Bagelmama
Kazimierz
Bagelmama is a cozy little bagel shop—the only one in Kraków.
3 Best Sights in Krakow, Poland
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Starting as a market town in the 10th century, Kraków became Poland's capital in 1037. Until as recently as the 19th century walls encircled the Old Town; these have been replaced by the Planty, a ring of parkland, in the 1820s. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many interesting examples of architecture from that period can be found within the second ring, marked by Aleje and Dietla streets. In the late 20th century another phase of the city's development began farther out, and it continues today.
Most major historical attractions are within walking distance in the compact Old Town, but you'll also find very interesting sights further outside the city center, including Ko?ciuszko's Mound to the west and Nowa Huta to the east of the city center.
To the immediate southeast of the Old Town is the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. This was once a separate town, chartered in 1335 by its founder, King Kazimierz the Great. In 1495 Kraków's Jews were expelled from the city by King John Albert, and they resettled in Kazimierz. The Jewish community there came to an abrupt and tragic end during World War II. In 1941, the Jews of Kazimierz were moved first to a Jewish ghetto across the Vistula River in Podgórze, then to the P?aszów concentration camp. Most who survived P?aszów were transported to their deaths in the much larger concentration camp at Auschwitz–Birkenau. The story of the few Jews who escaped P?aszów through the help of businessman Oskar Schindler formed the basis of Thomas Keneally's book (and Steven Spielberg's film) Schindler's List.
Development during the 2010s has breathed a new life into the district of Podgórze, which gained as many as three new museums. The Historical Museum and MOCAK Museum of Contemporary art are both in the area of the former Schindler Factory; a third, Cricoteka, documents the work of Tadeusz Kantor. Podgórze abounds with hip restaurants and bars, and is the destination to go to if you want to get away from the crowds.
Jama Michalika
Stare Miasto
How often do you have a chance to have a cup coffee or a glass of wine among museum-quality artworks? In the Art Nouveau café Jama Michalika (also seen as Jama Michalikowa), the walls are hung with works by its original customers—artists, who sometimes paid their bills in kind.
The atmosphere is deliciously decadent: dark interior lit with stained-glass lamps, palatial chairs upholstered in green plush, and other fin-de-siècle attributes. Some evenings the café becomes a scene of a "Folk Show" for tourists, which some will find pleasant while others will prefer to avoid.Kawiarnia Noworolski
Stare Miasto
One of the oldest cafés in town, this lovely historical spot, next to the entrance to the National Museum in the Cloth Hall, is a great place to sit and watch the goings-on in the square while enjoying a coffee. This is also a good vantage point from which to observe the hourly trumpet call from the tower of the Church of Our Lady. Be warned: the service can be really slow—don't go there if you're on a tight schedule. But if you're at your leisure, then what does it matter?
