Day Trips from Kraków: Wieliczka, Zakopane and Ojców

Beyond Auschwitz, covered in its own Auschwitz guide, three trips stand out. They suit different moods: underground history, mountains and a quiet valley.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine

Rock salt was mined at Wieliczka, just south-east of Kraków, from the 13th century until 1996. The Tourist Route leads through about 3.5 km of chambers and passages carved from grey-green salt, with statues, underground lakes and the Chapel of St Kinga, a church whose chandeliers, floor and reliefs are all made of salt. Visits are by guided tour, in English and other languages, and take two to three hours. You walk down more than 800 steps, and a lift brings you back up. It stays around 17 to 18°C underground. Book a timed ticket online, especially in summer, and take the train from Kraków Główny, about 20 minutes.

Zakopane and the Tatras

Poland's mountain resort sits under the Tatra Mountains, two to two and a half hours south by bus or train. The town's main street, Krupówki, is crowded and commercial; the reason to come is the mountains. Take the cable car up Kasprowy Wierch for high views, or walk to Morskie Oko, a glacial lake below granite peaks, along a 9 km paved road through the forest from Palenica Białczańska. It's the most popular walk in the park and very busy in summer; parking there must be booked online. Try oscypek, the smoked sheep's cheese, grilled with cranberry jam. A day trip is possible but long, and a night in Zakopane is much better.

Ojców National Park

Poland's smallest national park, about 25 km north of Kraków, is a green limestone valley with rock pinnacles, caves and the ruins of a castle at Ojców. Pieskowa Skała, a Renaissance castle on a crag, sits at the northern end next to a limestone pillar called Hercules' Club. It's the quietest of these trips and best with a car or a local bus.

Which to choose

For a short stay, Wieliczka is the easiest and only needs half a day. With a day to spare and good weather, choose the Tatras. The 3-day itinerary fits the Salt Mine into an afternoon.