Where to stay in Krakow? What area is the best?

Kraków is one of the most visited cities in this part of Europe. Choosing the right area to stay in Krakow can make your trip even better. Where to stay in Krakow? Where should tourists look for accommodation in Krakow? We suggest which places in Krakow are the best to stay in, whether you are visiting Krakow for the first time, traveling with children, or looking for nightlife. Here are the best areas to stay in Kraków.

Krakow, unlike most popular tourist cities in Europe, is a very small city. There are few attractions in Krakow, and they are located very close to each other. Tourists are only interested in the center of Krakow, which is very small. Krakow cannot be compared in size to Berlin, Vienna, Milan, or Paris.

Krakow is very small, and only one neighborhood is suitable for renting accommodation for tourists, which is the area of the Old Town, the center of Krakow. The best solution is to choose a hotel located within the so-called Planty, the park surrounding the Old Town in Krakow.

In Krakow, there are several other popular tourist spots located just a short distance from the Old Town, such as the so-called Jewish Quarter, which is actually called Kazimierz, and Podgórze. There’s no point in stayint there. Why?

Why choose Old Town in Krakow?

The only logical choice for tourists looking for accommodation in Krakow is the Old Town, the city center. This is where you’ll find the most popular attractions, museums, restaurants, cafes, and if you’re interested in nightlife, clubs as well.

Here, you can find both the best hotels in Krakow, which are surprisingly affordable compared to cities like London or Milan, as well as more budget-friendly hotels or rental apartments.

Additionally, this area offers the easiest access from the airport to the city center, and you can easily walk to the train station if you plan to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine or Auschwitz in Oświęcim. The best hotels in Krakow are located here, making it the ideal base for exploring everything the city has to offer.

Best hotels in Krakow

The best hotels in Krakow, located right in the city center near the most important square, the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), include places such as:

Hotel Stary
Hotel Copernicus
Hotel H15
Hotel Saski

Among other well-located, high-quality hotels, it’s also worth checking out the Wyndham Grand Hotel and Bonerowski Palace. Krakow also has the Sheraton Grand Hotel, which is within walking distance to the city center, though it is not located directly at the Main Market Square. Same as Radisson Blu or Bachleda Luxury Hotel.

Other places in Krakow

Well-located 4-star hotels include Hotel Wentzl, Hotel Santi, and Hotel Senacki. Good hotels but located in less interesting areas are Stradom House, Sky Hotel, Central Palace, and Hotel Puro Stare Miasto.

Areas such as Kazimierz or Podgórze are not, in our opinion, places worth looking for accommodation. Unless your trip requires you to be close to those areas. If the trip is for tourism, the only reasonable choice is the very center within the Planty Park area.

It’s worth staying only on streets leading to the Main Market Square, but avoiding Sławkowska and Szewska streets, as they are party streets. Also, if you’re renting something on Floriańska or Grodzka streets, it’s worth trying to ensure that your windows do not face these streets, as they can be noisy.

Safe areas in Krakow

In many cities across Europe, there are areas that are more or less safe. Poland is a culturally homogeneous country with low levels of illegal immigration, so it remains relatively safe. It is less safe than before the wave of immigration from Eastern European countries, but it is still significantly safer than in Milan or London.

When it comes to choosing a location for accommodation, generally speaking, there are no better or worse areas in Krakow in terms of safety.

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