Cracow, Poland — Activities
Cracow Culture
Cracow has long been Poland's cultural capital, but the city's appeal has taken off dramatically since the year 2000, when Cracow was chosen as a European City of Culture.
The comprehensive monthly magazine Karnet (www.karnet.krakow.pl), available at tourist offices, lists virtually every event in the city. The freebie This Month in Krakow (www.cracow.pl) has less-detailed coverage.
Music: Cracow's musical heritage goes back to the liturgical music of the 11th century, and the celebrated Cracow Academy of Music continues to produce high-calibre musicians. The Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Filharmonia, ulica Zwierzyniecka 1 (tel: (012) 422 4312; www.filharmonia.krakow.pl). The Capella Cracoviensis (www.capellacracoviensis.pl) choir gives special concerts in the Cloth Hall and a number of Cracow's churches, in addition to Filharmonia.
Performances by the Opera Krakowska (tel: (012) 421 1630 or 424 4528) take place at the Opera House, ulica Lubicz 48 (tel: (012) 296 6100; www.opera.krakow.pl).
Theater: Cracow has a rich dramatic history and counts a dozen theaters. The Cricoteka, ulica Kanonicza 5 (tel: (012) 422 8332; www.cricoteka.com.pl), now a theatrical archives and the city's best-known theater, was once the place to see the avant-garde (and now defunct) Cricot 2 troupe, created in 1955 by Tadeusz Kantor. The Stary Teatr, Cracow's ‘Old Theater', at ulica Jagiellonska 5 (tel: (012) 422 4040; www.stary-teatr.krakow.), is Cracow's best-known (and most beautiful) theater and attracts the best of the city's actors. The Teatr im Juliusza Slowackiego, plac Sw Ducha 1 (tel: (012) 422 4022; www.slowacki.krakow.pl), where Stanislaw Wyspianski's plays premiered, today focuses on Polish classics and large-scale productions.
Dance: Ballet is usually performed at the Teatr im Juliusza Slowackiego (see above). The red-letter days for classical dance here are the Cracow Ballet Meetings in November.
Film: Almost all films shown in Cracow's 20-odd cinemas are in their original language, with Polish subtitles. Cracow's screens include ARS, ulica sw Jana 6 (tel: (012) 421 4199; www.ars.pl), a very elegant cinema just off the market square, and the Kijow, the biggest cinema in town, behind the Hotel Cracovia at ulica Krasinskiego 34 (tel: (012) 433 0033; www.kijow.pl). Mikro, ulica Lea 5 (tel: (012) 634 2897; www.kinomikro.pl), is the place to go for art-house movies.pl
Cracow Tours
Cracow's Old Town is compact and easy to wander around but a guided-walking tour will enrich the experience. Guide Cracow (tel: (012) 411 4801; www.guide-cracow.pl) offers a wide selection of tours on foot, tailored to suit a variety of interests: from architecture to literature and famous people. Seasonal tours are also available. Marco der Pole (Tel; (012) 430 2131; www.marcoderpole.com.pl) has daily tours of the Old Town and Kazimierz.
Cracow Tours (tel: (012) 430 0726; www.cracowtours.pl) organizes various bus trips to the most popular sites within and near Cracow, including daily city tours, Jewish Cracow, Wieliczka Salt Mine, New Town, Auschwitz and even a day trip to Zakopane. Another option to see the Old Town and parts of Kazimierz up close are the little five-seat carts run by Omega City Tour (tel: (012) 422 9305; www.omega.civ.pl/citytour).
Boat tours on the Vistula River offer great views of Wawel Castle; departures are usually between May and September. One such boat is the Nimfa (tel: (012) 422 0855), berthed below Wawel Hill near Grunwald Bridge.
Krakow Bike Tours (Tel: 0663 731 515; www.krakowbiketour.com) offers daily tours of Cracow from the Main Market Square and Wawel to Oskar Schindler's factory in Podgorze.
In season, Rynek Glowny is overrun with dorozki (horse-drawn carriages) brought in to please tourists. Trotting across the cobbles, though, is something of an essential experience for first-time visitors.
