Hotels in Krakow

Krakow (Kraków) is Poland's former royal capital and one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities. Set on the Vistula River in the south of the country, it grew from a 7th-century settlement into a powerful seat of Polish kings, leaving behind a UNESCO-listed Old Town, the hilltop Wawel Castle, and the largest medieval market square on the continent.

Today Krakow blends centuries of history with a youthful, creative energy fuelled by its universities, cafes, and the atmospheric Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. Visitors come for cobbled streets and Gothic churches, but stay for the bar-lined courtyards, milk-bar pierogi, and craft-beer scene that make the city feel both ancient and very much alive.

Krakow is also a natural base for day trips to landmark sites including the Wieliczka Salt Mine, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, and the dramatic limestone landscapes of Ojcow National Park, making it one of Central Europe's most rewarding short-break destinations.