Jet Lagged Gianna

I actually decided to visit Krakow at the last minute. I’d left the final two weeks of my trip totally empty so that I could have a little wiggle room if anything changed. I was debating between taking the night bus to spend 3 days in Krakow, or just using my extra time to explore more of Germany.

In hindsight, staying in Germany would have been more comfortable and time effective. However, after hearing so many people call Krakow a “haven for vegans,” I knew I had to visit. The overnight bus sucked, but Krakow was definitely in the top 3 places I visited during this trip. I only wish I had more time there.

My bus dropped me off at the Krakow station at 6 am. I felt like a zombie. I think I slept a total of 2 hours the night before.

The city was a ghost town at such an early hour. I didn’t see a single soul until I reached the main square. I stumbled upon this interesting scene.

A random man passed out on the ground surrounded by doctors wasn’t exactly the “welcome to Krakow” I was expecting. I instantly wondered if I’d made the right decision by coming here. Krakow is a huge party destination, so I’m sure the kid just drank too much the night before.

The Let’s Rock Hostel has 24 hour front desk reception. I couldn’t check in until 2 pm, but they let me store my bags, even offering me a bathroom so that I could take a shower.

When I’d cleaned all the bus off me and changed clothes, I made my way to the kitchen for some free coffee. I was the only one awake, other than two hostel employees. One of them was a peppy guy from the UK that sat across the table from me and continued asking me questions about my life. I have no idea how he had so much energy at 6:30 in the morning. All I wanted was sleep.

I sipped my coffee and utilized the free wifi to watch Netflix on my phone for two hours. It wasn’t a very exciting start to my trip, but it was what I needed.

Finally, I mustered the energy to find some breakfast. I typed vegan into google maps and a hundred different options appeared, all within walking distance. I chose a cute spot called Vegano Cafe.

The cafe was small and adorable inside. I ordered a coffee and an avocado and cheese sandwich. Both were amazing and I’m pretty sure my bill came out to $4. Not bad Krakow, not bad at all.

The coffee gave me enough artificial energy to head to Wawel Castle, a popular tourist destination that happened to be free on the day I was visiting (I think it was Tuesday?).

The area was gorgeous. The castle wasn’t super ornate or monumental. It just had charm. I was able to tour the inside as well.

After the tour I made my way to the famous Smok Wawelski, a dragon statue dedicated to the mythical Wawel dragon. I tried to get a good picture, but there were tons of kids climbing all over it and people yelling to take a picture and I was so tired and I just couldn’t deal. This is the best I got.

The center of Krakow is comprised of a bunch of parks. You have to walk through greenery to get anywhere. It’s quite lovely. When I needed a break from sightseeing, I sat on a bench and read my book. The heat wave was over, and I felt comfortable in the shade.

It was lunch time, and I decided pierogi would be a good way to celebrate Polish culture. I did some research and settled on Glonojad, a restaurant serving food from all over the world. Unfortunately, they weren’t selling pierogis that day because it was too hot??? I don’t even know. I settled on a curry with yellow rice and some salads. All were delicious. Delicious enough to make up for the lack of pierogi? Probably not.

I also somehow ordered two samosas by accident. I’m not complaining. I think I paid $6 for this meal.

When I got back to my hostel, I took a much needed nap. I was knocked out for a good 2 hours, and then spent another hour watching Netflix on my phone.

Here are my thoughts on night busses: they are a cheap and efficient way to get from point A to point B. You don’t need to pay for accommodation for one night and you can get very far without dealing with an airport. However, they are exhausting. I wouldn’t recommend taking them too often, especially if you are only planning on staying in one location for a short amount of time. My first full day in Krakow was overshadowed by my sleep deprivation.

When I woke up, I ate my leftover samosa and some instant ramen from Berlin for dinner. I didn’t have the energy to go back out.

The peppy employee started talking to me about game night and taking shots. I nodded sleepily, wanting to socialize even if I wasn’t planning on going out. There were some girls from the UK staying in my room who were pretty fun. We played a hostel organized game of Cards Against Humanity with shots somehow involved. The game lasted until most of the group left for a pub crawl. I opted to crawl into bed instead.

The next morning, I had one thing on my mind: Pierogi. I’d been in Poland far too long without eating them, and it was unacceptable.

My dreams came true at a little restaurant called Pierogarnia Krakowiacy. They had 2 vegan options on the menu. It felt pretty authentic because the restaurant was full of locals. The cashier behind the counter didn’t speak any English (or maybe she was pretending not to because she didn’t want to serve me tap water).

I ordered the pierogis with cabbage and mushrooms. They came out piping hot and covered in caramelized onions. I was in pierogi heaven. I also only paid $4 for 12 pierogis and I couldn’t even finish them.

That afternoon, I met up with a tour group that would take me to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. I feel like you can’t visit Krakow without experiencing this. We hear so many horror stories about WWII, but it’s difficult to understand the full extent of the Holocaust from the USA.

I don’t want to say too much about my experience at the camp. It was eye-opening and extremely upsetting. But I think everyone should go and see it for themselves. I also recommend going with a tour guide. You’ll get much more information that way.

“For your benefit, learn from our tragedy. It is not a written law that the next victims must be Jews. It can also be other people. We saw it begin in Germany with Jews, but people from more than twenty other nations were also murdered.”

Simon Wiesenthal

I returned to the city a few hours later, my heart heavy I went back to the hostel for another nap, this time for reasons other than tiredness. I needed to digest.

A few hours later, it was time for dinner. I followed the recommendation of a few blog posts and typed Vegab into google maps (like Kebab but with a V).

Europeans love Kebabs, which are basically what we Americans call gyros. You can find thousands of small kebab shops scattered across hundreds of cities. Being that Kebabs are sandwiches made from giant skewers of rotating meat, I never ate one. Vegab finally gave me the opportunity to try true European fast food.

Vegab was amazing. It was one of my favorite things I had on my entire trip. I loved it so much I went back the next day. I ordered a classic vegab on pita with seitan meat, cucumbers, hummus, tahini, pickles, and other toppings. I went back to my hostel and devoured the entire thing.

“Wow, you must have been really hungry,” the peppy hostel worker said.

“Mmhmm,” I nodded, my mouth still full of food.

That night was karaoke night at the bar beneath the hostel. We were given a free drink ticket and told it started at 9. A few solo travelers from my dorm room decided that we would go check it out. Karaoke is awkward when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know.

It was definitely a little weird at first. The owners of the bar were singing karaoke way too loud and jumping around trying to hype everyone up. But after a few drinks, we were all totally into it.

The Let’s Rock Hostel is definitely meant for a younger crowd. Considering the fact that I was only 22 when I stayed here, young means young. I think travelers 19 and under would enjoy this place a lot. As a 22 year old, I don’t need people jumping up and down yelling at me to have a good time in order to have a good time. If you’re looking to party like a college student, stay at this hostel.

The next morning, my final day in Krakow, I took a walk through Schindler’s factory. I’d seen the film once in high school, but walking through the actual factory taught me so much more.

After the factory, I went to the Ghetto Heroes Square, a monument honoring the wartime ghetto that was in the city. I spent some more time in the park reading my book, and then decided I needed another Vegab before I had to endure a second overnight bus.

I ate my delicious amazing wonderful vegab in the restaurant and then headed back to the hostel to pick up my bags. I said goodbye to the employees and then made my way to the bus station, mentally preparing for my 13 hour drive to Munich.

I got lucky this time. The bus was pretty empty. I had an entire row to myself and I was able to get a lot more sleep. I love being 5 foot 1. It means I can almost lay flat across two bus seats and still be comfortable.

I didn’t spend nearly enough time in Poland. I wish I had at least another 2 weeks to explore the country. It’s a completely underrated destination that deserves a little more love. The food is delicious, the people are kind, the city is beautiful, and the history is rich.

Up Next –> Munich, Germany: where beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder

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