Cracow Travel Guide

City Facts

Location

Malopolska province, southeastern Poland.

Time Zone

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.

Average January Temperatures

0°C (33°F).

Average July Temperatures

21°C (71°F).

Average Annual Rainfall

531mm (21 inches).

Language

Polish is the official language, but travellers will find that many people, especially those in business or the tourist trade, will speak some English, German or French. Most Poles were required to learn Russian in school, however, it was a matter of pride not to learn it, and speaking Russian may give offence. Polish is a West Slavic language, and related to Czech and Slovak. The following are the Polish characters and their nearest English equivalent: a–u, aj–i (as in bike), c–ts, cz–ch, dz–ds or j, ej–a (as in bake), h–ch (as in loch), j–y, l (with a slash through it)–w, sz–sh, u–oo, w–v, rz–s (as in pleasure). The second last syllable of a word is always stressed. Phrases Yes - TakNo - NieHello - Dzien dobryGoodbye - Do widzenia / Do zobaczeniaPlease - ProszeThank you - DziekujeMy name is … - Nazywam sie ...How are you? - Jak sie masz? / Jak sie pan ma?I’m very well - W porzadku / Miewam sie dobrzeI feel ill - Jestern chory(a)How much does it cost? - Ile to kosztuje?Do you speak English?- Czy mowi pan po angielsku? (to a man) / Czy mowi pani po angie sku? (to a woman) I don’t understand - Nie rozumiemWhere is …? - Gdzie jest …?Entrance - WejscieExit - WyjscieDanger - Niebezpiecznie / NiebezpieczenstwoOpen - OtwarteClosed - ZamknieteToilets - ToaletyDoctor - DoktorHotel - HotelRestaurant - RestauracjaBeer - PiwoWine - WinoMenu - JadtospisToday - Dzis / DzisiajTomorrow - JutroMonday - PoniedzialekTuesday - WtorekWednesday - SrodaThursday - CzwartekFriday - PiatekSaturday - SobotaSunday - NiedzielaOne - JedenTwo - DwaThree - TrzyFour - CzteryFive - PiecSix - SzescSeven - SiedemEight OsiemNine - DziewiecTen - DziesiecTwenty - DwadziesciaThirty - TrzydziesciForty - CzterdziesciFifty - PiecdziesiatSixty - SzescdziesiatSeventy - SiedemdziesiatEighty - OsiemdziesiatNinety - DziewiecdziesiatOne Hundred - StoOne Thousand -Tysiac

Cost of Living

Special Events

New Year's Concert
1 January
Classical music concert to welcome in the new year.
Slowacski Theater
www.dkpodgorze.krakow.pl

Juvenalia
May
City-wide carnival when students take over Cracow for four days and three nights, with street dancing, fancy-dress parades, masquerades and lots of fun.
Various

Cracovia Marathon
May
Increasingly popular international running event.
www.cracoviamaraton.pl

Lajkonik Pageant
June
Colorful pageant headed by Lajkonik, a comical figure disguised as a bearded Tatar riding a wooden horse, parades from a church in Zwierzyniec to the Main Market Square, accompanied by loud, high-pitched music.
Zwierzyniec-Rynek Glowny

Jewish Culture Festival
June
Europe's biggest Jewish festival in Europe, with theater, film, music and art exhibitions.
Various
www.jewishfestival.pl

Summer Jazz Festival
July
Festival featuring the best of Polish modern jazz.
Various
www.cracjazz.com

Music in Old Krakow International Festival
August
Two-week musical event spanning five centuries of musical tradition, from medieval to contemporary.
Various
www.capellacracoviensis.art.pl

Sacrum-Profanum Festival
September
Classical music festival dedicated to composers of different countries each year.
Various
www.sacrumprofanum.pl

Pierogi Festival
September
Three-day fete honoring the king of dumplings.
Various
www.biurofestiwalowe.pl

Cracow Christmas Crib Competition
1st Thursday of December
Annual competition choosing the best nativity scenes in the city.
Rynek Glowny, next to statue of Adam Mickiewicz
www.mhk.pl