Krakow
50°04′ N 19°56′ ECityPop. 804,237Poland
Kraków suits a long weekend built around one great square, with the Christmas fair on Rynek Główny and the szopka contest on the first Thursday of December. Fair food is dear, and Radio Kraków found a small mulled wine at 35 PLN in 2025.
Who should base here
The Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy (Christmas fair) opens on Friday 27 November 2026, and its organizer plans to keep it going into January. On Thursday 3 December the city's szopka makers carry their nativity cribs onto the Main Square for judging, and the Muzeum Krakowa keeps the entries on show into February. Both happen on Rynek Główny, so a hotel in the Old Town puts the whole season on your doorstep.
Stay in Stare Miasto (the Old Town) if you want to drop in on the fair more than once, since the stalls fill the side of Rynek Główny by the Town Hall Tower. Time the trip for the first Thursday of December if you can. The szopka contest costs nothing to watch, and the Muzeum Krakowa says most makers build their cribs at home on the kitchen table.
Worth knowing
- Krakow residents with the Karta Krakowska card get 20 percent off food at many fair stalls, which explains a second price on some menus.
- The szopka entries go on show at the Muzeum Krakowa after the contest, which gives you a second look on a cold afternoon.
Quick answers about Krakow
Is Krakow a good place to stay?
The Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy (Christmas fair) opens on Friday 27 November 2026, and its organizer plans to keep it going into January. On Thursday 3 December the city's szopka makers carry their nativity cribs onto the Main Square for judging, and the Muzeum Krakowa keeps the entries on show into February. Both happen on Rynek Główny, so a hotel in the Old Town puts the whole season on your doorstep.