All posts tagged: krakow

The salt mine of Krakow – Kopalnia Soli

Published by Katarina

In 1996 the production of Kopalnia Soli, the salt mine of Krakow stopped. Today some small scale mining take place and it is the water in the mine that have a very high dose of salt that is processed in to a pure product. Today the mine makes it’s money from tourism and considering the number of tourists when we were there that should be a good business.  Arriving we get a guide, the tours start every half an hour and we get the funniest polish guide I ever met. A girl with dark hair and the driest sense of humour telling stories with a dark polish accent on her English, a fantastic experience. Going down hundreds of steps below ground you shouldn’t be afraid of cramped spaces and spaces below ground because it is far down and it is tunnels, normal sized but not especially big. There are several kilo-meters of tunnels and without a guide it must be extremely difficult to find a way to the top. With the guided tour that takes …

Krakow – in the footsteps of WW2

Published by Katarina

I have been to Krakow before. I don’t remember much I admit, it was a long time ago. Monday we arrived in Krakow after night train from Venice to Vienna and then train to Ostrava and bus to Krakow. Arriving in Krakow we had half a day and headed for the jewish quarters and old town.    The jewish quarters of Krakow are well preserved and is an entire part of the city. It holds several synagogues and jewish cemeteries, an old well known pharmacy called Apteka Pod Orlem, monuments of the war as the chairs and the emalj factory of Oscar Schindler. When you arrive in Krakow you just go for whatever map and it is all marked out on it.  The synagogs are in use so it is possible to visit them but during jewish holidays they might only be open for those who celebrate the holiday. The Apteka Pod Orlem was held open by a German guy who sold medicines within the Krakow Ghetto and was aloud to be held open only …

Train from Venice to Krakow – sleeping like a baby, having breakfast as an Austrian

Published by Katarina

After spending a day in Venice we hop on the night train from Venice to Vienna. For the somewhat large cost of 354,60 euro we got ourself a sleeping cabin for four, two bottles of water, a pillow, blanket and breakfast. We also gpt an Austrian train attendant who made us breakfast and woke us up at 7.00. Oh the luxury! Train – from Venice St. Luzia to Vienna. In Vienna we changed train to Ostrava and then took the bus from Ostrava to Krakow.  When arriving in Ostrava we had to run to the bus though we were at least 15 minutes late. The bus is though very close and they also wait for those who are late due to late trains so it doesn’t turn into problem. Breathing and sweating intensely when we arrive at the bus we end up in front of two Englishmen so typical English that you start to wonder if you ended up in the wrong country.   Finally arriving at the station in Krakow, Krakow Glowny, we easily …