Experience in Krakow, Poland by Natalia

What is it like to live in Krakow? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Krakow is a very beautiful city with many secrets. I think that even people from Krakow can't know everything about it. I've lived there since I was born and I love this city. I would recommend it, I think it's a good experience to live in a city like Krakow. It's not a capital, but it's very well-known and a lot of famous people live there (Czeslaw Milosz, Wislawa Szymborska, Karol Wojtyla... they were from Krakow and I think we can be proud of it). Krakow has its own spirit. You can feel it walking across Planty or when you sit in one of the thousands of charming cafés.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Krakow?

Student life in Krakow, in Jagiellonian University, is very interesting. Especially when you have classes in a city center, during the break you can simply jump into the Prowincja or in some other place to drink coffee or tea, eat tasty cake or go to the cinema. We have two big libraries in the city. They are Jagiellonian Library and the library on Rajska Street. Jagiellonian Library is extremely quiet and full of old books. The library on Rajska Street is the students' favourite one, because getting a book there is very easy - you simply goi to a shelf and take whatever you want/need. Students spend a lot of time there learning, but chatting as well. We love to talk about some philosophical subjects or books, or simply about gossip. Your student lifestyle depends of what kind of friends you'll find.

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How much does it cost to live in Krakow?

For me, life in Krakow is quite expensive but, if your parents help you or if you're able to find some part time job, you should be fine. Anyway, in my opinion, food is very expensive and, of course, accommodation. To be honest, people from Krakow are greedy, maybe that's why I think life in Krakow is expensive (i'm just kidding). If you buy food in shops like Auchan it should be fine for you. Beer in the city center cost about 8 zl, dinner in a restaurant is about 20 zl per person, but it depends - like everything else.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Krakow? Is there any advice you can give?

It's not difficult at all to find an apartment or accommodation! There are a lot of adverts in newspapers, on the internet, on the University boards, everywhere. But be aware to first see the apartment before giving any money. Sometimes, it's better to rent an appartment in the suburbs because we have good public transportation and flats can be cheaper.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Food here has a lot of variety, as we have a lot of Italian, Chinese and other kinds of restaurants. However, Polish food is quite heavy, especially for people from Spain, Italy, from the South of Europe in general. We love potatoes, meat and sour cabbage. The national dish is chicken soup with pasta (we call it "rosol") and another one is meat with potatoes and cabbage. We also like dumplings and pancakes (but they're not national dishes). My favourite dish is definitely dumplings with a mix of cheese and potatoes, as well as beetroot soup.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Krakow?

It's hard to say. I recommend Kazimierz by night. It's the old Jewish district, still very beautiful, with a lot of quiet cafes. All museums are beautiful as well, and the old buildings across Old Town. St Peter's Church, St Mary's Church (we call it Mariacki Church), the museum under Market Square... I think the best way to see a city is to lose yourself in it. Thanks to that, you can see the most beautiful things for your taste.

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Is it good to eat out in Krakow? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Well, I like to eat out, because this way I don't have to figure out what to prepare at home. I love it in Vega (just vegetarian and vegan food) on Garncarska Street, near to Rajska Library, as well as in Green Way (on Mikolajska Street). In "W starej kuchni" (on Tomasza Street) you can eat delicious national Polish food and in "Kolanko no. 5" you will find big variety of kinds of pancakes.

Is the nightlife good in Krakow? Where is good to go?

Nightlife in Krakow is very intense and it depends on what you prefer. It's good to go to "Bledne kolo" (something like "Crazy circle") if you like beat box and rap; if you like heavier music you should go to Jazz Rock Caffe, Carpe Diem, KotKarola (Charles's cat) or Lizard King. If you like jazz, you definitely should go to Harris Piano Jazz Bar.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Krakow?

Just take your time visiting Krakow. If you're an Eramus student there's no need to worry or hurry. Just relax. If you're coming for the winter take a lot of warm clothes with you, because Krakow in winter can be very cruel.