Krakow, Poland is the perfect destination for any Stag Do and to highlight this fact are the many services and activities available to ensure your Stag Do weekend is one which will certainly be etched in your memory for a long time. Krakow, once Poland’s capital city and home to its kings, Queens and heroes all buried in the famous medieval Wawel Castle along with the Legend of the Wawel Dragon defining its long history and strategic importance throughout the centuries. The Vistula River flows through the city providing a splendid array of sights and features to discover.
Modern Krakow has the advantage of cheap beer and vodka which are two beverages fundamental to a Stag Party Weekend and recently voted for a second time Best European Destination, Krakow continues to impress and not only with Stag groups but all kinds of visitors which reach 10 million plus a year. This modern city with the latest digital services for buying anything you can imagine with your device or contactless means of payment, free city wi-fi and in the various locations you frequent. The world’s culinary delights are on offer with a full international cuisine whether it is a food truck or plush restaurant you will not want for your favourite dish back home. Krakow is a magical and enchanting place to visit with its rich history, myths and legends blending with today’s modern and state of the art services, activities and attractions on offer in Poland’s oldest city open to everyone. There are two main central areas the Old Town and Kazimierz which are crammed full of restaurants, quaint cafes, museums, art galleries, dance clubs, unusual pubs, spa & wellbeing centres plus a host of must see attractions. Also, along the Vistula riverbanks lots of floating restaurants, cafes, clubs and pubs you can also go on river cruises by day or night.
One of the very first places you will see is Rynek or Draper’s Square the largest square in Europe and was the main silk trade centre in the past. The Cloth Hall or Sukiennice and Town Hall or Ratusz are museums now. The square itself measures almost 4 hectares and is host to a tremendous amount of activity including festivals, markets, buildings and monuments. Rynek is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, hotels, pubs & clubs, a waxwork museum, cinema, theatre and live music venues. On Rynek there is the St. Mary’s Basilica or Kościół Mariacki with its twin towers a marvellous 14th century Gothic church.
Next to the existing Town Hall Tower on the main square lies the ever popular ‘Head’ as it is affectionately known or Krakow’s very own Eros Bandato. The huge head of Eros sculpted in bronze laid on its side provides many a happy photograph for visitors.
Krakow’s Horse & Carriage and Electric Buggy sightseeing tours are available directly from the main square as the they line the perimeter of Rynek. Taking you around the Old town streets passing all the landmarks and monuments day and night, you can book online through a company or agency offering this service. The tour includes the Royal Route through Krakow, the main city St. Florian’s Gate onto Rynek to Royal Wawel Castle with its own cathedral within the grounds. Remaining on the square there is the entrance to the Krakow Underground Museum. This fantastic interactive museum displays how life was centuries ago in Krakow spread over 4,000 m2! Exhibition areas cover Krakow’s sometimes turbulent history, daily life and activities with all kinds of artefacts on show. One particular exhibit is the 693 kg lead ball called The Loaf and the 11th century burial chamber are top choices to see. All the exhibition areas have interactive technology. Moving closer to the Vistula river we have Krakow’s Kazimierz or Jewish quarter which is extremely popular all year round. Some of the sights while on tour of the city include The Old Synagogue, Jewish culture and history can be viewed close up in the main hall and south hall, all the ceremonial artefacts and the Torah Scrolls are on display. On Plac Nowy and around the area it is filled with cafes, pubs and restaurants and the nightlife scene is pretty intense. Spielberg filmed in Kazimierz for Schindler’s List, you follow on with a visit to Schindler’s Factory which has been restored and open to the public maybe to follow on with a visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camps, It’s best to arrange a visit via an agency or dedicated company with a morning departure too. Oświecim which is the Polish name for this city was originally a concentration camp to hold Russian POWs. Approximately 10,000 soldiers were interned there and not very many survived. Later, the camps were used for holding Jewish, Roma and anyone else not to the liking of the Nazi regime. Today, the Auschwitz/Birkenau Memorial is a World Heritage Site and is a stark reminder of the horrific crimes committed there for all humanity to reflect upon. A further attraction in the Krakow vicinity and only a 30 minute coach ride is the exciting Wieliczka Salt Mine Excursion this particular mine has over one million visitors a year.
Once again a morning departure is advised to see everything properly. The highlight of the tour is St. Kinga’s Chapel, everything you see, touch or stand on is or was carved from rock salt. The 5D interactive museum room is a truly magic experience.
If you are looking for a more challenging and active Stag Do attraction then Krakow’s Olympic White Water Rafting circuit has to be on your list, it is extremely popular with Stag groups. As always there are specialised companies providing this service for an exhilarating day out. Sticking with high adrenaline pumping day time activities this next one will surely rank with the best, that is the Krakow Shooting Range if you have never shot a gun before or would like to then make time for this super event.
The sheer force and power of firing e.g.: a Kalashnikov (one of the most well-known automatic machine guns in the world) is a feeling you will never forget, you get to use up to 5 different weapons plus a couple of add on extra specials.
A final recommendation is that you take an organised Bar & Pub Crawl on your first evening here in Krakow as they are a great introduction to visiting Krakow’s best drinking parlours. The many local breweries provide an excellent choice of beers and ales, a guided pub crawl is by far the best way to appreciate Krakow’s unusual pub and garden bar scene with experienced guides that entertain you with drinking games, Karaoke and recommend the best drinks to try on your travels on the first night which will set you up for the rest of your stay in buzzing Krakow.
