 012/422-16-12
Cost: Free

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Favorite thing: St.Peter & St.Paul Church was not in our guide book as an "attraction", but it turned into an attraction for us as we wandered the streets of Krakow. We just happened to walk by as we saw children dressed in white, looking like moving snow in the summer. It was not a holiday that we knew about so we asked some of the people there and they explained to us that the kids in white had just had communion. So it WAS a holiday for them.

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Favorite thing: What I found on the internet about the park was "The Planty ring, consisting of about 30 gardens, encircles the central Old Town historic district. It replaced Krakow’s city walls in the 1820s."
But more importantly it is a beautiful green area surrounding the old town of Krakow and makes for an exceptional area to enjoy a nice day of sunshine. We often, during our stay in Krakow, took the long way around so we could walk in the park, instead of taking the more direct paved streets in the middle of town.
There we found various things, the statue of Copernicus, university buildings adjoing the park and fountains in green areas. Great for relaxing after a hectic day of "touristing".

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Favorite thing: Matt got all the VTers wandering the streets of Krakow during the VT Euromeet 2010 to gather in the central square for a LIVE WEBCAM shoot. My daughter Tal watched us on her computer back home in Israel and then called, she was thrilled.
The photos show:
1) The group photo.
2) What the group photo looks like behind Hansi's video camera.
3) Matt with holding his Polish flag and megaphone.
4) VTers jumping for Jumping Norman.
5) Matt and Chiara trying to answer a simple question from a passing tourist...
WHY IN THE WORLD WERE YOU ALL JUMPING AND WHAT IS VT??
Good luck guys !!! ^O^
As a note, this was I do believe the FIRST time that I, as part of the VT group, became a tourist "attraction". We had literally dozens of tourists passing by and taking OUR PHOTO....

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Favorite thing: Matt chose the Harris Piano Bar for our first clubbing night. It was an excellent choice and I do think that everyone enjoyed the food, beer AND company of course.
In the photos you can see -
Hansi and Chiara.
Ande and Birgit.
Hansi and Martin.
Larry and Mark.
Martin, Chiara and Zohara.

Fondest memory: Meeting VT friends for the FIRST TIME and of course renewing other friendships made over the years here on VT.
Ande and I have been writing for YEARS, but had never met and she is even nicer than I had believed, now we BOTH plan to visit one another in our respective countries.
Also met up with Chiara and her husband Alex and what a wonderful couple they are. We had the opportunity to share a few hours with them wandering the streets of Krakow.
And introducing Zohara to Hansi and lovely Lori was a blast.
Just too many fantastic people all in one place to mention EVERYONE, just to say that each and EVERY ONE of them IS fantastic for so many reasons.

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Favorite thing: This memorial commemorates the 21,768 Polish victims of the Katyn massacre in 1940 by the Soviet secret police NKVD in April-May 1940. It was an attempt to kill all members of the Polish Officer Corps and doctors, professors, lawmakers, police officers, other public servants, gendarmes, landowners, saboteurs, factory owners, lawyers, officials and priests. After the Russian invasion of 1939 all were arrested for allegedly being "intelligence agents".

In 1943 after the German invasion the mass graves were discovered in the Katyn Forest, 20 kilometres West of Smolensk, Russia. As a result the Polish government in exile stopped the diplomatic relations with the Russian government.

The Soviet Union continued to deny responsibility for the massacre until 1990, when it officially acknowledged and condemned the act.

The diplomatic relation with the Russians stayed difficult, especial after the 2010 plane crash near Smolensk, that killed the Polish president Lech Kaczynski and many Polish officials.

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Favorite thing: .
There are a number of webcams at Kraków like:

Rynek Glówny-1, Central market square.
Rynek Glówny-2, Central market square.

pl. Wszystkich Swiêtych

Wawel