Krakow, Poland
Tuesday, September 10 – more rain today, but that did not slow down our intrepid travelers! Got out a little after sunrise for my morning jog. A bit damp, and the cobblestones are always a treat, but I love being out before the crowds come.
As we are in an apartment, we stopped at a grocer’s yesterday and stocked up on some breakfast items–fruit, yogurt, granola, and the like. Doesn’t make for good photos but cheap, easy and healthy.
We ventured out past the Vistula River to Podgorze, an area where Polish Jews were herded into a ghetto during WWII. We stopped into the Pharmacy Under the Eagle Museum. Bonus–it turns out Tuesday is free admission day! This is a small place on the corner of the square that tells the story of a Catholic pharmacist who aided and hid Jewish victims of the Nazis. It wasn’t big, but it was fascinating. Better yet, not one person aggravated me!
We then strolled back over the river into Kazimierz, the historic Jewish neighborhood in Krakow. Multiple synagogues and an evocative cemetery were the central points of our touring. We stopped for lunch at an Israeli restaurant on the central square of the quarter. The food was delicious, and our waitress was delightful. It was a lovely break.
After lunch, Dan decided to wander back towards the Old Town, and I navigated the city’s tram system to get a bit out of town to the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy. The tram was a piece of cake, and it cost all of $1 to get where I wanted to go. My biggest travel tip–master the local mass transit and you have every city at your fingertips.
The sanctuary was interesting, far larger than I imagined. It honors the 20th century Saint, Sister Faustina Kowalski, and is built around the humble convent she once lived in, but it has evolved into a large and rather futuristic complex. If I am honest, I found the older parts far more interesting than the newer, more modern areas. However, I was not unhappy I ventured out.
Found my way back to the apartment where Dan and I got a chance to relax and recharge for a bit–have to go through all these photos. It’s tough work 
Wandered about for a bit looking for a restaurant for dinner. Settled for an Italian place with an atrium set back off the street. Took the long way back, it seems Krakow is fairly busy on a Tuesday night and it was nice to be out–it appears the rain has passed. Fine end to a very full day.
31,591 steps;16.2 miles
Hotel:
- H11 Aparthotel: https://www.h11aparthotel.com/en/
Pharmacy Under the Eagle (Apteka pod Ortem): https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/oddzialy/apteka-pod-orlem
- Tuesday was free admission day, but tickets can be purchased in advance online for a specific time. However, crowds aren’t large, just as easy to buy on site. Note: buy tickets at office a few meters away from the entrance.
Remuh Synagogue and Old Jewish Cemetery: https://gwzkrakow.pl/services/synagogi
- Admission tickets are considered a donation and are available at the entrance to the synagogue. Entrance to the cemetery is through the back of the synagogue
Tram: https://krakowdirect.com/krakow-public-transport/
- Purchase tickets from machines located at stops or on board the tram itself. Tickets are sold for lengths of time (20 minutes was sufficient for our travel) from time of validation–validate in machine on bus, do not forget!
Divine Mercy Sanctuary: https://www.saint-faustina.org/
- 15-20 minute tram ride from Old Town – Lagiewniki SKA stop
- Free admission
- Sanctuary of St John Paul II is a 15 minute walk (visible from DIvine Mercy) if interested.
Ghetto Heroes’ Square (Plac Bohaterow Getta)-central square of the Jewish Ghetto, located in the Podgorze district of Krakow. Contains a monument to the 68,000 deported from here to the extermination camps.
Pharmacy Under the Eagle (Apteka pod Ortem)-located on one corner of the square, it is small but interesting museum about a non-Jewish pharmacist who remained in Podgorze after it became the ghetto and aided and hid Jews from the Nazis.
Kazimierz-the historic Jewish quarter of Krakow, filled with synagogues, museums and cemeteries that evoke the time this area was the cultural, social and political base of Europe’s Jewish population before WWII.
Remuh Synagogue/Old Jewish Cemetary-final resting spot for more many Jewish intellectuals, the cemetery is considered one of the most important Jewish cemeteries in Europe.
Divine Mercy Sanctuary-dedicated to Sister Faustina Kowalski, a 20th century nun who had visions of Jesus Christ and kept a diary of her conversations with him. A pilgrimage point for many Catholics. It is built around the convent in which she lived with a larger, more modern complex including a church and visitors center. Short distance (15 minute walk) from the St John Paul II Sanctuary.
Breakfast:
Since we had the benefit of a kitchen, we bought breakfast items at one of the many Kocyk shops located around the city — breads, cereals, fruit, juice, etc. Purchased my cup of coffee at the shop right next to the apartment building.
Lunch: “Once Upon a Time in Kazimierz” – located right in the main square of Kazimierz. Really eclectic, decorated like an old Jewish home, with a lovely little garden area. Very traditional (& quite tasty) Jewish-Polish cuisine, lovely service. Definitely recommend.
Dinner:
Pastabar Resto & Wine. Off Old Town Square with a nice atrium. Perfectly fine Italian food, nothing terribly exciting.
Pharmacy Under the Eagle
Remuh Synagogue & Old Jewish Cemetary
Tram Ticket – 4 ZL = ~$1
Items from The Shrine of Divine Mercy
Dinner
A very full day with a number of interesting and educational sites.
The Ghetto Heroes’ Square and Pharmacy Under the Eagle were well worth a stop — both are small, but tell a story that we otherwise would have missed.
Kazimierz is a lovely area to stroll in (and, in our opinion, not a bad walk from the Old Town Square). It is hard to believe We only Once again, struck by the tragedy of Polish history during the 20th century.
The tram system is a delight, cheap and extremely easy to navigate — The Shrine of Divine Mercy was up a decent hill from the tram stop, but easy to see and locate.
The in my opinion the most interesting part of the Divine Mercy Sanctuary is the older section including the chapel, cemetery and replica of her convent “cell”. The chapel includes her tomb and relics — I have never quite understood the Catholic fascination with relics, but observed first hand the devotion to them in this chapel. The rest of the complex is impressive, but seems more cold and efficient, it didn’t do anything for me.