10 Days Wandering Around Poland | Travel Guide

Poland is full of incredible history and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s a paradise destination for budget travellers as it’s incredibly cheap. There’s much to explore, from town squares, unique architecture, forests, salt mines, wildlife and the breathtaking Tatra Mountains. We stayed ten days in Poland and couldn’t get enough of this beautiful country.

Facts about Poland

• Poland is the 9th largest country in Europe
• Poland has one of the world’s oldest salt mines
• Vodka originated in Poland
• Poland had the world’s first upside-down house

Extra Great Fact (for food lovers)

Food is incredible in Poland and so affordable. We tried almost every traditional Polish dish and fell in love with pierogi! Pierogi are significant to Polish culture. We preferred the meat pierogi, but you can find them with different fillings, like potatoes, cheese, and fruit.

Since we arrived at the international airport in Kraków in the evening, we stayed for one night in a hostel close by as we had to leave early the following morning for Wrocław.

Exploring the city of bridges – Wrocław

Wrocław is a city mainly known for its picturesque market square. We enjoyed wandering around this beautiful city, as it’s so peaceful, less touristy and felt that authentic traditional feel. Wrocław is full of attractions that you can’t miss. You can’t skip the city of bridges if you’re planning a trip to Poland, so keep Wrocław on your list.

We recommend visiting Zoo Afrykarium in Wrocław – The oldest zoo in Poland!

Wrocław Zoo is home to over 10,000 animals. It’s the third-largest zoological garden worldwide and the most visited zoo in Poland.

We suggest you allocate 3 to 4 hours at the zoo, as there’s much to see. We were delighted with our visit to this zoo. We are animal lovers, so being surrounded by thousands of animals felt incredible.

There are so many rare species, and the Afrykarium is just fantastic. It gave us that experience to immerse ourselves “in the sea” – in a 20 m-long tunnel underwater. We saw sharks, turtles, hippos, and many more from all angles.

You can check the Zoo Entrance Price List here and buy the tickets online.

To get that traditional feel, we suggest going to Hala Targowa Market Hall, designed by Richard Plüdemann and built between 1906 and 1908.

We love to visit traditional markets wherever we are in the world.

Hala Targowa Market Hall is a must-visit when visiting Wrocław. All the stalls are so beautiful, packed with fresh products. The flower stalls make the place more lovely. One thing we noticed was that the whole place was spotless.

It’s open from Monday to Saturday between 8:00 and 18:30, while closed on Sunday.

It was tough for us to leave Wrocław as we fell in love with this neighbourhood, but we’ll visit again!

Time for Kraków

Kraków is one of the cultural cities recognized by UNESCO and known as the most beautiful city in Poland.

Getting around Krakow is super easy. The means of public transport in Krakow are very convenient. Mainly we used buses and trams. You can purchase tickets at ticket vending machines at stations or on buses.

Top Attractions in Kraków

Wawel Castle

The Wawel Castle is located by the Vistula River in the heart of Kraków, on Wawel Hill. When Kraków was the capital of Poland, the Wawel Castle served as a royal residence and fortress of Polish Kings. Today, it’s a museum.

This beautiful castle is open to visitors every day from Monday to Friday between 9:30 and 17:00, while on Saturday and Sunday, it’s open between 10:00 and 17:00. On holidays, it’s closed.

Krakus Mound

We climbed the Krakus Mound and were blown away by the daring panoramic views of the city!

Krakus Mound is the oldest structure in Kraków and provides incredible views from its sixteen-meter-high summit. It lies at the centre of Krakow’s least explored and most fascinating areas. Anyone looking to take a rewarding detour from the beaten path should visit this mound.

We suggest visiting Krakus Mound in Summer or when the skies are clear to enjoy the best views.

Jewish District

This area of Kraków gave us a feel of life before World War II. Many buildings are still intact, while some are still in renovation. Today, Kazimierz is one of the most recognizable places in Kraków. This district is teeming with cultural and artistic life.

There are a lot of synagogues that you can enter in the Kazimierz Jewish District. We recommend visiting the Remuh Synagogue, the Temple Synagogue, and the most famous Old Synagogue.

There is a Jewish cemetery near the Remuh Synagogue. Every year, the Jewish Culture Festival takes place on Szeroka Street.

Galicia Jewish Museum is also worth visiting. From time to time, the museum organizes meetings with people who survived the Holocaust where they can share their stories in the building.

Kazimierz Jewish District is a must-see place when in Kraków. It’s an entirely different place where we learned much about Jewish culture and food.

Zakrzówek Lake

This Lake is just a 20-minute walk from Wawel Castle, yet we chose the longest path and hiked it through the forests, which took us around 2 hours to arrive.

This marvellous Zakrzówek Lake is the site of an old limestone quarry. Keep in mind that this Lake is officially prohibited from swimming. If you decide to swim, it’s at your own risk, as the area has been a site for some accidental deaths over the past years, so be extra vigilant!

Zakrzówek Lake is a hidden lagoon in an old mined quarry. Some people don’t believe this gem exists. We don’t blame them, as we couldn’t believe our eyes when we got there, but believe us. It’s REAL!

Vistula River

The Vistula is the longest river in Poland, and it flows in the Baltic Sea. It is 1047 km long and runs through Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland.

We enjoyed walking along with the Vistula and seeing the sacred buildings and bridges in different shapes. We were amazed to see the fascinating Father Ojca Bernatka Bridge. It has one side for cyclists, while the other is for pedestrians.

We ended our day with a relaxing boat ride on the Vistula River. It was so calming, hearing the water flowing, birds chirping and seeing beautiful scenery.

There are various boat rides which you can choose from. We took the Kapitan Victor cruise, and we recommend it to everyone. The captain is friendly, and the price was one of the cheapest.

Where to stay in Poland

Poland is NOT expensive, and so are the accommodations. For additional discounts, we suggest you book through Booking.com

TIP: For colder seasons, we suggest visiting Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains in Winter as they are so beautiful, especially covered in snow. Such a magical experience!

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