Ben and Claire have just spent nearly two weeks in Poland, first in the mountain town of Zakopane, then six nights in Krakow. Here, Claire writes up what turned out to be one of their favourite stretches of the whole trip.
We drove into Poland straight from Slovakia, and we were shocked by how little there was to it. Everything you hear suggests Poland’s borders are strict and tightly managed, but there was no border control at all, no passport checks, no checking the car, nothing. One minute we were in Slovakia, a short drive down the road and we were simply in Poland.
Zakopane: a mountain town with a Christmas feel
We stayed just outside Zakopane, about a ten minute drive up into the mountains, in a little wooden chalet-style resort that felt like Christmas, everything built from timber, almost like a village of little Santa’s grottos. We could easily picture it under snow at Christmas, it would be stunning.
The temperature dropped a little here too, and it felt so refreshing, that crisp, fresh mountain air, especially first thing in the morning. We finally got to layer up a bit, a lightweight jacket over everything, which after months of heat, felt like a small luxury.
Down in Zakopane itself, ten minutes from where we stayed, there’s a family-friendly town centre. You can take a tram or ski lift up the mountain to another little village at the top, but being us, we walked it instead, a good five kilometres up and back down, with a few ice cream bribes along the way. The kids handled it brilliantly.
The town itself has plenty going on, shops, bars, restaurants, little market stalls, understandably busy given it’s the main hub for the area. There are also some lovely open park areas nearby, where the kids hired go-karts for a brilliant, cheap bit of fun, plus climbing frames that kept them entertained for a couple of hours. We also found a small funfair-style area with a Ferris wheel and a few games, worth a wander.
Food-wise, Zakopane gave us some new favourites. Our daughter loved the beef goulash and potato cakes, new to her, and she asked for them more than once while we were there. We also tried oscypek, the local smoked sheep’s cheese you’ll see cooked on stalls all over town, served with a bit of cranberry sauce on top. It’s a strong flavour, but worth trying, it’s a local delicacy. The soft-serve style ice cream (thicker than a typical whippy, everyone in the family loved it) became a repeat treat, and the kids were especially taken with the potato spirals on a stick sold from the street stalls.
Three nights felt like exactly the right amount of time here.
Krakow: a rocky start, and then we fell in love with it
From Zakopane it was a short couple of hours’ drive to Krakow, where we stayed six nights. My first impressions of the accommodation weren’t great, probably my least favourite stay of the whole trip so far. Ben likes to joke the snob in me came out, and it probably did, and I’m not ashamed of that. I like accommodation to feel welcoming and settled, and this didn’t. Part of it was on us too, the listing on Booking.com described it as an apartment with parking included, but it turned out to be a hostel with four single beds in one room, and an unbudgeted daily parking charge on top.
The city itself, though, we loved from the first look, and grew to love more with every day we spent there. Krakow’s Old Town, centred on its main square, is beautiful, but venture off the square and you’ll find courtyard after courtyard, each with its own character, restaurants, bars, bistros, cafes, a really brilliant atmosphere. We later learned on a city tour that this is because Krakow was historically divided into separate districts, each with its own square and town hall, which explains why there’s so much to discover just outside the obvious centre.
We chose six nights partly because we had visitors, friends stayed with us for three nights, followed by Ben’s parents for the next three, so it worked out well to have somewhere to base ourselves.
Given it was another city break with the kids, I did a fair bit of research beforehand into what we could actually do with them there, and it turned out to be a lot. Wawel Castle is free to access and well worth a look. In the main square, St Mary’s Basilica has a trumpeter who appears in the tower window every hour, plays a short call, and gives a little wave, a lovely small tradition to catch.
We booked in a few dedicated kids’ activities too, to break up the sightseeing: Smart Kids Planet, an indoor play and imagination space, gave us a couple of hours’ breather during a heavier history day. The Be Happy Museum cost around €40 and took about an hour, a fun, simple bit of fun for the children. We also tried to visit a bunny cafe we’d found online, but our son was turned away for being too young, and both kids left in tears, a genuine shame.
With Ben’s parents visiting, we did a golf-buggy city tour, an eight-seater, around £140 for a couple of hours, taking in several cathedrals we got to walk into and explore. Our guide, Isabella, was brilliant, particularly with the kids, she had them both sat up front with her, and even let them sit on her knee for a short stretch in a quiet area to have a little drive themselves. She was warm, informative, and really thoughtful about what she chose to show us, taking us to whatever she felt would mean the most to our family. A big shout out to her. It also gave us an introduction to Krakow’s history from someone who actually lives there, hearing it firsthand rather than from a plaque was really eye-opening, and something the whole family got a lot out of.
Learning the history, gently
One of the things we valued most about Poland was learning its history, and how the country and city have changed. We stayed near Ghetto Heroes Square and visited it a few times, talking to the children a little about what happened there, and around the old Jewish quarter, without wanting to frighten them, but wanting them to have some understanding. We tried to visit Schindler’s Factory too, but it was too busy to get in on the day, so we walked around the outside instead, and our guide gave us some context there as well. Since leaving Poland, we’ve started watching Schindler’s List, a long film, and one that’s always been a favourite of Claire’s dad, so it felt like the right time.
A well-earned night off
Having Ben’s parents there for those three days meant a lot, we really valued the time together, and the children loved having them around too, they made a real effort to be there and it showed. It also meant we got something we hadn’t had in a while: a night off. Nana and Grandad took the children for the evening at their apartment, and rather than heading back to the hostel ourselves, we wanted the night to feel a bit special. We booked a last-minute apartment for one night only, originally £180, reduced to £110 when we booked it on the day (booking last-minute has worked out well for us more than once on this trip). It had a hot tub built right into the centre of the room next to the bed, air conditioning, high ceilings, huge windows with a city view, luxurious in every way. We were really grateful for that bit of time off, and it wouldn’t have happened without the grandparents being there.
The free stuff was some of the best of it
Some of our favourite moments in Krakow cost nothing at all. A couple of shopping centres we visited for supplies had big outdoor kids’ play areas, sand pits, food stalls, and floor-level water fountains that our children played in for a good ninety minutes solid, thankfully we had spare clothes with us. We also spent half a day at an indoor water park, which was brilliant value for a few hours of fun. Giving the kids at least an hour or two of something purely fun each day made the more cultural, walking-heavy parts of our days go much more smoothly.
Krakow also sits along a lovely canal, which we walked several times, and the city is simply bigger and richer than we expected going in, plenty of bars, restaurants and shops the further you explore. Prices shift noticeably too, right in the Old Town and main square things are pricier, and it gets more budget-friendly the further out you go.
A harder moment, briefly
While we were in Poland, Claire received some sad and difficult news from home. She took some time for herself when she needed it, lighting a candle in a church, and we’ll pick that up properly in a future story rather than here. It didn’t take away from our time in Poland, and having friends and Ben’s parents visiting while it happened gave a real sense of comfort and support.
What it cost us, and why we’re glad we split it in two
Poland worked out at around £135 a day on average, tracked properly day by day. Neither location had a kitchen or included meals, so we ate out for everything, and Krakow in particular came with a fair few paid activities, which reflects in that figure.
We’re really glad we chose two very different bases here, the mountains for one side of the experience, then the city for a completely different one. It gave us a strong contrast, and three months into this trip, Poland has been our favourite city break by far, and sits right up there as one of our favourite countries so far.
Next stop for us: Austria.
What else is possible when you give a place the time to properly show you what it’s got?
FAQ
Is it easy to cross from Slovakia into Poland by car? Very. There’s no formal border control between the two, so it’s a completely seamless drive across.
Is Zakopane worth visiting outside of ski season? Absolutely, the town, mountain walks, and family-friendly activities make it worthwhile year-round, even without snow.
Is Krakow suitable for a family city break with young children? Very much so, as long as you balance the history and sightseeing with some purely fun activities each day, a play area, a water park, free outdoor spaces, to keep the children engaged.
Related reading:
Leave a Reply