58. - 60. ٽيگ (4.10.22 - 6.10.22)

The train journey from Budapest was long and I still felt unwell. Exhausted, I arrived in Krakow in the afternoon and went straight to the hostel. It was a party hostel and loud music was already playing at the reception. I first went up to my room and took a nap. In the evening, I made friends with an American, a Frenchman, and a Brazilian and we went for a beer together before I said goodbye early in the evening.

The next morning, I woke up early and went down for breakfast, where I talked to the Brazilian, an Australian, and an Englishwoman. In the end, only the Englishwoman and I were left because the others had their own plans. So we set off together to explore the city. We walked through the old town and came across numerous beautiful buildings, walked through parks, and finally found the Krakow Castle. Flowering plants grew in the castle courtyard, the inner courtyard gave insight into the extravagant festivities of the nobility, and the local church impressed with its different colors and decorations. We took a break there and continued our conversations.

We walked back down and the autumn colors of the trees put me in a calm mood, so we walked at a leisurely pace towards the Vistula River, which we crossed on a blue steel bridge and arrived in a cozy residential area. There we discovered a small brick church that we wanted to explore further. Except for us, the narrow church square was deserted, bordered by rugged rocks. A small staircase led up this natural wall and we followed it. At first glance, we expected a cemetery, but on closer inspection, we realized that it was a statue park. The statues were carved from pure slate and created a gloomy atmosphere. The exhibition included saints and bishops.

We walked back over the Vistula River to the city center, passing many magnificent residential buildings. On the inner ring road, which is surrounded by a large park, we found a small bustling market where Poles do their weekly shopping. I was especially fascinated by a stand that sold exclusively mushrooms and spread a pleasant earthy smell. After a small lunch in the old town, we walked the few meters back to the hostel, where we rested and then took part in the pub crawl, where we partied until the morning.

In the late morning, I had a leisurely breakfast and then walked to the train station with the American traveler to go to Warsaw.