Travelling with kids does not have to be stressful or tiring. On the contrary – it is thanks to our kids that we can enjoy the beauty of this world and watch it through the eyes of a child. This type of trip makes every detail of it seem an interesting experience. We start to look at the slow movements of the snail or wonder why the swallowtail butterfly has big circles on the wings.
Of course, the time we offer our children is the best gift we can give them. Travelling together makes family ties tight. Interestingly, we learn a lot about ourselves. Suddenly, we can discover that our little child is walking longer than we think. We are able to make an amazing discovery that we can be more patient than we think. One thing is certain – holiday spent together is priceless time!
Resting with children is specific because it is focused on attractions for children. Therefore there is no mad clubbing or walking around the mall for many hours. Depending on the age and temperament of the child, you can choose more or less intense rest.
Lots of children, especially in pre-school age, love to relax in the fresh air. In their case, the best attractions may be trips to the zoo, water parks or offering wild madness on the playground. For preschoolers, the key element of development is the improvement of broadly understood motor skills, which affects the subsequent ability to concentrate. After exhausting games, you can show your child a mini-manufacture of sweets or relax in a puppet theater.
There are also plenty of proposals for older children, school-age. For them, the best attraction will be visiting places they learned earlier about in the lessons. They will capture important content in this extraordinary way. It is therefore worth showing to older children such places as: Dragon’s Den, historical clock at Collegium Maius or visit the Experience Park, thanks to which the laws of physics will prove trivial.
There are a lot of proposals for children and teenagers. All places presented below are adapted for the needs of the youngest visitors. It is widely known that travel broadens the mind. It is thanks to them that our kids improve their skills, for example, they shape the patience of queuing or concentration. And when a child is happy, adults are also resting!
Zoo (ul. Kasy Oszczędności Miasta Krakowa 14)
See with your own eyes a lion, elephant or giraffe is an amazing experience for every child. Krakow Zoo can boast a long tradition – it exists in its current location since 1929. It is a medium-sized zoo, where we can see over 1,400 different animals. Among them there are many species that are threatened or endangered with extinction, such as the Przewalski’s horse, snow panther or pygmy hippopotamus.
The zoo is open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, but checkouts are closed at 18:00. The cost of a normal ticket is PLN 18, and reduced one- PLN 10. We can get to the zoo by bus 134 from the Cracovia Stadion stop. If you decide to travel by your own car, there are two paid car parks, but you have to reckon with the fact that we will not always find free places there.
Aquapark (ul. Dobrego Pasterza 126)
A trip to the water park is a great way to feel the atmosphere of a holiday in the middle of the city at any time of the year. The Krakow Aquapark offers its guests a huge pool hall with numerous attractions, among which both the older and the younger will find something for themselves. Small and large slides, climbing wall, Rainbow Path or colorful paddling pools are just some of the surprises waiting there. In the summer season you can also take advantage of the beach.
The Water Park is open every day from 8:00 to 22:00. Prices of individual tickets for an hour entry are PLN 28 / normal and PLN 25 / reduced.
Dragon’s Cave (Wawel Hill)
One of the most famous Krakow legends tells the story of a terrible fire-breathing dragon. Deceitfully defeated by a brave Krak (according to another version of the legend by Szewczyk Skuba), the monster no longer threatens the inhabitants of Krakow, but we can see the cave, which, according to the legend, he lived. After leaving the cave on the Vistula Boulevards, you can see a sculpture depicting a dragon by Bronisław Chromy.
Dragon’s Cave is open from April 23 to the end of October. The tour can start daily from 10:00, the last possible entrance is best checked on the Wawel website in the Seasonal Routes tab, because these are different depending on the month and day. Tickets for 3 PLN / person can be purchased at the ticket office or at the machine located at the entrance. It is worth taking into account that to the cave you have to go down steep stairs, only in one direction.
Clock in the Collegium Maius (ul. Jagiellońska 15)
The history of the clock located in the courtyard of the oldest university building dates back to the fifteenth century. It is a contemporary construction from the year 2000. If we reach Collegium Maius at a specific time, we can watch an extraordinary performance. To the sounds of the sixteenth-century court music and the instrumental version of Gaudeamus Igitur, which is the anthem of the University, figurines of characters connected with the history of the university appear. The procession is opened by a pedel, or a university janitor carrying scepters, followed by Queen Jadwiga, King Władysław Jagiełło, Saint. Jan from Kęty, Hugo Kołłątaj, and finally Rector Stanisław from Skalbmierz.
The clock plays daily at the following times: 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00.
Ciuciu Sugar Artist (ul.Grodzka 38)
This is probably the smallest confectionery factory in the world. Candies and lollipops are produced here by hand, according to the seventeenth and eighteenth century recipes taken from small manufactories. The real treat are the shows, during which you can see from the beginning to the end the entire process of making caramels.
Candy production shows are free and take place at full hours from Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 to 18:00, on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 to 19:00. The show lasts approx. 30-40 min.
Groteska Theater (ul. Skarbowa 2)
This is one of the oldest puppet scenes in Poland, founded by Zofia and Władysław Jaremów. From the beginning, the most prominent visual artists cooperated with them. The theater mainly exhibits performances for children, but adults will also find something interesting here.
Individual tickets cost PLN 28 / person, group costs PLN 22 / person. The places on the balcony are slightly cheaper. The offer also includes various types of workshops and theater tours.
Garden of Experiences (Aleja Pokoju 68)
A vast educational park is the only such place in Poland. On 6 hectares we can find devices presenting the laws of physics, geological exposition or labyrinth with quotes by Stanisław Lem. It’s a great place to interest young explorers with science and show that physics does not have to be boring.
The garden is open from April 20 to the end of August from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm (on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am), from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm in September and from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in October (Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 19:00). We will pay 12 PLN / normal ticket and 10 PLN / reduced one. There are also museum lesson offers, guided tours and tickets combined with other Krakow attractions.
