European Kraków | Kraków europejski

I recently spent a few days in Kraków. As I walked around the city, admiring the sights, I noticed many links to different parts of Europe.

Almost as soon as I arrived, I could see and hear connections to other European countries. It started with tourists on the airport train, then retail stores from multinational brands. So far, so capitalist. And then, with my eyes open, I began to notice more cultural connections. 

I heard people speaking Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish - and, of course, English and Polish. I remembered that Kraków was European Capital of Culture in the year 2000, a special year when eight other cities held that title.

Here is the list of what I noticed in European Kraków.

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🇦🇹 Austria: a hotel chain called Vienna House. And a café called Cafe Hawelka, named after the coffee house in Vienna. The owner's father, Leopold Hawelka, was from Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. 🇨🇿

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🇧🇪 A painting by Polish artist Emil Schinangel depicting an organ grinder in Antwerp hangs in the National Museum in Kraków.

Antwerp organ-grinder, 1930, Emil Schinagel

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🇫🇷 The French supermarket Carrefour is in many locations across the city. I saw a French language school, and a French boulangerie named Pierre.

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🇩🇪 German retail chains: Rossmann, Mediamarkt and a performing arts theatre called Scena Berlin.

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🇭🇺 A plaque in the Old Town commemorates how the people of Kraków helped with relief after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

Hungarian Revolution plaque in Kraków

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🇮🇪 Irish tourists on the airport train, at least three Irish pubs with huge flags and shamrocks, and a poster for an Irish festival in honour of Saint Patrick's Day.

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🇮🇹 Pasta and pizza ristoranti all over

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🇵🇹 A store called Bom Dia selling now-ubiquitous pasteis de nata.

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🇪🇸 A Spanish pop song playing in the main square, while people danced and cheered.

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🇸🇪 A Swedish bakery called Svensson.

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🇺🇦 A painting of beehives in Ukraine, and plenty of Ukrainian flags.

Ule na Ukraine, Jan Stanisławski, National Museum in Kraków

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🇬🇧 Lots of lads lads lads on stag parties, and an exhibition about Banksy.

Galeria Krakowska

Kraków's main railway station - Kraków Główny - is located alongside a large shopping centre. As I was leaving to travel to my next destination, I noticed this large mural with European capital cities.