Krakow, Poland

After work on Friday, Shane and I headed to the airport for a weekend in Krakow, Poland. We arrived in Krakow shortly after 10pm and met our airbnb host at our apartment just off the Old Town Square.

As we were walking to meet up with our host, we passed through various pop-up markets with vendors selling a variety of food and drink. We were excited to see so many people out and about despite the freezing temperatures. We dropped our bags in the cozy flat and headed out ourselves to check-out the scene. We wandered into a bar/pub off the Old Town Square that took us back in time a bit - old building, old furniture, old bar. We later found out that the place we came across served some of the best chocolate desserts in Krakow. If only we had known when we were there!

The next morning we were up early to catch our transportation for the tour of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp from World War II. The tour was tough but we are glad that we did it. The tour started at Auschwitz I and continued on to Auschwitz II - Birkenau. Auschwitz I was originally a small work camp for Polish political prisoners that turned into an execution camp  in 1941. Due to the magnitude of individuals brought to Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II - Birkenau was constructed. Compared to Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II - Birkenau was massive.

During the Auschwitz I portion of the tour, we toured the barracks, the shooting wall, the hanging post, the holding cells used for prisoners prior to execution and one of the small gas chambers. There were also displays of the belongings taken from the individuals brought to the camp, as well as hair of the individuals brought to the camp that had yet to be sold or burned prior to the liberation. Our tour guide told us horrific stories of forced labor, inhumane medical experiments and executions.

During the Auschwitz II portion of the tour, we visited the memorial, viewed the barracks and saw the ruins of the gas chambers and crematorium. The gas chambers and crematorium at Auschwitz II - Birkenau were destroyed by the Germans just prior to the liberation in an attempt to hide what occurred at the camp. Auschwitz II - Birkenau was divided into a men and women's camp. The men's barracks were constructed of wood so only the chimney's of the barracks remain; the women's barracks were constructed of brick and still remain intact. We heard more horrific stories about the concentration and execution camp.

Out of respect for the victims that lost their lives, or battled for their lives in the horrible conditions, we only kept pictures at the entrance to each camp and the memorial at Auschwitz II - Birkenau. Over 1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered at these camps.

(entrance to Auschwitz I)

(entrance to Auschwitz II - Birkenau)

After our Auschwitz tour, we were in need of a drink so we decided to do a food/vodka tasting tour. Our tour consisted of the two of us, two German police officers and our local Krakow guide - it was a great group! The tour included stops at four spots - all of which involved a vodka tasting and two of which included a food tasting. Our first stop was an old restaurant where we tasted our vodka in one of the typical Polish fashions - with herring. The vodka was a bit harsh for our liking. Poland distills their vodka less than American's. Our next stop was a small vodka bar and we tried flavored vodka's - one sweet and one spicy. I preferred the sweet, Shane preferred the spicy. Our third stop was a restaurant where we ate gherkins, bread and lard (Polish butter) and bigos (Polish stew) along with our vodka. Our last stop was a speakeasy establishment where we had vodka-based cocktails. We really enjoyed the last stop and stayed for another cocktail with the two German police officers. They were interested in hearing our opinion on US politics (Donald Trump) and gave us great advice of things to do and see in Germany and the rest of Europe.

The next morning we woke up early so that we could explore the city. We grabbed breakfast off the Old Town Square and then strolled through the market.

 After the market, we hopped in a horse-drawn carriage for a quick tour of the city. The carriage was lovely! It was filled with warm blankets and it was nice to be out of the wind and the cold for a bit.

After the our carriage ride, we were back to walking, and headed to the castle. The castle is quite magnificent and perfectly positioned looking over the city.

After walking around the castle grounds, we headed to the Jewish quarter and had a dumpling lunch. The Jewish quarter is also known for its flea markets so we perused around those as well before heading back to the flat to grab our bags and catch a cab to the airport.

We loved Krakow. The city is beautiful - and it was cheap - what's not to love?!