Markets and Flavours of Krakow

Krakow’s squares and markets are much more than a place to shop for groceries. For locals, they are an experience: places to meet with friends (or flirt with lovers!), to swap stories and the latest gossip, to eat, to shop for local delicacies and for families to come together. Each square of the city is a little different; one gives you opportunity to see monuments, another to buy something special, or another to find a great variety of local culinary products. They all have different smells, tastes, and colours and are well worth discovering while you’re in Krakow.

On this Krakow tour, you will be getting it all: it’s sightseeing with flavour! Learn about the city’s different districts and history, see iconic monuments and taste the treats of Krakow’s neighbourhoods. You will discover how the markets and squares have played a starring role in the city’s past and present.

Start your tour with a short wander around locals’ favourite market: Kleparz. Here, you will find a rich variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as typical Polish products like smoked sheep’s cheese, known as oscypek — trust us, it’s a must-try!

Enjoy a cascade of colours and fragrances as you explore this market and all the flavours beloved by Krakow residents. The Main Market Square is the heart of the city and holds some of Krakow’s most important monuments and stories. Today, Krakow may have almost a million inhabitants, but its true soul can best be discovered in the small neighbourhoods that were once settlements and villages, that have since merged into the city today — and the Main Market is the biggest of these neighbourhoods.

Take a tram ride alongside locals to your next attraction: the Jewish Market in the historical district of Kazimierz. You will feel like you have entered another time period and just to keep that feeling going, you will head to the nearest pub to sample some famous Polish vodka and listen to stories about the area’s past and present.

Next up, head to the Jewish Square, which is the perfect place to observe local life in action, as people wander through to find the best spots for lunch. And that is exactly what you are going to do here, too! Practice your Polish and grab a bite to eat from any of the many intriguing food stalls.

After lunch, explore a former Jewish district and grab a local beer at Wolnica Market. Rested up, you will then take a slow walk along the city’s only pedestrian bridge, Kladka Bernatka, to reach the opposite bank of the Vistula River, where the Podgórze district is situated. It’s less touristy than all the places you will have seen so far — here, find lots of communist milk bars, interesting shops, and galleries where time seems to have stopped years ago. After visiting some hidden spots, you will get to dig into a variety of Polish sweets as you make your way to the final market of the tour. Best of all, finish up in the nearby hills, where you will discover the best and least-known panoramic view of Krakow.

Finally, hop back on local transit and take a tram to the Wawel area. From there, you are free to head back to your hotel or spend some time exploring Krakow’s Royal Way.