A trip to Kraków: Wawel Castle, the historic centre and an unexpected car breakdown
We set off to Kraków for two nights, and on the very first day our brake fluid leaked out in the underground garage. But we didn't give up on seeing the city – we walked through the Florian Gate, the largest medieval square in Europe, Wawel Castle and the Vistula embankment in the evening.
Our next trip was to one of the largest cities in Poland – Kraków. Kraków is a huge city with more than 800,000 inhabitants and a rich history.
We set off from Jihlava with my husband and his uncle, and in Brno we also picked up my best friend. Ahead of us lay a drive along the motorway through Ostrava all the way into Poland. In total it is about 400 kilometres by car from Jihlava to Kraków and a little over 4 hours, depending of course on the traffic and also on breaks for a snack or a stretch. We drove along the tolled section of the A4 motorway from Katowice to Kraków, where a toll is paid at the toll gates. You can pay conveniently by card or in cash.
Still on the Czech side, just before the Polish border, we noticed a small crack in the windscreen, probably from a stone. We told ourselves it would surely hold like that. Little did we know what was waiting for us at our destination.
Kraków’s underground surprise
We had booked an apartment through Booking with two bedrooms and underground parking. And we wanted to spend two nights in Kraków. The navigation led us exactly to our accommodation and we drove into the garage. We took some of our things out of the car and went to check in, planning to come back for the rest in a while. When we returned to the car, my husband noticed a small puddle underneath it. None of us had noticed it before, so we didn’t know whether it was coming from our car. I should add that we have an old Kia Rio, but it’s a trooper that has reliably carried us thousands of kilometres.
My husband decided to try to move the car a little so we could see whether that puddle was wet. But the moment he pressed the brake, the pedal went soft and brake fluid leaked out under the car. It was the weekend, so it was clear to us that most garages wouldn’t be open. From the apartment, my husband called the insurance company, where they kindly advised him. After a while a tow truck arrived, deftly pulled the car out of the underground garage, loaded it up and drove it away. The insurance company also sent us information and a contact for a garage, but no one could guarantee when the car would be ready. Mainly also because the garage was closed on Sunday. And yet my husband’s uncle and my friend both had to be at work on Monday. Luckily they both managed to arrange time off for Monday, which saved us all a lot of stress.
We told ourselves that since we were in Kraków and we were fine, we wouldn’t change our plans. We called a Bolt and set off to discover the city’s beauty.
Through history into the heart of Kraków
Bolt dropped us off on Plac Jana Matejki street. Here you can’t miss the impressive Grunwald Monument (Pomnik Grunwaldzki). It is a massive group of statues with King Władysław II Jagiełło on horseback. From there we continued to the Barbican. It is an interesting defensive structure from the end of the 15th century that was an important part of the city’s fortifications. Today it belongs to the Museum of Kraków and is open to visitors.
Right behind the Barbican we passed through the Florian Gate (Brama Floriańska). This medieval gate is 34.5 metres high and used to be the main entrance to the city on the so-called Royal Route. Right by the gate a local painter was selling beautiful hand-painted pictures. From there we continued along the lively Floriańska street (ulica Floriańska), full of little shops, cafés and restaurants. Among other things, you’ll come across the well-known wax museum here.
From the Grunwald Monument through the Barbican and the Florian Gate onto the Royal Route
The largest medieval square and the legend of the dragon
Along the street we came to Rynek Główny, the Main Square. Each of its sides measures a little over 200 metres and it is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe. The square is dominated by the unmissable St Mary’s Church (Kościół Mariacki) with its two characteristic towers of different heights. In the middle of the square stands the historic Sukiennice market hall, or the Cloth Hall. Cloth used to be traded here, among other things; today inside you’ll find stalls full of souvenirs, amber jewellery and handicrafts.
The Main Square with the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the Town Hall Tower and St Mary's Church
But there’s one thing you’ll notice at every turn in Kraków – dragons are everywhere. As plush toys, on magnets and on all sorts of souvenirs. The Wawel Dragon, or Smok Wawelski, is one of the best-known legends associated with Kraków.
During our walk we also stopped at the local bakery and café Lajkonik, where we had a great tea and something tasty. Otherwise we of course had our own drinks and food in our backpacks, but we simply had to taste something local.
Inside the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), Kraków dragons at every turn and tea in the Lajkonik café
Wawel Castle, carousels and the Vistula in the evening
We went on along the historic Grodzka street, which is another part of the Royal Route and led us all the way to the majestic castle hill of Wawel. Wawel is one of the most important historic sites in Poland. For centuries it was the seat of Polish monarchs, and Polish kings were crowned and buried in its cathedral.
Along Grodzka street to the castle hill of Wawel and its cathedral
The great thing is that you can reach the castle hill itself and the freely accessible outdoor parts of the complex for free. We walked all the way to the famous statue of the Wawel Dragon. The dragon normally breathes real fire at regular intervals, but during our visit it happened to be undergoing maintenance, so it wasn’t spitting fire.
The Renaissance courtyard of Wawel Castle, the dragon statue below the walls and the view of the Vistula
From the dragon we set off along the Bulwar Czerwieński embankment beside the Vistula river. It was already getting dark and we had spent several hours walking around the city. We crossed the Grunwaldzki bridge and reached a local attraction – the giant Cracow Eye observation wheel. There were other carousels nearby too, and I was most enchanted by a beautiful, stylish two-storey carousel straight out of a fairy tale. We even saw a tethered sightseeing balloon.
The Vistula embankment in the evening, the Cracow Eye observation wheel and a fairy-tale two-storey carousel
That was where our evening tour of the city ended. To get back to our accommodation we took a Bolt again, had dinner at the apartment and fell into bed exhausted.
The next day we decided to go and explore the outer ring of Kraków beyond the centre, and we also went to see the park. The local city park Planty is quite unique. It forms a green belt more than 4 kilometres long around the whole historic core of the city. Again we spent several hours exploring the city. In the evening we made dinner and looked up bus connections for my husband’s uncle and my friend, who had to head home the next day.
On the second day we also walked through other corners of the city – the courtyard of Collegium Maius, the Mały Rynek and the lanes around St Mary's Church
💡 My little piece of advice at the end: How to choose accommodation in Kraków?
Our apartment was really nice and clean, but it had one huge flaw – terrible soundproofing. Trams ran under our windows all night and the noise from the road was really hard to bear. If you’re heading to Kraków, my honest advice is this: when choosing accommodation, look at its location too. It’s better to look for a place further from the main roads and tram tracks.
Have you ever been to Kraków? And did you see the Wawel Dragon actually breathe fire, or was it on a break like it was for us? 🙂
Good to know
Where to park in Kraków?
For me, the ideal choice is accommodation with its own garage or parking. The wider centre of Kraków has paid parking zones divided into several sub-zones. Before your trip, I recommend checking the current rules and prices for the specific spot.
Is there an entrance fee for Wawel?
There is no fee for the Wawel hill itself or for the outdoor parts of the complex that are normally freely accessible. Tickets are bought for the individual castle exhibitions, the Dragon's Den, some other visitor areas, and separately also for the tourist parts of Wawel Cathedral.
What is the best way to get around Kraków?
The historic centre of Kraków is lovely to explore on foot. For longer distances you can use trams and buses or services like Bolt and Uber. Because of our broken-down car we mainly used Bolt, and it worked for us without any problems.
Is there a toll on the A4 motorway between Katowice and Kraków?
Yes. The A4 Katowice–Kraków section is tolled. The toll is collected at two toll gates – in Mysłowice and Balice. Since 1 April 2026, a regular passenger car pays 18 zł at each gate, so 36 zł for the whole section. It is always better to check the current price before you set off, though.
Does the Wawel Dragon really breathe fire?
Yes. The statue of the Wawel Dragon is connected to a gas installation and really does breathe fire. If maintenance is underway or the device is out of order, you may end up like us and have to wait for the fire until your next visit.
