Practicals

  • train is extra slow after Czechowitz
    • the difference was visible (slower, worse track lead, dismantled infrastructure)
  • center to Wieliczka transport
    • public transport by bus 304, near Matějko platz and Galeria
    • may be crowded in the season
  • there are limitations on size of backpacks allowed into the Wieliczka mine
  • better preorder online to skip one (of two) queues
  • it was 25–26°C and it was uncomfortable
  • language
    • learnt Polish pronunciation [krakúv]
    • inverted adjective ordering
    • beware confusion with Czech (same words different meanings: droga, kwieten)
  • disorganized railway station
    • 1) there’s the old one which is a museum
    • 2) the new one is multilevel hall
  • survived without any Polish cash

Natural sights

  • the Vistula river (a turn near the city center)
  • salt underground
  • mountains in the distance (High Tatras?)

Manmade sights

  • Wieliczka
    • super crowded, my bag passed,
    • decided for the tourist route (with all the well-known exhibits)
    • all cavities are artificial :-o
      • there is underground complex with toillets, restaurant, cinema, lecture hall, shops, mobile signal etc.
      • to work in mine has total different meaning
      • 400 (or 600) years old
    • licking :-/
    • the bus on the way back was even more crowded
  • Wawel
    • doesn’t look so big from distance
    • but getting there from river is quite a climb and the areal is surprisingly vast
      • several stages, top stage is cathedral and the castle (and multiple other houses)
      • fake grave of Friderick Chopin (Paris Pére Lachiase)
      • true Adam Mickiewitz
  • Jewish quarter
    • I’ve never seen so many synagogues (closed)
    • streets are wide and well-organized, the houses are low though (2–3 floors only)
    • interesting Nowy platz with the Roundhouse
    • it’s the more hipster region

People

  • they actually use the churches (Sunday evening)
  • no Vietnamese groceries
  • Karol Wojtyla is a pop idol
  • Generali Asia meetup/team building
    • I’ve never seen a group of so many bad clothed people
  • European Salesian Youth meetup (or Silesian)
  • well-looking girls pair with well-looking guys (groomed)
  • electromobile tours in the center
  • Jehova Witnesses recruiters
  • most of the roommates were solo travellers (and the rest were couples)
  • a Newzealander who is backpacking Europe (quit job, cooks lunches in hostels to save money for the travel)
  • using women or even girls as decoy
    • horse carriages
    • segways
    • boat cruises (funny moment when she had sunburnt front legs as she was standing there whole morning)

Food

  • Mlieczny bar
    • local cuisine, cheap and tasty (žurek, kluski sleskie s pecziarkami)

Day 01

  • many Germans, some Poles, not majority of Czechs in the train
    • and Frenchs with crying baby right behing me!
  • display above the seat showed reservations on my neighbours but ~2 minutes before scheduled departure (we were 3 minutes delayed in reality)
    • but my place showed still as reserved
    • are there sensors? did they cancel it?

  • the train almost emptied until reaching borders (Bohumín is engine change)

  • historical center
  • old Russian ladies (I thought they were maids)

Day 02

  • antiobservation of early waking Asians
  • the most expensive apple in my life (300g for price of 1 kg)
  • main sightseeing day

Day 03

  • morning run

  • group of Americans eurotripping

    • noisy, making list of cities in US to visit