Shopping and Eating in Krakow, Poland
Krakow is one of the largest cities in the country of Poland.
Shopping in Krakow
Although Poland has now joined the EU and prices have risen in recent years, you still get very good value for money in Krakow defined by AbbreviationFinder. Obviously imported items are not particularly cheaper than in Norway, but all of the locally produced goods have generally very good prices.
The most typical Krakow souvenirs that tourists often come home with are amber and crystal jewelry. You will find a wide selection of in Kleshallen in the middle of the marketplace, and in many small shops in Grodzka and Florianska. You can also get great value on leather items such as belts, shoes and bags.
If you want to shop for clothes, try Florianska, which goes north from the marketplace. Here you will find several large clothing stores that sell well-known brands. If you prefer large shopping centers, you have Krakow Plaza in Al Pokoju. At the main train station just northeast of the Old Town you will find the shopping center Galeria Krakowska, which often has good prices for clothes, although the selection is not exactly London or Milan standard.
If you prefer to poke around in outdoor markets, head to Plac Nowy in Kazimierz. Here, the antique market is held every Sunday from 7 p.m. 0800 to 1400. Although most of the goods can be called old scrap, it is fun to look through to see if you find a gem.
Eating in Krakow
Food is probably not the main reason for traveling to Poland and Krakow. And few have any clear definitions about what kind of food you get if you ask for Polish specialties. Well, here at Reiseplaneten you get the answer about food in Krakow.
Only “Polish food”?
Few of us have any exact associations with the term “Polish food”, but if you have been to the Czech Republic, you have some idea of what awaits you. Like the rest of Eastern Europe, traditional Polish food is also based on ingredients such as pork, bacon and sausages, potatoes and sauerkraut, and thick, brown sauces and soups.
The food is most often served in large, filling portions. You will find many restaurants in the center of Krakow serving traditional Polish cuisine, but if you want to eat Japanese, Indian, French, Italian, Mexican, Brazilian or Chinese, there are plenty of options for that as well.
Krakow is located in southern Poland, far from any coastline, so fish and other seafood are traditionally not as common here as it is further north in the country, although the Vistula River runs through the center.
If you want to try a traditional and well-known Polish restaurant, we suggest Pod Aniolami, located in an old medieval cellar in Grodzka 35, the pedestrian street between the market square and Wawel. See more information about menu and prices of restaurants in krakow here !
Drink in Krakow
Vodka can be considered the national drink, and the Poles claim that it was those who invented the drink. Here, the vodka should be drunk bar in small glasses, and preferably swallowed in one sip. However, there is no tradition of wine in Poland, and no wines are produced here either. Wine is of course available at restaurants and shops, and the Hungarian wines are considerably less expensive than Western European ones.
Beer, on the other hand, drinks a lot of poles, but it is not necessarily served cold as with us. A pint usually costs between about 20 – 30 NOK in a pub.
