Writes of Passage

Kapitana Mieczysława Medweckiego 1,
32-083 Balice/Kraków, Poland

… more pix & videos on Google Maps & Yelp

Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II Kraków-Balice to lhr via FRA.

This may be a challenging time, given everything happening in the world—but my first encounter with KRK turned out to be its own test of patience.

Uber dropped us off at the arrivals area—which sits on the same level as departures. The glass structure looks new and modern, and the drive from the Old Town is actually scenic and green. So the airport can be pleasant, at least from the outside.

• vat refund offices
• leaving KRK

Upon arrival, we were met with a complete closure due to a “threat” (or something equally unclear). A massive crowd was held back for over thirty minutes. I don’t know how long it had been going on before I got there, but I personally waited for thirty-one minutes.

The walk to Gate 7 was packed and chaotic. The boarding process was worse: passengers crowded the gate regardless of the boarding sequence, turning the area into an immovable human wall. Trying to get through felt like attempting to part the Red Sea without divine assistance.

Our flight to FRA was delayed from 11:15 to 12:10. Reportedly, the closure had no thing to do with it. Again, I haven’t had a flight delay in ages. And of course I only had a one-hour layover in Frankfurt for my next flight. Perfect timing.

As for Lufthansa — this part may not be KRK’s fault… but still.

Lufthansa’s online check-in refused to work for me, and there were no kiosks. So I had to wait in a long line just to get a paper boarding pass—something so outdated I genuinely cannot remember the last time I needed one.

And, as always, the Lufthansa counter agents zeroed in on my carry-on—the only luggage I travel with. No other airline has ever bothered me about it, but Lufthansa? Every. Single. Time. JFK, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong… without fail. Their corporate culture really runs deep.

This time in Kraków, after the lockdown was lifted and everyone was already stressed, the line for check-in was long. Still no kiosks. Only three agents working.

My carry-on went on the scale: 1.8 kg over. The agent looked at me and said, flatly, “Overweight.”

I asked, “Should I remove a jacket? Pay? What do you want me to do?”
She shrugged—as if the whole situation bored her.

I bent down to unzip the suitcase, ready to pull something out, when she suddenly said, “That’s fine. You can go.”

What the heck? Was she just enjoying the momentary power trip? A little pre-boarding entertainment?

If this were an isolated incident, I wouldn’t even mention it. But with Lufthansa, it is never isolated. It’s every time.

plac Wolnica 1, 31-060
Kraków, Poland

… more pix on Google Maps

Sits at Wolnica Square, the Kazimierz Town Hall was built around 1414 in Krakow’s historic Jewish Quarter, served as the seat of the independent town of Kazimierz, evolving from its medieval origins with Renaissance additions in the 16th/17th centuries, enduring damage (like during the Second Northern War), and later functioning as schools before becoming home to the Ethnographic Museum 民族志博物馆 of Kraków after WWII, housing rich Polish ethnographic collections today.

Kraków, Poland

This small square is near our Tulip hotel, with Kazimierz Town Hall in the back.

On Sunday around noon, there is a big kids gathering (boy and Girl Scouts?), with adults mingling around. A truck with the Wodociagi imprint (Municipal Water and Sewage Company SA) supplies water.

http://Municipal Water and Sewage Company SA

@ Oldtown, main city square
Kraków, Poland

…more pix n videos on Google Maps

After dinner, we take the carriage ride / Krakow Coach Tour from Oldtown to our Tulip hotel, a mile away for 800 zł / $220, plus a healthy tip.

Horse-drawn carriage ride from the Old Town is a popular activity at the square, day and night. Typically, it takes about  30 minutes and costs $55-$165 (200-600 zł). The most common route goes from the Main Market Square to Wawel Hill, which is half a mile away (800 meters).

• getting on
• the ride

One noticeable fact is that they keep the ride area spot clean: no feeding (except water) and no manure.

Our two drivers: one young lady who handles communication and payment, and the older male who handles the rest.

Rynek Główny 30
Kraków, Poland 31010

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA, Insta

Will return for the location.

We’ve
– Salmon: tender and yummy
– Chicken soup: after adding salt and pepper, it tastes good
– spaghetti: good
– Steak salad: the dressing is lukewarm
– Crème Brûlée: small & wonderful

They’re right on the Square in Oldtown, with good service and decent food. The indoor section has a high ceiling and an impressive wine wall. We sat outdoors. It’s Sunday night. The crowds are thin, and horse-drawn carriages are less frequent. It has a strong enough cell signal to download their menu and place an order.

Before leaving, the server offered us dessert drinks/snaps on the house: thank you.

plac Mariacki 5,
31-042 Kraków, Poland

… more pix n videos on Google Maps, TA

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic church in the Mariacki Square at the north-eastern corner of the Main Market Square in the Old Town of Kraków. This Brick Gothic church was built in the 14th century, with its foundations dating back to the early 13th century.

Every hour, without rest or mercy from time, a trumpet lifts its voice from the taller tower of Saint Mary’s Basilica. The Hejnał mariacki is brief and aching, a melody that falters and falls silent mid-breath. Its broken ending remembers a 13th-century watchman, felled by an arrow to the throat as he sounded the warning of a Mongol onslaught. Even now, the tune refuses to finish. At noon, its unfinished cry travels far beyond Kraków, borne by the airwaves across Poland and into the wider world by Polish Radio Jedynka.

每隔一小时,时间毫不留情地流逝,圣玛丽教堂高高的钟楼上都会响起一阵号角声. 这支名为“玛丽亚号角曲” (Hejnał mariacki) 的乐曲短暂而哀伤,旋律断断续续,戛然而止.它那残缺的结尾是为了纪念一位13世纪的守夜人,他在发出蒙古人入侵的警报时,被一支箭射中喉咙而牺牲.时至今日,这支曲子依然没有奏完.正午时分,它那未尽的旋律传遍克拉科夫,并通过波兰广播电台第一频道(Polish Radio Jedynka) 的电波传遍波兰乃至世界各地.

Bożego Ciała 26,
31-059 Kraków, Poland

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA

It’s across the street from our hotel Tulip, with a good view from our courtyard.

Corpus Christi Basilica (Bazylika Bożego Ciała) is one of Kraków’s most beautiful and historically rich churches, located in the Kazimierz district.

This Roman Catholic church was founded: 1340s by King Casimir III the Great (1310-70), in Polish Gothic style on the outside, with a remarkably rich Baroque interior.

31-069 Kraków, Poland

… more pix & video on Google Maps; TA for the concert;

The Bernardine Franciscan monastery and church, or Bernardine Church (Kościół Bernardynów) is a beautiful Catholic Church, known for its significant role in the Observant Franciscan movement in Poland. Its location crossing the street from the Wawel Royal Castle, also adds prominence.

We went there the first night we got into town for a classical concert, but it didn’t seem to be opening anytime soon. So we went to Saints Peter and Paul Church instead.

This Baroque church built over a Gothic predecessor has ornate interior, which we didn’t go.

A former royal residence and political center of Poland for centuries, now a museum complex that showcases art, history, and royal heritage.

A few significant facts from reading:

• It was the seat of Polish kings from the 11th to early 17th century.
• It symbolizes Polish statehood, culture, and national identity.
• The site is a blend of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture.

Some highlights

• State Rooms – Renaissance halls used by Polish monarchs.
• Royal Private Apartments – Where the kings lived.
• Crown Treasury & Armory – Holds the Szczerbiec coronation sword, armor, royal treasures.
• Wawel Cathedral (next door) – Coronation site of Polish kings.
• Dragon’s Den – A legendary cave tied to Kraków’s founding myth.
• Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine (often exhibited here in recent years).

Bulwar Kurlandzki vis-a-vis,
Różowa barka, Podgórska 16,
31-061 Kraków, Poland

… more pix n videos on Google Maps, Yelp*, TA, Insta

Will return for the fun

It’s a diverting boat to hang out: under the Father Bernatek Footbridge, with two drag queens and good food.

We’ve burette and salad: both are decent. I finished the delicious mini pink focaccias bread.

Boy George in pink and his sidekick, or an equal partner in green, are entertaining. They sing, dance, and chat customers up at their tables. However, there isn’t a single Boy George song.

The bathrooms are on the lower level, which has a decent party size. The bathroom area is very dark, even during the bright daylight. Its plumbing needs work.

Kładka Ojca Bernatka,
31-061 Kraków, Poland

… more videos n pix on Google Maps, TA,

We used it a few times during our stay, and have lunch at Slay Space.

The Father Bernatek Footbridge (Kładka Ojca Bernatka), named in honor of Father Laetus Bernatek, is a pedestrian bridge completed in 2010. It was built to connect two picturesque districts of Kraków: from Mostowa on Kazimierz side and Podgórze.

Kazimierz is one of the oldest and most renowned historic Jewish quarters in Europe, rich in monuments and cultural heritage. Podgórze, by contrast, is a district with deep historical roots, shaped by centuries of urban and social development.