Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rdza Another contender for best dance club in the Old Town. Choose fashionable
dress to make it past the guys at the door, and then enjoy the trance, dance, and mood
tunes, served up by some of the best Polish and imported DJs on offer. Attracts an
early-20s to 30s crowd. Bracka 3-5. & 0600/39-55-41. Daily 9pm-4am.
Kazimierz
Alchemia One of the original bars/clubs to lead the Kazimierz renaissance in the
late 1990s, when the former Jewish quarter morphed from a forgotten corner of
Kraków to its current “party amid the past” feel. The old furniture, faded photos, and
frayed carpets set a design tone that's still going strong. It's no longer the bar of the
moment, but still a great place to get a feel for what Kazimierz is all about. Estery 5.
& 012/421-22-00. Daily 9am-4am.
Les Couleurs By day, an innocent French-themed cafe, complete with very good
espresso and 1960s, arty French posters on the wall. By night, a great little bar to drop
by for an after-dinner beer or cocktail. Just boisterous enough to feel lively, but still
quiet enough to hear yourself talk. Estery 10. & 012/429-42-70. Mon-Fri 7am-2am; Sat-Sun
9am-2am.
Moment New and trendy; one the coolest spots these days to have a drink. Clocks
on the wall to remind you of the inexorable passage of time, and encouraging you to
make this your moment. Popular with the newly moneyed, postcollege crowd. Worth
seeking out. Józefa 32. No phone. Daily noon-2am.
Opium It seems like every Polish city these days has a club named Opium. This
popular bar and dance club fits right in. You're not likely to find any real opium, but
you will find lots of beautiful people and good cocktails. Come early to grab a coveted
sofa seat, since this place fills up fast after 11pm. Jakuba 19. & 012/421-94-61. Sun-Thurs
4pm-1am; Fri-Sat 4pm-5am.
DAY TRIP: AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
The concentration and extermination camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau lie about
80km (50 miles) to the west of Kraków, and can be seen visited in a day trip from the
city. Several travel agencies run guided coach tours of the death camps; these usually
include transportation from Kraków's main square and an English-language guide
once you've arrived at the camps. It's also easy to visit the camps on your own. Several
trains make the run daily to Auschwitz/O 1 wi 7 cim from Kraków's main station. By car
it's an easy 90-minute drive along the main highway to Katowice, turning south at the
Czarnów exit and following the signs first to O 1 wi 7 cim and once in town to the
“Auschwitz Museum.”
Whatever you've heard or read about the death camps, nothing is likely to prepare
you for the shock of seeing them in person. Auschwitz is the better known of the two,
though it's at Birkenau, south of Auschwitz, where you see and really feel the sheer
scale of the atrocities. The precise number of deaths at the camps is disputed, but well
over a million people died in the gas chambers, or were hanged or shot or died of dis-
ease or exhaustion. Most of the victims were Jews, brought here from 1942 to 1944
from all around Europe stuffed in rail cattle cars. In addition to Jews, thousands of
POWs, including many Poles, Russians, and Gypsies (Roma), were exterminated here
as well.
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