Krakow
Krakoff or Krakow? I'm still not sure.
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Poland's second-largest city, boasts a rich history as the nation's royal capital for centuries.
Explore a city where Gothic cathedrals cast long shadows, Renaissance townhouses line cobbled streets, and remnants of medieval city walls are evident to this day.
Worth a visit if already in the region. Fine to work from for a week or two, but probably best experienced as a weekend city break.
Worth a visit if already in the region. Fine to work from for a week or two, but probably best experienced as a weekend city break.
Worth a visit if already in the region. Fine to work from for a week or two, but probably best experienced as a weekend city break.
Worth a visit if already in the region. Fine to work from for a week or two, but probably best experienced as a weekend city break.
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Summary
En route back to the UK from Tbilisi I decided to break up the journey by spending a week in Krakow, a city which had evaded me over the years and which I'd been meaning to visit.
Accommodation
A good range of modern and more traditional apartments are available on Airbnb. As such a popular weekend destination, book as early in advance as possible if planning an extended stay to get your pick of the choice.
Places to work
No shortage of high quality options spread around the city. With lots of coffee shops there is no shortage of places to work from.
Value
Poland still represents great value compared to some of it's European neighbours. Eating out is inexpensive and as you can imagine for a city so popular with British stag dos, alcohol is cheap.
Working hours
Poland operates on Central European Time (CET), aligning with the rest of Western Europe.
🇪🇺 Consider working European hours from Asia?
Where to stay
If your staying for longer than weekend, you might want to consider one of the more residential neighbourhoods in close proximity to the old town.
Kazimierz
Old Town
Where to work
Cluster - Józefitów 8
Located a 20 minute walk from the centre of the old town, this branch of Cluster offers hot desking on it's first floor mezzanine alongside office spaces for resident businesses. The working area provides large desks with comfortable chairs, with phone booths available for calls on the ground floor.
A solid location to work from if in the city, but the lack of natural light makes it feel a little sterile for a stays of a longer duration. Plentiful options for food and coffee within 5 minutes walk.
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Remote work visa
If staying for a prolonged period, you may want to consider a dedicated visa for this destination.
This country is actively working on a visa support for remote workers.
Check your government website for details of how to obtain a tourist visa.
Citizen Remote is a great source of up to date knowledge for everything to do with remote work visas.
Safety
Off-work
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Explore the Old Town
At high risk of being filled with British stag parties over the weekend, the Kraków Old Town is a historic enclave centred around the Rynek Główny square. Plenty of options for food and drink with the outer perimeter lined with the Planty Park.
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Walk to Kościuszko Mound
Huge artificial mound built in 1820 to commemorate Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a military hero, with the surrounding forestry easily accessible from the Old Town.
Duration & season
The end of February was miserable in terms of weather, with most days being a mix of heavy cloud and occasional rain.
I didn't feel there was a lot more on offer after a week's stay and I was more than happy to move onto the next destination.
Food & drink
People
There's a constant stream of visitors to Krakow throughout the year with the city being especially popular for Brits on booze fuelled weekends.
From my short observations in the city, there wasn't a huge number of remote workers in the city and whilst far from being a multicultural hub, it offers a fare amount of diversity.
Exercise
Old Town Loop
Verdict
Positives
- Quality of public services.I'm always impressed when I visit Poland of the quality of the infrastructure and Krakow was no different.
- Great selection of local and international food.No shortage of tasty Pierogi with Asian cuisines also well represented.
- Great coworking options.Plentiful high quality offices across all areas of the city.
Negatives
- Very touristic.Ideal for a weekend city break, but would put me off spending a longer time there.
Tips
- Arrive after April.Any time before then and there's a reasonable chance it could be quite grim.
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