About two weeks ago, a few friends and I were lucky enough to make a short trip to Krakow. Our main reason for going was that we wanted to visit Auschwitz, something we’d all learned about in school since we were very young.
In order to get back in time for class on Sunday, we took two overnight trains, one there and one back. Even though we spent less than 24 hours there, we were all pleasantly surprised by our time in Krakow, which turned out to be a very unique and interesting city. We started the day early, our train got into Poland around 6:30 am. We wandered around the main square, which was very still and quiet so early in the morning. We stopped off at a small bakery to get a really delicious breakfast. We had a bus and tour guide to take us through Auschwitz and Birkenau. The morning at the camps was incredibly moving. It was somewhat surreal to actually see in person something I’d seen and heard so much about. We had a great tour guide, who guided us through the entire experience. The museums were very crowded because it was Holocaust Remembrance Week, a time when many families and survivors come back to visit the museums. After a very intense morning, we headed back to Krakow, where we were able to witness a tribute to the president, whose funeral was set to take place in Krakow the day after we left.
Main Square in Krakow
The main square was lined with Polish flags with a strip of black across them. It was being set up for the public memorial service, and we were able to hear a small portion of the dress rehearsal. After that we wander up to see Wawel Castle and the Jewish Quarter, where we stopped for lots and lots of peirogis.
Krakow was a surprisingly beautiful city. There was so much for us to see: castles, churches, museums, etc. Unfortunately, we had to hop back on the overnight train to Prague. It was a pretty crazy time to be in Krakow, but we all felt like we learned a lot and got an opportunity to see what will soon become an important piece of Polish history.
