Day 3 – The Rynek Museum, Ghetto Heroes Square, and a few souvenirs…

Today was my last day in Krakow before flying home the following day. So, I decided to take a last trip back to the Main Square to have another look around the Christmas markets and souvenir shops to see if I could find a few little gifts to take back home with me, especially with Christmas being just around the corner. I also decided to go and take a look at the Rynek Underground Museum that is situated below the market square.

The Rynek Museum is approximately 4000 square metres in size and sits several metres below the surface of the square. It stretches from Cloth Hall to St Mary’s Church. Work began on the museum in 2009 and it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get round. The museum has many old relics, including areas of the original cobbled streets before the present city was built above it. You can take a step back in time as you wander around the museum and experience chambers, market stalls, blacksmiths, a graveyard, and numerous coins, stamps, figures, and sculptures. Visual graphics and glass floors have also been added into the mix to bring the museum into the present day. It only cost 28 Zloty per person to enter the museum, so a good price for half a day of entertainment.

After a busy morning, it was time for some refreshments, and I had one of the best waffles I’ve ever tasted along with an equally as good hot chocolate with whipped cream on top – just what I needed on a cold day!

In the afternoon, I walked over to Ghetto Hero’s Square which is located in Pogorze and was once the Jewish neighbourhood of Krakow. The square commemorates the tragic events and troubled past of Krakow’s Jewish communities. It states that there are 70 large bronze chairs, but it didn’t look like there were that many to me – but to be fair, I didn’t count them! The chairs are spaced apart to symbolise the loss and absence of the people and their belongings. It was a fair walk over to this part of Krakow but was a nice route along by the river with a good view of the bridges. Winter probably wasn’t the best time to visit the square, as it looked quite bleak, but I couldn’t help wondering if more could have been made of the place.

I then commenced my walk back, reflecting on my great time in Krakow. I think my experience would have been different at another time of the year, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and feel as if it is the perfect city for a winter break. If I’d had another day or two, I may have taken a trip into the mountain area and gone to the thermal spa, which is another excursion you can do if you fancy it. If you do decide on a trip to Krakow during the winter months, though, remember to come well prepared for the weather with good walking boots, thermals, a thick coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, as you’ll definitely need them!