• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Cs Designs
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Beef
    • Burgers & Sandwiches
    • Candy & Sweets
    • Chicken
    • Cookies
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
      • Moonshine
    • keto
    • Main Dishes
    • One Pot
    • paleo
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Slow Cooker
    • Side Dishes
    • Vegan
  • Traveling
    • United States
    • Europe
    • Mexico
    • Cruising
    • How To Fly Free
  • Holidays
    • 4th of July
    • Birthday
    • Christmas
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • easter
    • Fall
    • fathers day
    • Halloween
  • DIY
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Krakow Christmas Market

December 14, 2016 by Courtney ODell Leave a Comment

1231 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Exploring the Krakow Christmas Market in Krakow Poland – where to stay, what to eat, what to do to take in Krakow’s gorgeous Christmas Market!

picture oof Krakow Poland christmas market

I thought I loved Krakow until I visited their Christmas market – and then I knew I REALLY REALLY loved Krakow.

Every year, from the end of November until a couple days before Christmas (for the Advent period), Krakow’s old town center is transformed into a glittery, chilly, winter wonderland full of amazing smells, fabulous finds, and tons of Christmas cheer.

picture of Krakow Poland christmas market

There is something about Christmas markets that makes my soul happy and feeds me with a glowing feeling – people coming together, browsing beautiful goods made carefully to celebrations, sipping warm drinks and huddling over delicious regional foods – all while the snow swirls and you hear the sounds of Christmas music and carolers rejoicing in the Advent season.

picture oof Krakow Poland christmas market

Ok- so I know that was a giant paragraph of flowery garbage – but seriously, that’s how they make me feel.

Christmas markets feel so whimsical and fun – I felt like a little kid marching through the stands filled to the brims with beautiful handmade gingerbreads, chocolates (including some that looked like rusty tools!!), wooden toys, candy, grilled sausages and bread, mulled wine – all under the Cloth Hall tower and Saint Mary’s Basilica.

Picture of Krakow Christmas Market

Krakow’s Christmas Market isn’t the largest in Poland, but it is lively and gorgeous.

It is a must-see for anyone with a Christmas market wish list – and one of my favorite travel memories to date!

I am hoping I can make visiting Poland’s Christmas Markets an annual tradition – and hope to be able to bring my kids to one soon!

What to Eat

Grilled Bread slathered in garlic butter (other toppings include polish sausage- which I view as mandatory-, grilled onions, pickles, and more.)

fresh-baked-breads-krakow-christmas-market
food-stalls-at-the-krakow-christmas-market
grilled-bread-with-onions-garlic-butter-and-kielbasa-at-krakow-christmas-market

Traditional Polish Soups

On a cold Winter’s night there is nothing more comforting than a delicious, hearty soup. Be sure to try Zurek – Poland’s famous Sour Rye Soup (which tastes a bit like chicken noodle soup, but with sourdough and lots of sausage inside.)

food-stalls-krakow-market

Grilled Sausages, Pork Knuckles, Kebabs, Black Pudding

grilled-meats-at-krakow-christmas-market

Poland knows meat – and if you see a stand selling grilled sausages, beef, pork, and other tasty finds – just try it! And try it all. You won’t be disappointed. (Think you love polska kielbasa? TRY IT IN POLAND. You might never leave!!)

Oscypek

Polish smoked and cheese, from Poland’s mountainous Zakopane region (click here to see my previous visit to Zakopane), which is grilled on small charcoal grills around the square and served with cranberry sauce (my favorite) or bacon and dates.

polish-smoked-cheese-at-the-krakow-christmas-market

What to Buy

Ornaments

Small, beautiful glass ornaments are everywhere in Krakow’s Christmas market – and worth taking home!

There are tons of lovely designs you can grab for less than $1 (thanks to a strong Pound, Euro, and Dollar).

christmas-ornaments-krakow-christmas-market

Krakow Crib

The Krakow Crib, a uniquely Polish tradition, is a nativity made from cardboard and brightly colored foil featuring Polish architecture.

It is a lovely and quirky Polish tradition (I’ll be writing about the Krakow Crib Festival tomorrow), and taking a small one home is a souvenir you won’t want to miss!

krakow-cribs-on-sale-at-the-christmas-market

Gingerbread

Polish gingerbread is famous – and with good reason. There are a few booths selling gorgeous decorated cookies, Christmas trees of gingerbread, large displays, and gingerbread houses.

Some will customize them on the spot for you, and some offer boutique-level decorations!

traditional-gingerbread-krakow-christmas-market

Polish Pottery

Poland’s famous pottery (which all comes from a few factories but is sold all over Poland) is a special find at the Krakow Christmas market – as they often sell patterns and styles you can’t find anywhere else.

I could have bought the entire booth if I could take it home with me safely — and thanks to an amazingly strong dollar to zloty ratio, you can buy a lot more pottery and bring it home for a fraction of the price you can find Polish pottery on sale in the United States or the UK.

beautiful-christmas-polish-pottery-at-krakow-christmas-market
polish-pottery-ornaments-krakow-christmas-market

Where to Stay

We stayed at an Airbnb just off the City Square – there are tons of high-quality, clean, spacious and safe AirBnb apartments for under $100/night.

To stay where we did (we loved it!!) here is the listing:

 


 

Charming apt.in the heart of Cracow

Kraków, ma?opolskie, Poland

We would like to invite you to our fully renovated apartment of 100 sqm. It’s an elegant and tastefully decorated place to stay in the very centre of Cracow: on Bracka street, right next to the Mai…

Filed Under: Christmas Markets, Europe, Travel

About Courtney ODell

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style. Courtney writes the popular creative lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs- a site devoted to delicious everyday recipes, home decor, crafts, DIY inspiration, and photography tips to help make your every day extraordinary.
Advertising, media and other inquiries- please contact hello@sweetcsdesigns.com

free email series

Fridge to Fork
in 30 Minutes or Less

My “GO-TO” recipes to make dinnertime delicious & stress-free

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Courtney

Hi- I'm Courtney O'Dell, the writer and photographer behind Sweet C's. I’m a travel obsessed foodie and mom of two sharing the best recipes, tips ... more about me!

  • Keto Recipes
  • Appetizers
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes
  • Drinks
  • Desserts
  • Instant Pot
  • Air Fryer
  • Web Stories
  • Travel
broiled lobster tails on a baking sheet with lemon slices next to them
smoked meatloaf on a plate
lobster tails seasoned with paprika and butter on a white plate with chopped parsley on top with lemons on the plate next to it
roasted prime rib sliced on a wood cutting board
air fried french fries in a glass jar
sliced pork tenderloin on aluminum foil in a garlic butter sauce with parsley on top

free email series

My “GO-TO” recipes to make dinnertime stress-free

Trending Travel

Boating Killarney, Ireland
Moss on the Blarney Castle, Ireland

More Travel

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates
  • Sponsor the Sweet C's newsletter here.

Contact

  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.