Poland for a long weekend - Krakow or Gdansk?

[knasty]

2 days In June. Any opinions? Just want a couple of days of culture to tick Poland off the list. Have enjoyed the recent TRs including Krakow. Also will be taking the train to Warsaw the following day arriving at lunch with an 8pm AY departure so any inner city Warsaw must see would also be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[RooFlyer]

Haven't been to Gdansk, have been to Krakow, so my vote is firmly to the latter. I think Gdansk suffered badly in WW2 and is mainly an industrial town?

 

[Virgin Bart]

Kraków is no doubt the tourism hub. But Gdańsk and surrounds are quickly catching up. Personally I think Kraków is worth doing at least once.

But I'm completely biased towards Warsaw. Let me know when you're going and I'll give you some tips if you haven't been before.

FYI Auschwitz is 4 hours from Warsaw, via Kraków. A must see if you can deal with it.

 

[knasty]

I am in 2 minds about Auschwitz. Whilst I want to.see it, on such a short holiday I am worried it may dominate the whole trip.

 

[OATEK]

I am in 2 minds about Auschwitz. Whilst I want to.see it, on such a short holiday I am worried it may dominate the whole trip.

We went to Aushwitz on our Krakow trip, and used an excellent tour company led by an Englishman married to a polish woman. He has videos to play on the way out through seatback tablets. We were picked up around 8:30, and were back in the main square about 2:30pm, after visiting Auschwitz 1 and 2 (Birkenau) (there is an all day trip option that includes the salt mines, but we left that out).

I have to say we felt totally drained after the trip there and back, and the rest of the day we didn't feel like doing much. So if you are only there 2 days, it will eat hugely into your time. We felt we had to go to the death camps because several very distant relatives of SWMBO had perished there, and it seemed right. Very moving when you enter Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau) and see the carriage restored by Frank Lowy as a tribute to his father who was put to death there.

As for Krakow, it is such a beautifully preserved medieval town that I would recommend it to everyone.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

You don't have 4 days to do both ?
i would say Kraków . It is absolutely awesome in June. I would recommend you go see the Wieliczka underground salt mine as well if you have time (it's just outside the city).
Auschwitz - it's a disturbing place. I don't know that if your are going on holidays this is something you would enjoy.
Gdansk was damaged during WW2 but you wouldn't be able to tell when you're in the old city. It also has a great vibe in the summer. The beaches are average when compared to about beaches but again there is lots to see there as well. You can go to Westerplatte where the first shots of WW2 were fired, take the ferry to the Hel peninsula which is also pretty cool. Sopot, which is part of the tri-city (together with Gdansk and Gdynia) also has a great vibe with the central walking boulevard down into the long jetty out into the Baltic . If you can time it with a concert in the Opera Lesna (big amphitheatre in the forest) that has great atmosphere and they usually have gigs there quite frequently in summer.
in short i think Kraków for more historical sights, and Gdansk if you're after history but also a dash of entertainment.

Choices choices
ive been to Kraków many times and it always has something new. I love the place and even though I've only been to Gdansk once or twice ages ago I would go to Kraków again

 

[Mattg]

+1 for Krakow.

 

[Daver6]

As others have said Auschwitz I and II is an all day affair. It was somewhere I had always wanted to visit and was thoroughly physically and emotionally drained. The visit for me was especially poignant given semi-distant relatives were killed there and elsewhere during WWII.

Auschwitz I has the buildings turned into a museum with lots of information. Auschwitz II (Birkenua) just staggered me. The immense size of the place was beyond comprehension. I was there in the middle of winter. There was snow everywhere and minus 15C. I was rugged up and still freezing. I couldn't imagine how anyone could survive such conditions.

Its certainly worth a visit. If you are only in Krakow for two days though, I'm not sure I'd recommend it unless it is of particular interest to you. It really put a dampener on things for the remainder of the day and makes you contemplate a lot of things.

 

[knasty]

Thanks for all the advice. I must admit both places interest me but I'm going with popular wisdom here and have locked in Krakow. I will try to leave early on the last day and sleep on the train up to Warsaw to maximise the very limited time I will have there. Looking forward to this one.

 

[knasty]

Just a bump for those who have helped already; any guidance on which part of town to.aim for with the hotel? Thanks.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

Just a bump for those who have helped already; any guidance on which part of town to.aim for with the hotel? Thanks.

Definitely in the old quarter near the main square or close by so you can walk. If you look on google maps for Krakow Rynek - you will see the square (rynek). Have a look at trip advisor and it all depends on your budget. But stay in that general area.