Come Hungry, Leave Drunk

A quick guide to Kazimierz, for when we can all travel again.

Kazimierz

"Just go & shoot some good stuff for a Krakow city guide"

As a travel photographer that's the dream brief, the opportunity & time to wander, get lost & just see what happens means you really get under the skin of a place, which in turn only makes your images better.

As I was in Krakow on a commission I had to put a bit of research in beforehand & in doing so I found the brilliant Delicious Poland, an independent tour company run by the lovely Kamilla & Göksel. I tagged on to their Craft Beer Tour & after the tour they gave loads of top hints of where to explore & eat & drink in the Kazimierz district.

I know we can't travel at the moment but I wanted to do this blog to give some future travel inspiration & also give a shout to the people whose businesses will really need our support when we are all back to "normal".

So below is a quick guide to the Kazimierz District for you to enjoy from home now & hopefully experience in real life soon.

Were to go.

Kazimierz was an independent town, then later the Jewish Quarter & even though its now part of the city of Krakow it retains a fiercely independent vibe giving you loads to see & do & eat.

Szeroka Street gives you a real feel of how the district was as the Jewish Quarter, this is the main tourist gathering point & serves as a good starting point for your wanderings. From Szeroka wander round the cobbled streets & courtyards in the rough direction of Plac Nowry the busy historic pavilion at the center of Kazimierz, with a daily market & the opportunity to sample the best Polish street food from the hole in the wall food outlets.

From here head to Jozefa, a long street full of cool shops & bars you can easily loose a few hours in. The nearby Jewish Community Centre is a welcoming space that serves a focal point for the Jewish Community & Visitors alike with events & exchibitions.

Then a mooch down to the Visula River will take you through many characterful squares & streets to get lost in & check out the street art. From the river bank you can see the spires of the Wawel Castle at the start of the grand Old Town.

The whole area is easily walkable, in fact the City of Krakow is easily explored on foot or bike & I can honestly say it felt like one of the safest & most welcoming cities I have visited.

eat, drink, shop, repeat

It's all about the food (well for me it is) & the beer so I'm just going to make a list below for you to dream of now & work your way through when you visit. ENJOY!

Pierogi - savory or sweet dumplings, Typical fillings include potato, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese and fruits... try them ALL from the hole in the wall at Plac Nowry.

Craft Beer - the craft beer scene in the area is booming with an array or microbreweries & bars, get on a tour as an introduction then head out alone to explore further.

Zapiekanka - essential after a few beers, think of a french bread pizza with an array of toppings, traditionally white mushrooms & cheese served hot with ketchup.

Vodka - because it's rude not to.

Traditional Polish Restaurants - pick one & go in hungry. Very hungry. Think soup with dumplings, beetroot & cabbage sides, goulash pancakes, potatoes, beer. Literally my idea of the perfect carb loading session. Kuchina au Doroty is my favourite.

Try one of the Authentic Jewish Restaurants on Szeroka Street & Modern Israeli food at Hamsa

This is just a quick list of suggestions to start you off, get out there when you can, enjoy & eat & drink waaaay too much!