ONCE KRAKOW, ALWAYS KRAKOW!

»Komu pora, temu czas«

(When it's your time, you have to go)

Main square

WHY ERASMUS, WHY KRAKOW?

My name is Kaja and I was on Erasmus in Krakow, which is now one of my favourite cities in the world.

It is funny, because a wish for studying abroad was always present in my educational path, but I never really found courage to apply for any of the exchange programs. My desire for going in a different country was growing so I applied for Erasmus. I just wanted to become independent, change the environment, meet new friends, improve my English and have fun. And all I can say now, Krakow gave me all of this and plenty more. 

The main reason for choosing Krakow was to have all the subjects in English. The city, with a central position in Europe, in general is amazing. I’m always saying that it is paradise for young people. Krakow is one of the most important academic centres in Poland and it has 22 universities. A total of 23 percent of inhabitants are persons under 25 year of age. So, if you want to feel young and enjoy your youth, go to Krakow!

FACULTY

AWF

I was studying at the University school of Physical education in Krakow - AWF, which is also known as a sports academy. AWF is located 15 minutes away with tram from the city centre. I’m talking about student campus with 3 dormitories, canteen, club and university of course. I have to say one good and one bad thing about this university. The good one is that university offers a lot for those who are keen on various sports. So people, if you want to be active, do sport or learn it, you are on the right place! I really enjoyed my time there because I have always liked sport and on the end of first semester I decided to extend my mobility. Bad thing is there is no connection between our university (tourism studies) and AWF (sports studies), so the subjects are totally different. In AWF the lectures are based on sports theories or physical activities or at least connected with sport. But I took this as a challenge and I don’t regret it. All the lectures were very interesting and in English, and the teachers were understandable, helpful and kind.

Climbing course

ERASMUS FAMILY

I have met a lot of new people, which were and still are my friends. Beside me there were students from Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Holland, Slovakia and Romania in AWF. I spent a really nice time with them, not only in classes but also in my leisure time. We were together almost all the time. I call them my Erasmus family. I had a roommate from Portugal, who has become one of my closest friends. Living abroad is amazing and a great opportunity to meet new people. What I love about Krakow is that it’s so international and you can find there people from all around the world. I wish Slovenia was like that.

Erasmus family

WHAT I THINK ABOUT POLAND AND POLES

My first impression was good, because I have liked the location, city, university, our coordinator, all the classes, my new schoolmates, polish food and so on. I fell in love with Krakow. I can’t say anything bad about it. Every country has their habits, traditions and customs which need to be respected. And as a visitors we must accept that and respect the local culture.

I love the location of Poland; it is a centre of Europe and you can travel everywhere because everything is close.

Poles are very religious nation. Krakow is known as the city of churches. They remain the centers of religious life for the local population and are attended regularly. They are especially crowded on Sundays, when the locals go to mass. The churches are also interesting for the tourists so their number is still increasing. The biggest, highest and the most beautiful one in Krakow is St. Mary’s Basilica, which is standing on the Main Market Square. On every hour from the top of the tower, a trumpet signal (Hejnał mariacki) is played to commemorate the famous trumpeter in 13th century, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attacked the city.

Poles are also a very patriotic nation. They can be very angry and aggressive when they hear you saying something bad about Poland. So, be careful! They respect their country, stand up for their culture and habits and they love their language. Half of the population don't speak English, or sometimes I got the feeling, they don’t want to.

They are the 20th biggest drinkers in the world, because they like to go to bars and pubs very often. The most popular alcoholic drink is vodka, which is stronger than you think and you can get it very cheap. They have also really good beers. You will pay for both only 1 Euro. Awesome, right?

I have observed something noteworthy – men respect women. Polish men are such gentlemen. They give flowers to woman for every national holiday and every weekend. What a surprise, huh? We don’t see such a thing in Slovenia.

PLACES AND ACTIVITIES

Juwenalia

When you are in Krakow you must first see Rynek Główny, Kraków’s main square. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful place in the city. I could sit their for hours and watch the people. More sub-culture part of a city is Plac Nowy, the Jewish quarter, where are a lot of restaurant, bars, pubs and mysterious places.

You can join different kinds of festivals, like film, food (Pierogi festival) and music festivals, Kult tattoo fest, sport events (marathons, football matches), parades, concerts and much more. My favourite event was Juwenalia. Poles celebrate this, higher education students’ festival, each year. It is an activity week in May, when all the students are free of classes, because of big parties, concerts, sport games and colorful parades.

You cannot leave Krakow without going to Auschwitz, Zakopane (perfect for skiing in winter and hiking in summer), Ojcow national park and Wieliczka Salt Mine. Everything is only 1 hour away from the city and these are the top 4 tourist attractions.

Because of a cheap transport and good connections we travelled a lot to other cities, like Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw, Gdansk and also to other countries.

Skiing in Zakopane

WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK IN KRAKOW? 

Polish cuisine has many similarities with Slovenian cuisine. On the Krakow tables the former usually materializes in meat (pork and beef), winter vegetables (cabbage, beetroot), eggs, potatoes, cheese, and sausages. When you go to Krakow you must definitely try Barszcz (beetroot soup), Žurek (soup made from rye flour, mushrooms, potatoes, diced sausages and hard-boiled eegs), Pierogi (dumplings stuffed with meat, cabbage, mushrooms, cottage cheese, or potatoes and fruits), Bigos (stew of cabbage and meat), Polish sausage (smoked meat), Oscypek (mountain cheese from ewe’s milk and Sernik (cheesecake). But don’t exaggerate, because their food is really heavy and oily, and meals are huge! Otherwise, restaurants in Poland serve all types of international cuisine nowadays, so everyone will find something for themselves. 

I have also liked Zapiekanka, which is the most popular street food. I am talking about 35 centimeters long, open-face sandwich, made of half of a baguette, topped with mushrooms, cheese and optionally other ingredients, and toasted until the cheese melts. Usually it is served with ketchup.

Poland is also known for their delicious and strong vodkas, which are the most popular alcoholic drinks. Famous brands are Żubrówka, Soplica, Sobieski and these are my favorite. They are really strong: flavored vodkas have 32 percent of alcohol! Poles also have really tasty beers like Żywiec, Okocim, Tyskie and Žubr. They drink around 92 liters of beer per year, which places it third behind the Czech Republic and Germany.

We usually ate in our campus canteen, which served all kind of polish food and salads, soups, deserts and drinks. The lunch was around 3, 5 Euros. We also cooked a lot.

Erasmus dinner

MAGIC ROOM 311
On the beginning I wanted to live in the city centre, but later I changed my mind and I chose a dormitory, which was recommended by my Erasmus coordinator Dorota Madejska. I lived in a third floor with other Erasmus students – we called it party floor. Dormitory was located in the student’s campus AWF, so my school was only 2 minutes away from my new home. The monthly rent was ONLY 360 PLZ, which is 86 €. I couldn’t believe that it was so cheap. That’s one of the advantages of living in Krakow. Rents are quite cheap, even living in a private apartment. You can get a nice and very big, single or double room in the city centre, for a good price. I shared my room with a Portuguese girl, who was also Erasmus and studying in AWF. 

View from my room

LET’S GO TO PIJALNIA

Night life in Krakow is AMAZING. High number of students make a party atmosphere everywhere. You can go out every day (even on Sunday), because there are organized events for (Erasmus) students. Krakow claims to have the highest density of clubs and bars in the world! The list of them is endless. Szewska street is the most popular street in Krakow, which is in the city centre. There are all the most visited clubs (with commercial music) and drinking bars. When the winter is gone, the streets are full of students. About the entrance in clubs - usually it’s for free or from 2,5 to 5 Euros. Erasmus students can also get a Kakao Krakow Events card, which provides you free entry and discounts for drinks in the clubs. If you’re not a clubbing person, you don’t need to worry about it, because there are so many bars and pubs with thematic scenes, karaoke or live music. My favourite bars are Pijalnia wodki i piwa and Bania luka. Crowded, cheap (large beer or vodka shots for 1 Euro) and always full of international people. We also had our university club Meta, which was in the AWF campus. Every Thursday was the day to hang up with polish students from our university.

Party in Meta

TAKE A TRAM!

11 kilometres west of the Krakow is Krakow’s airport John Paul II International – Balice, so you can come from every country directly to Krakow. Isn’t that amazing? Direct trains cover the route between Kraków Główny train station and the airport in 15 minutes. Public transport is based on a network of tram and bus lines, which are great because of their speed and punctuality. I bought myself a semester bus/tram ticket (both in one), which costed me around 42 Euros. Otherwise 20 minute ticket for students costs 0,33 Euro. Also the trains and taxies are cheap. The taxi will take around 5 to 10 Euros to take you on a place, which is 10 minutes away from the city centre. We used to check public transport online at mpk.krakow.pl (which has English functionality), where all the timetables and network maps are. 

Trip to Warsaw

GOLDEN POLISH ZŁOTY

I really like in Poland that you can get a good product for a good price. Transport, food, alcohol and rents are cheaper than in Slovenia or at the same price. I received the scholarship in the amount of 300 Euros and it was enough. Because of a cheap accommodation I had enough money left – around 200 Euros monthly. So I was able to survive without asking my parents for money, normally. Oh, and if you didn’t know, Poland has its own currency Złoty, which literally means "golden".

ERASMUS IS AWESOME!

My Erasmus is finished and it is difficult to explain you more with words what an exchange year is. It is even harder to write about it, because millions of memories are flashing through my mind. Living abroad is an amazing experience, especially for those who want to change the environment, become independent, learn about other cultures and their habits, improve language or learn new one, meet new people and of course, the most important thing for youngsters, have fun.

Well, I could write all day long about my experience, but I just want to tell you that if you are considering the University of Physical Education as an Erasmus destination, or Krakow as a city to work in, you will choose the right destination. Don’t be afraid to go, because every ending is a new beginning and I am sure you will not regret it. I can say going to Krakow was one of the best things I could have done in my entire life. I fell in love with this amazing city and I am planning to visit it again in the future.

If you have any questions you are welcome to contact me. My e-mail address is k.caglevi@gmail.com