Krakow by night, alone

September 9, 2010 11:37 AM

What's a solo, young, non-Polish speaking tourist to do in Krakow on a Friday night?

I'm in Krakow, Poland right now. I'm with my mother. She's showing me around her old country. But tomorrow is Friday and I'm 26 and I'd like to be around some people my age for a little while. I speak maybe ten words of Polish. Got any suggestions about where to go? Going to a club is daunting enough alone, let alone in a foreign country.

posted by cman to travel & transportation around Krakow, Poland (7 answers total)

There are young folks hanging around the Main Square in Old Town until 4 am.

Chat 'em up; they all speak English, and I'm sure they'll have some worthy suggestions.
posted by darth_tedious at 11:47 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

There's a jazz club just of the main square. Unfortunately, the name escapes me. You could get ragingly drunk there and pass out for awhile against a lamppost if you wanted. Just don't go thinking that it hasn't been done before.
posted by Think_Long at 11:58 AM on September 9, 2010

Chat 'em up; they all speak English, and I'm sure they'll have some worthy suggestions.

Well, they won't all speak English; Krakow is not quite as fluent as Berlin. However don't be discouraged if the first people you interact with don't speak English- the people who do speak English will be happy to speak it to you, and you will definitely find these people in the Rynek Glowny. If you're feeling shy, it will also be a great place to people watch. You can also go earlier to one of the cafes when it's still light out and read a(n english) book; you might find people easier to talk to under those circumstances. Then just stick around for the nightlife.

Dress up a bit, some clubs have a dress code. It would suck to meet some cool people and then be left outside.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:50 PM on September 9, 2010

second the jazz club by the square...think it was in the basement. also there is an excellent restaurant in an old house right on the edge of the square. i could be wrong, but think the house is very famous from when poland was a rather huge country. the name escapes me.
posted by swmobill at 2:58 PM on September 9, 2010

Have a look through the In Your Pocket suggestions - they're usually up to date and often describe the crowd that each venue attracts. They also have a list of events for each day - here's the one for Friday evening.

Kraków gets a lot of foreign tourists, so you're not going to be the centre of attention for novelty value alone. If you're happy to mix with other tourists, just find out what spots are recommended in the current Lonely Planet and you'll find them full of young backpackers.

If you'd rather meet Poles and going to a club alone makes you nervous, how about doing your research during the daytime? Look out for people who resemble those you'd like to socialise with, ask if they speak English (your Mum can drill you on Czy mówi Pan(i) po angielsku?), then explain your situation to them and ask for suggestions of places to go. Do that often and charmingly enough and someone is bound to invite you to join them.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 3:57 PM on September 9, 2010

krupnik! order it at any bar.
posted by shrimpsmalls at 6:01 PM on September 9, 2010

There's an awesome bar in Kazimierz (the Jewish quarter) called Alchemia. I haven't been there in a couple of years, but it looks like the reviews are still good. It's nice and dimly-lit, perfect for sitting around with a beer and making some new acquaintances. As I recall, we started chatting with the bartender andd he recommended some Polish vodka for us to try, which was delicious - up until that Krakow trip, I'd never realized it was possible for straight vodka to be a sipping drink.
posted by Cimrmanova at 8:35 AM on September 10, 2010