Dining in Krakow
While the Main Square (Rynek Główny) is lined with tourist destinations, for an authentic
culinary experience favored by locals, head to Kazimierz, Krakow's vibrant Jewish Quarter.
Discover charming restaurants and cozy cafes where you can enjoy traditional Polish cuisine,
from pierogi (Polish dumplings) to hearty żurek (sour rye soup). After dinner, explore
Kazimierz's lively nightlife scene, featuring eclectic bars and cozy pubs where you can relax
and soak in the neighborhood's historical and artistic ambiance.
Shopping in Krakow
Galeria Krakowska
Located near the central train station, Galeria Krakowska is Krakow's main shopping mall.
Here, you'll find a wide range of high street shops and everything you might
be looking for.
Cloth Hall (Sukiennice)
For a more traditional shopping experience, visit the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) on the Main Square.
Discover authentic Polish souvenirs and cultural items to take home.
Florianska Street
Explore Florianska Street, adjacent to the Main Square, which is lined with small souvenir
stores and touristic attractions. It's the perfect place to find unique
souvenirs and gifts.
Travelling to Krakow
For booking flights to and from Poland, we recommend using Skyscanner, which provides a comprehensive search for the best deals
John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice
The main airport serving Krakow is John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice (KRK), accessible from major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, WizzAir, and RyanAir.
Getting from the Airport to the City Centre:
By Train (SKA1 Route)
From Kraków Airport to Kraków Main Train Station:
Fare: PLN 17.00
Where to buy tickets: Ticket machines at the passenger terminal (Level 0) (cash or credit/debit card), or from the train conductor on board (cash or credit/debit card).
By Taxi
We recommend using taxi services through apps like Uber and Bolt for competitive rates. Alternatively, you can call these taxi companies:
- iCar Taxi: +48 12 653 55 55
- Radio Taxi Wawel: +48 12 19 666
- Radio Taxi Dwójki: +48 12 422 22 22
Estimated cost: Approximately PLN 100-150
(around £20-£30). We recommend paying in cash for the taxi ride.
Accommodation
Krakow offers a wide range of hotels and beautiful apartments for your stay. We recommend booking through portals like Booking.com and Airbnb for a variety of options.
Special Offer: AC Hotel by Marriott.
For guests attending our wedding reception, you can book accommodation at our venue, AC Hotel by Marriott, and receive a 10% discount using our exclusive discount code!
Additionally, we highly recommend Antique Apartments at Szczepański Square, a lovely place where we stayed and had a wonderful experience.
Polish Wedding Traditions
Church Ceremony
The church service at the Church of Saint Anne, a beautiful Roman Catholic church, will last approximately one hour. The ceremony will be conducted in both Polish and English, reflecting our cultural backgrounds.
Wedding Rituals
After the ceremony, the newly-wed couple will exit the church as husband and wife. This moment is often accompanied by the throwing of rice, although in Poland, guests traditionally shower the couple with coins. This custom stems from the tradition of throwing grain at the couple to ensure a prosperous future. The coins symbolize wishes for a successful and prosperous marriage.
Reception Traditions
At the reception, all guests will receive a drink upon arrival, while the newly-weds will be presented with bread and salt. Bread symbolizes the hope that they will never know hunger, while salt suggests they may have periods of difficulty in the future and they must learn to deal with life’s problems. Salt also has power over evil spirits and other hazards and is a substance known to cleanse and heal. Following the bread and salt ceremony, the couple traditionally has their first toast. After their drink, the couple throw their glasses; if they break, it's considered a sign of good luck.
Traditional Song and Meal
A traditional song now ensues. It is Sto lat (One Hundred Years) and is a song also heard at birthday celebrations. The wedding party now sits down to their first meal, after which the newly-weds take to the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple. According to current wedding guides, for a standard wedding lasting about 12 hours, there are typically served between four and five hot entrées, along with appetisers, pastries, cake and fruit. So if you finish your first meal and think it wasn’t too filling, just wait… there’s a lot more to come. The same wedding guide suggests a hot meal be served approximately every three hours. Of course, all the drink and food are provided free to guests. All that food will be washed down with a seemingly endless supply of drink. The most popular beverage (as one might suspect) is vodka – and it flows freely throughout the night. The gathering may spontaneously raise their glasses and start chanting ‘Gorzko, gorzko!‘, meaning ‘Bitter, bitter!’ in order to demand a kiss from the groom and bride – in other words, to ask for some sugar.
Oczepiny Ceremony
Where many weddings would be winding down as midnight approaches, a Polish wedding is just approaching one of its most traditional moments – the removal of the bridal veil. This ceremony, called ‘oczepiny’, traditionally represented the transitional moment for the bride as she moved from her single youth towards her married future. The details of the ceremony have changed significantly over the years, but it remains a memorable moment in many contemporary Polish weddings. Oczepiny has become a time for fun and games. The bride removes her veil and tosses it into a gathered crowd of single women. The groom also gets in on the fun – removing and throwing his tie to the assembled male guests. It's said that those who catch the tossed garments will be the next to marry (though not necessarily to each other). After the removal of the veil and tie, the bride and groom might choose to play a number of games. The character of these games can vary – some couples play a little trivia game about one another. Other options involve guests in silly competitions or bawdy scavenger hunts. This traditional ritual has become a playful moment in contemporary Polish weddings.
For any questions or further details, feel free to contact us on WhatsApp.
- Magda can be reached at 07386703912
- Mike can be reached at 07966144759
We are here to help with any information you might need.
Your presence at our wedding is the greatest gift we could ask for.
If you wish to celebrate with a gift, we kindly welcome lottery tickets or scratchcards instead of flowers,
and any contributions in place of traditional presents would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing in
our special day!
