Old Stones, Deep Mines, and the Best Ice Cream of the Trip
The Cloth Hall above has been conducting trade since 1257.
This article is written by Cam and Meg with help from AI. All photos were taken by Cam and Meg.
Day One — Finding Our Feet in the Square
The sun finally made its first appearance in Poland as we dragged our bags across Wrocław toward the train station — Google Maps insisting, somewhat improbably, that walking beat transit. The train left late and arrived in Kraków even later, which we were beginning to understand was simply the Polish train (PKP) way.
After settling into our apartment, we headed straight for the old town. Kraków’s main square, Rynek Główny. It is often described as the largest medieval square in Europe. Standing there, it certainly feels enormous — although the grand Cloth Hall planted squarely in the middle does shrink it somewhat.
Just after the bells rang on the hour, a lone trumpeter appeared high in the tower of St. Mary’s Basilica and played a short melody that ended abruptly mid-note. We later learned the tune commemorates a 13th-century watchman struck by a Mongol arrow while sounding the alarm. When the trumpeter waved from the tower, the crowd waved back instinctively. It felt less like a performance and more like a ritual the city has quietly carried forward for centuries.
Dinner was at a sidewalk pasta restaurant just off the square — warm air, clinking glasses, and a steady stream of people drifting home with shopping bags and souvenirs in hand. A lovely way to arrive somewhere new.
Day Two — Towers, Tunnels, and Freddie Mercury
We had intended to join a walking tour that morning, but Kraków proved distractingly good at pulling us off course.
The first distraction was the old Town Hall Tower, standing alone in the square since the rest of the building was demolished centuries ago. Cameron decided to climb it. Meg exercised better judgment and stayed below with the camera.
There are roughly 200 steep stairs to the top, and although the outdoor balconies are now closed, the views through the spotless windows were still worth the effort. Along the climb, an interpretive display included a replica of the city lord’s ring from the 1500s — a reminder that even seemingly modest museums in Poland tend to contain something unexpectedly fascinating.
From there, we descended underground into the Rynek Underground Museum, an archaeological site excavated beneath the square as recently as 2005. The museum traces more than a thousand years of Kraków’s history through buried roads, merchant stalls, graves, and medieval artifacts. One of the more surprising revelations was just how valuable salt once was — in the 1500s, half a ton of salt could buy a ton of gold.
The museum brochure suggested allowing an hour. We spent more than two and emerged considerably better informed than expected.
That evening brought one final surprise: a candlelit concert at the Royal Chopin Hall featuring piano, cello, and violin arrangements of Queen songs. Some translated beautifully into chamber music. Others felt slightly like Freddie Mercury had wandered into a conservatory by mistake. Either way, it was memorable.
Day Three — Salt, Jewish Memory, and Ice Cream
We were up early for the Wieliczka Salt Mine, a short commuter train ride outside the city.
More than two million people visit the mine each year, yet the operation runs with remarkable efficiency. English-language tours depart every thirty minutes, visitors wear headsets so guides never need to shout, and the entire route moves with near-clockwork precision.
The tour itself covers 3.5 kilometres and more than 800 stairs downward before a merciful elevator ride back to the surface. At 135 metres underground, we found ourselves standing beneath chandeliers made entirely from salt crystals in vast cathedral-like chambers carved directly from the rock.
Cam discovered that standing directly beneath one of the chandeliers creates a convincing halo effect in photographs — possibly the only halo he’ll ever claim.
Salt has been extracted here for at least a thousand years, with commercial production only ending around 1990. The carved chapels, underground lakes, and salt sculptures are genuinely astonishing, even if parts of the experience now lean heavily into tourism.
One guide told us between the 16th and 18th centuries, once a week, each worker could take home as much salt as they could hold in their hands. It was said, local ladies would seek potential husbands based on the size of their hands. We took that story with a grain of salt 😉
Our advice: book early and go first thing in the morning.
A Local Experience
Back in Kraków, we stumbled onto a local farmers market with almost no tourists in sight. Google Translate handled most of the negotiations, cash was strongly preferred, and for approximately twenty minutes we felt extremely local.
Later that afternoon we wandered through the Jewish Quarter, eventually finding a rooftop hotel bar overlooking the neighbourhood’s red rooftops and church spires.
Then came Heroes’ Square.
The square commemorates the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto between 1942 and 1945 and is filled with empty metal chairs scattered across the plaza. It is quiet, restrained, and deeply affecting. Some places ask for photographs. Others ask simply for pause.
On the walk back, we discovered what may have been the best ice cream of the entire trip. We ordered one scoop each. The woman behind the counter responded with cheerful disbelief and gave us two flavours apiece regardless of our protests.
It was far more ice cream than either of us needed.
We have no regrets.
Day Four — Planty Park and the Train to Warsaw
Our final morning in Kraków was spent wandering Planty Park, the long green belt that traces the outline of the old medieval walls and moat. We drifted through the sunshine, ducked into a few churches, and enjoyed the rare luxury of having nowhere urgent to be.
Then it was back to the train station, where our train to Warsaw departed late and our reserved seats faced backward despite specifically booking forward-facing ones.
PKP, consistent to the end.
Kraków rewarded us more than we expected. Three days only scratches the surface — but what a remarkable surface it is.
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Quote – He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left
Cam and Meg