PostOpTrip

Companion guide · Kraków

Things to do in Kraków while your partner recovers

You came to look after someone, and you have 5 to 10 days with long quiet stretches. Here is how to split them: short outings you can share, the things your patient has to skip, and a day trip for when they are resting.

Your job on the trip

  • Be there for the clinic appointments and the first night after the procedure.
  • Carry the bags. After most surgery, lifting is off the list for weeks.
  • Keep fluids, medicines from the clinic and the clinic's phone number to hand.
  • Know where the nearest pharmacy is. Pharmacies (apteka) are easy to find in the centre, and several stay open 24 hours. Your hotel can point to the nearest one.
  • Emergency number: 112 for all emergencies; 999 for an ambulance.

Short outings to share

Seated, short and close to the clinic districts. Most fit the early recovery days. Check each day's rules in the patient's guide.

  • Vistula sightseeing cruise

    A seated hour on the river below Wawel Castle, with an audio guide.

    Seated, shaded or covered, about 1 hour

    See times and prices

  • Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory

    The museum of Kraków under occupation, in Schindler's former factory. Indoors, with timed tickets.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 2 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Main Market Square and the Cloth Hall

    Europe's largest medieval square, the Cloth Hall stalls and St Mary's trumpet call. Busy in summer.

    Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 1.5 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Wawel Castle and Cathedral

    The royal castle, cathedral and courtyards on the hill above the river. A few hours on foot.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Evening Vistula cruise

    The castle and bridges lit up from the water, about an hour, seated.

    Seated, indoors, about 1 hour

    See times and prices

  • Rynek Underground museum

    Medieval Kraków excavated beneath the Market Square, with walkways and screens. Indoors and cool.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Czartoryski Museum

    A calm museum in the Old Town, home to Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Kazimierz walking tour

    Synagogues, courtyards and street art in the old Jewish quarter.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 2.5 hours

    See times and prices

Things to do on your own

Your patient has to skip these on most days, so they are ideal while they rest.

  • Wieliczka Salt Mine

    Underground chambers and chapels carved from salt, with about 800 steps on the route.

    Strenuous, indoors, about 3.5 hours

    See times and prices

  • Zapiekanki at Plac Nowy

    The round market hall in Kazimierz selling long toasted baguettes with toppings, late into the night.

    Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1 hour

    Open in Maps

  • Polish food and drinks tasting tour

    Soups, pierogi, cured meats and vodka in a few hours around the centre.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 3 hours

    See times and prices

  • Vodka tasting bar

    Flights of flavoured Polish vodka in a Kazimierz bar.

    Seated, indoors, about 1.5 hours

    Open in Maps

  • Pierogi cooking class

    Make and eat Polish dumplings indoors. A calm few hours.

    Gentle walking, indoors, about 3 hours

    Open in Maps

A day trip, if you have a free day

  • Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial

    A guided visit to the former camps, about 90 minutes each way. A long day on foot.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 7.5 hours

    See times and prices

  • Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains

    The mountain resort town two hours south, with a funicular and market.

    A few hours on foot with breaks, some open-air walking, about 10 hours

    See times and prices

Long days away are best on a day when your patient is comfortable and has no appointment.

Where to eat

  • Żurek. Sour rye soup with sausage and egg, often served in a bread bowl: eat the soup and leave the bowl.
  • Pierogi at a milk bar. Boiled dumplings with potato and cheese, cabbage or fruit, at a bar mleczny, a cheap traditional canteen.
  • Barszcz. Clear beetroot soup, sometimes with small dumplings. Let it cool after dental work.
  • Sernik and szarlotka. Polish cheesecake and apple cake in the Old Town cafés.
  • Placki ziemniaczane. Potato pancakes with sour cream or goulash. Crispy at the edges.
  • Obwarzanek from a street cart. Kraków's ring-shaped bread, boiled then baked. Hard and chewy.
  • Craft beer in Kazimierz. Small bars with Polish craft beer and vodka.

Recovery guides for Kraków

Pharmacy and clinic map: Kraków

Clinic districts

  • Stare Miasto (Old Town). The Market Square, many hotels and dental clinics. Clinics · Pharmacies
  • Kazimierz. The old Jewish quarter: cafés, food and some clinics. Clinics · Pharmacies
  • Podgórze. Across the river: Schindler's Factory and quieter hotels. Clinics · Pharmacies
  • Krowodrza and Bronowice. Residential districts with larger dental centres. Clinics · Pharmacies

Pharmacies and emergencies

Pharmacies (apteka) are easy to find in the centre, and several stay open 24 hours. Your hotel can point to the nearest one.

Emergency: 112 for all emergencies; 999 for an ambulance.

Find the nearest hospital emergency department