Experience the Polish Christmas Traditions: Christmas Market in Cracow

Day 1
Arrival in Cracow. Walk to the Old Town to enjoy your time in one of the most beautiful Market Squares in Europe. This place from the beginning of December becomes a special place where you can feel like in a fairy-tale. For many years this historical part of town has been the venue of the most romantic Christmas Market in Poland. With over 250 stands located in the heart of Cracow, next to the St. Mary's Church and the famous Cloth Hall becomes one of the biggest attractions of Christmas. Visitor numbers grow every year. Here, you can listen to carols sang by the children choirs, chat with Santa or just enjoy a shopping time. Among the most popular articles are Christmas decorations made in the local fabrics, like beautifully painted glass-balls and ceramics.

Dinner at one of the local restaurants located in the Old Town, so that you can still feel the Christmas atmosphere. Enjoy a culinary journey through typical dishes served for Christmas Eve dinner, such as: dumplings stuffed with mushrooms and cabbage, wild mushroom soup with noodles, fish in jelly, poppy-cake and beverage made of dried fruit.

Day 2
Full day excursion to Zakopane, one of the most picturesque towns in Poland located in the Tetra Mountains. Here you can see how the "White Polish Christmas" looks like, with mountains peaks beautifully covered by snow, the sleighs slowly passing through the streets.

Zakopane is inhabited by Polish Highlanders. They managed to keep their culture alive and distinct from mainstream culture for centuries. They are proud of their original dialect, traditions, architecture and cuisine.

Their wooden architecture blends with the natural landscapes and it is copied in other parts of Poland (Zakopianski Syle).

See the typical wooden architecture and if you are lucky enough, perhaps, you will meet the carolers. Most of them are children dressed up as shepherds singing carols and performing at the doorsteps. This tradition still popular in the countryside remains some of the Halloween "trick or treat" in United States. They expect you to pay for their efforts in sweets, cookies or just a few coins.

Afterward, enjoy your open sleigh ride with horses to one of the local restaurants.

Dinner with folklore entertainment will be a nice closing of your day with a still-alive highlanders; culture.

Drive back to Cracow

Day 3
Morning visit to Market Square and the Christmas Market to enjoy one of the most famous cribs competition. This is a local Christmas tradition in Cracow. Cracow cribs look like palaces or Gothis cathedrals glittering with gold, ornaments and bright colors. Following this tradition there is an annual compeition of nativity scenes held at the beginning of December. This even attracts many visits. Later on the winners place their pieces of art in Cracow Historical Museum.

Afterward, visit the larges Cracow shipping mall where you can buy gifts and souvenirs. You will find there everything you need for Christmas: candles, tree decorations, sweets, biscuits, baking tins and toys. You can also just have a small snack or cake at one of the many cafeterias.

You can also visit Cracow churches that are decorated with beautiful Nativity scenes during the festive season, listen to concert of carols. In the evening we invite you for a farewell dinner to the restaurants located in the Old Town. Enjoy dishes prepared during Christmas time in Polish houses: sauerkraut soup, duck with apples, varied kinds of pork meat, apple-pie cake or cake with plums.

Day 4
Departure.