Twenty years is a long time to do anything, particularly given the pace of change in today’s society. Just think: twenty years ago the internet was so slow we barely used it; today it has changed almost every aspect of our lives and we spend more time online than off. Twenty years ago people weren’t sure computers could count beyond 1999, they used pagers and fax machines, they wrote letters and left voice messages, they went to video stores; AOL and Nokia were tech giants, Marvel was bankrupt and Poland In Your Pocket published its first guidebook to Kraków – the files for which were delivered to the printing house on a stack of floppy discs.
Like the very best things from those days (The Simpsons, Keanu Reeves), we’re still around, proof that if you do something well, it survives the test of time. The fact that Kraków In Your Pocketprovides all the most honest and meticulously up-to-date information you need to get the most out of your time here hasn’t changed in 20 years.
Something that has though? Twenty years ago when people traveled for pleasure they were truly disconnected from their daily routines; they took a break, they relaxed. Today you travel to a new place and take all the baggage of home with you – the emails, the text messages, the social media profiles, the predilection to turn to the internet to satisfy every query and validate every thought you have. We forget that there are people around us who can satisfy and validate us by sharing our experiences firsthand. We don’t need to connect across time-zones and continents if we are connecting to the people, the place, the moment we’re presently in. That’s what travel is about – not the ability to connect to the places we’re not, but the places we’re in. To do that you have to stop live-streaming your life and start living it. Sure, Kraków IYP has a website, blog, app and several social media platforms. But you have a rare kind of book in your hands – the kind that makes all of that obsolete. Want to remember what it was like 20 years ago to go away somewhere and really relax? Turn off your cellular network, turn on to what’s around you, and travel with us.
Cover Story
Food trucks are the latest Polish food fad, and Skwer Judah in Kazimierz – so named after the massive street mural that adorns it – provides the parking, as well as some scant seating options, for this culinary trend.
A bast from the past roller rink in Nowa Huta. The complex also features a separate trampoline park and arcade game museum. Read more ➞
Molam Thai Canteen & Bar
Inspired by Bangkok street food, they offer delicious and delightfully spicy dishes designed for sharing. Strongly recommended. Read more ➞
Malecon
Just metres from Wawel Castle in Hotel Pod Wawelem, it splits between the ground floor and a year-round roof terrace with incredible views and the Vistula River. Read more ➞
Salta Resto
Opposite the Temple Synagogue in Kazimierz, it offers an affordable Spanish-inflected menu, Argentine steak and the popular ‘ribs iberico.’ Read more ➞
Durum Bistro
Casual and simple, it offers a concise menu of fresh, gluten-tastic pasta and pierogi, alongside salads and soups (we recommend the chowder), plus daily lunch specials. Read more ➞
Gin Mill
Kraków’s first bar devoted almost exclusively to the juniper berry is on its way, opening in mid-August. Hidden off ul. Dietla. Read more ➞
Czarna Owca Wino Bar
A small, stylish wine bar near the Galicia Jewish Museum offers a range of excellent wines from across the world at very nice prices. Read more ➞
Mercatino – vino, formaggio & caffe
Located on Karmelicka st., this is a cafe, wine bar, bistro and shop offering a selection of imported food products including wines, jams, cheeses, meats and much more. It has one of the best secret gardens in town. Read more ➞
Mops Coffeeshop – Cannabis Store
A ‘coffeeshop’ in the Amsterdam sense of the word, right in Kraków’s Old Town. A cannabis shop with all the recreational green you might need. Read more ➞
Le Szapo
A classy hat boutique offering all manner of headwear, for all seasons, in all styles. Read more ➞
