Kraków again named Europe’s best city break destination

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

The Polish city of Kraków has for the fifth time been named as the best city break destination in Europe by members of leading British consumer association and magazine Which? It was followed in the ranking by Venice, Valencia and Vienna.

The city, which is Poland’s biggest tourist destination, scored top marks for the quality of its accommodation and food and drink, as well as for the ease of getting around and value for money.

“Poland’s former royal capital city is blessed by film-set looks”, including “an old town that’s an easily walkable” and features “some of Europe’s greatest architecture”, writes the magazine.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, notes that Kraków was rated more highly for food and drink than both Paris and Rome.

His magazine recommends trying the inventive Polish cuisine at Bottiglieria 1881, Poland’s only restaurant with two Michelin stars, and then listening to “jazz groups playing into the small hours in cellar cocktail bars such as Piwnica pod Baranami”, located on Kraków’s medieval market square.

Meanwhile, Kraków was the only city in Which?’s ranking to receive the full five stars in the “value for money” category, with the magazine noting that even luxury accommodation is relatively affordable compared to other destinations.

Kraków was last year visited by just under 8 million tourists who stayed at least one night in the city, of whom 1.5 million were from abroad. Among the latter group, the largest numbers came from the UK (21%), followed by Germany (9%), Italy (8%) and the US (7%).

The biggest spenders, however, were visitors from Arab countries, who spent an average of 2,654 zloty (€623) per person while in Kraków, according to figures from city hall. Kraków and the nearby Tatra mountains have in recent years become an increasingly popular destination for tourists from the Middle East.

While Kraków’s economy has benefited from tourism, the growing number of visitors has caused a backlash among some residents, who complain of the resultant rising costs for locals as well as noise and disruption.

In 2020, the city formed a partnership with Airbnb to promote responsible and sustainable tourism. The following year, it launched a “tourist patrol scheme” to inform visitors of the “rules and norms they should follow”. In 2023, it banned the sale of alcohol in shops during the night.

Earlier this year, Kraków created the new position of “night mayor” – an official responsible for reconciling the needs of the city’s residents, business owners and tourists. The city has also appealed to the government to allow it to charge a tourist tax in response to the growing number of visitors.

Which?’s ranking is based on a survey of members of the consumer society, who rated cities based on seven criteria: food and drink, accommodation, cultural sights and attractions, shopping, ease of getting around, lack of crowds and value for money.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit:Tomasz Tomal/Unsplash

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.