August 11, 2013
August 11, 2013
Taking the overnight train, while travel savvy, can be hectic. It requires checking out of the hotel and hanging out late at night somewhere in town till the train leaves. The train usually arrives at the destination at the crack of dawn, as it did with us here in Krakow, Poland, too early to check in.
We dropped our bags off at the hotel and went to Krakow's nearby Old Town central square for breakfast of coffee and chocolate croissants. At first glance Krakow seemed a little seedy, with trash everywhere and more than a couple drunks staggering home. Then again this is the first time we have seen any of the cities this early in the morning. I bet Chicago is not much different.
Since it is still way too early for most tourist spots, we decide to take a short day trip to the suburb of Wieliczka. Near the Krakow train station we find the city bus that heads in that direction. While waiting, we check out the vicinity and find a private bus that will leave sooner. It turns out to be perfect. Not only is it a tad cheaper, it is much quicker with fewer stops.
We are in Wieliczka to see its salt mine. We sign up for the English language tour. At first I thought the price expensive but I have to say the tour was well worth it. This mine tour is fascinating on several fronts. First is its history; it has long been a tourist draw. Copernicus, the famed astronomer, visited five centuries ago. The mine first opened in the Middle Ages when salt was more valuable than gold. Salt was the only way to preserve many foods to last through the winter. It could mean the difference between life and death.
The mine was owned by the king and produced almost a third of Poland's GDP. The mine is full of ancient wooden mining hoists. Since wood doesn't rot in the salty air, here is the largest collection anywhere in the world.
The mine is also vast. We walked for three hours and only covered 1% of its extent. Many of the passages are lined with thick wooden beams, millions of logs, enough to clear all of Poland of forest. Fortunately they had seven centuries to accumulate this amount of wood. Some of the chambers are enormous, big enough for cafeterias.
The last reason this mine is special is the carvings. Over the centuries, miners had lots of time to add their mark. There are dozens of chapels, statues, and wall art, all made of salt. The largest chapel is church-size with even its tile floor carved from salt. It is impressive.
Our tour lasted three hours with only a short rest in between. We were the only ones on the second half of the tour; all the others quit. Our private tour was probably the best part; the quitters don't know what they missed.
After the tour, we were exhausted from all the walking, so we sat outside Wieliczka's castle and had a late lunch of White Borscht soup and Russian-style pirogi. Both were delicious. We were surprised to find a hard-boiled egg floating in the soup.
Back in Krakow, we retrieve our luggage, check into the hotel and then set out for a stroll through Old Town. The Old Town is balloon-shaped and surrounded by a green belt park called the Planty, where the city walls once stood. Only a gate and barbican remain on the north side. The Old Town is nice with its winding streets and pretty central square. While way above average, it does not have the architectural beauty of Prague.
On the far south end sits Wawel Castle overlooking the Wisla (Vistula) River. We walk through the castle and then cross the bridge to get a good photo. Above us we see a hotel's rooftop restaurant. It looks like a great place for dinner, but when we get there, we find they only have low slung deck chairs for seating. So we opt only for a drink while enjoying the view.
We dropped our bags off at the hotel and went to Krakow's nearby Old Town central square for breakfast of coffee and chocolate croissants. At first glance Krakow seemed a little seedy, with trash everywhere and more than a couple drunks staggering home. Then again this is the first time we have seen any of the cities this early in the morning. I bet Chicago is not much different.
Since it is still way too early for most tourist spots, we decide to take a short day trip to the suburb of Wieliczka. Near the Krakow train station we find the city bus that heads in that direction. While waiting, we check out the vicinity and find a private bus that will leave sooner. It turns out to be perfect. Not only is it a tad cheaper, it is much quicker with fewer stops.
The mine was owned by the king and produced almost a third of Poland's GDP. The mine is full of ancient wooden mining hoists. Since wood doesn't rot in the salty air, here is the largest collection anywhere in the world.
The mine is also vast. We walked for three hours and only covered 1% of its extent. Many of the passages are lined with thick wooden beams, millions of logs, enough to clear all of Poland of forest. Fortunately they had seven centuries to accumulate this amount of wood. Some of the chambers are enormous, big enough for cafeterias.
Our tour lasted three hours with only a short rest in between. We were the only ones on the second half of the tour; all the others quit. Our private tour was probably the best part; the quitters don't know what they missed.
After the tour, we were exhausted from all the walking, so we sat outside Wieliczka's castle and had a late lunch of White Borscht soup and Russian-style pirogi. Both were delicious. We were surprised to find a hard-boiled egg floating in the soup.
On the far south end sits Wawel Castle overlooking the Wisla (Vistula) River. We walk through the castle and then cross the bridge to get a good photo. Above us we see a hotel's rooftop restaurant. It looks like a great place for dinner, but when we get there, we find they only have low slung deck chairs for seating. So we opt only for a drink while enjoying the view.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:59 AM
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