Cities.
If you are planning on staying longer than a weekend then it would be foolish not to grab the opportunity to hop on a bus or train and make your way to Krakow’s neighbouring cities or towns.
Katowice
Located about 90 minutes from Krakow, Katowice is more than just an airport for low budget airlines. Although heavy industry plays a strong role in this city’s make up, cultural influences are no less important. Theatres, art galleries, concert halls and international music festivals contribute to modern Katowice. Art Nouveau and modernist architecture meld with communist constructions – providing the city a quality of its own.
Link: Katowice’s Portal...
Czestochowa
Famed for its black Madonna painting, Czestochowa is a beautiful pilgrimage city located about 140km southwest of Krakow. Housed at the Jasna Gora monastery, The Black Madonna of Czestochowa is the magnet that attracts literally millions of pilgrims each year. This holy icon of the Virgin Mary is deemed Poland’s most holy and precious. The faithful believe in the power of the painting and many claim to have had their prayers heard and answered after visiting the icon. Shrouded in legend, devotees consider the painting to be the work of St. Luke.
Link: Czestochowa’s official website
Tarnow
Located 80km east of Krakow, Tarnow is fondly referred to as a “Pearl of the Renaissance”. Not nearly as much visited as Krakow, the characteristic Old Town has its own special charm and its own magnificent treasures to be discovered. Providing visitors with a calmer alternative to Krakow, Tarnow is dotted with wonderful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, a fine market square, a magnificent cathedral, beautiful churches and excellent museums.
However, history hasn’t been gentle on Tarnow. During World War II the city’s large and vibrant Jewish community was completely wiped out by occupying Nazi forces. Today, remnants of the city’s former Jewish culture can be found in the Regional Museum, the Jewish Cemetery, on Żydowska and Wekslarska Street -- where one can find tenement houses from the 17th and 18th century -- and the famous bimah – leftover ruins of the 18th century synagogue which was destroyed in 1940.
Link: Tarnow’s official webpage