It's time for a hen party in Krakow!
It's not the capital city, but it is the most popular tourist destination in Poland - that should tell you something about the incredible amount that Krakow has to offer visitors. If not, let us tell you - it's one of the most magical, historical and cultural of Poland's cities, with the sort of world-class nightlife that's made it a top favourite with stag parties for decades. Hens have been a little slower to wake up to its charms as a hen do destination, but that's all changing - the vibrant nightlife and the well-established entertainment and leisure options have propelled Krakow to the top spot for Polish hen dos, and it's fast gaining ground over the rest of Europe too.
Why: Reasons to have a Krakow hen party
If you want a mythical, historical city built on fairytales, castles, and dragons, Krakow is the city for you. If you just want a weekend that provides some of the most classic, trusted hen do activities and allegedly the most bars in Europe, hen parties in Krakow provide that too. It might be older and more traditional than Poland's capital city, but that definitely doesn't translate to boring - Krakow has had more time to perfect both it's day and night scene, resulting in some of the best quality activities and entertainment anywhere in Europe. The city is stunning, the days are buzzing, and the flight is short - what are you waiting for?
What: What do hen parties in Krakow do?
Krakow is a city getting better by the day - from shopping to sightseeing to nightlife, there's no area in which Krakow doesn't excel. Krakow hen dos are the most popular in Poland, and it's long been in the top ten destinations for stags to visit - clearly, they're doing something very, very right. Whether that's the energising outdoor activities, luxurious pampering days, or hedonistic nightlife, we don't know - but you've got the opportunity to find out.
There's plenty to get girls on their feet. If you've got a hen that would enjoy water sports, motor sports, a good old fashioned pole dancing class or even pampering for a relaxing weekend away, we have something to offer!
It's the night time when Krakow really comes in to its own though - the bar, club and restaurant scene in Krakow is superb, easily the best in Poland. The rumours that it has the highest density of bars in Europe haven't been confirmed, but we do know that there's over 300 bars and pubs in the Old Town district alone, and that's without even touching on Kazimierz or any of the other districts.
When: The best times to visit for a hen party in Krakow
Krakow's a hotbed of activity all year round, with great festivals, national celebrations and events going on all the time. Pay a visit over New Years when fireworks light up the skies and rock bands perform at the Rynek¸ or in February for the International Shanty Festival and Fat Thursday (essentially an excuse to eat as much as you'd like!) The Bach Festival and Organ Festival's are favourites in March and then in April the Paka Cabaret has one-off performances and galleries. Cheer on the crowds during Cracow Marathon in May, as well as the International Film Festival with film showings and talks. July is big for festivals, with the main ones being the Summer Jazz Festival and International Street Theatre Festival and in August there's the Music in Old Cracow Festival with lots of musical shindigs. The Sacrum-Profanum Music Festival offer more musical delights, as does October's International Festival of Early Music and November's Zaduszki Jazz Festival. And lastly the year ends with a fantastic Christmas Market, with stalls, food and a range of yuletide customs. Overall, whenever you choose to visit this striking city there'll be something on to get the crowds going!
Shop: Krakow shopping areas & recommendations
While it's unlikely you'll find a Topshop or H&M on your Krakow hen do, what you will find is a great range of Polish department stores and artsy backstreets providing great places to pick up antiques, artwork and jewellery. Explore the Kazimerz area for a great range of shops as well as open air markets, including Plac Targowy, or if you're after traditional Cracovian souvenirs then pay a visit to Cloth Hall in the centre of the main square, where you'll find a selection of glass work, lace, amber, local sweets and stuffed dragons. If you're after a few hours of good retail therapy then you could hit one of Krakow's great shopping malls - Pasaz 13 is a gorgeous old renovated townhouse that's been turned into a shopping area, or visit Galeria Krakowska which covers 60,000 square meters over three floors.
How: Getting to Krakow hen do
Krakow is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe, so there's no shortage of cheap flights to the city from all over the UK. Ryanair and easyJet are two of the top lines sending flights to Krakow, and between them there are airplanes touching in from Belfast, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, Dublin, and Leeds. There's really no excuse for not going to Krakow - wherever the girls are from, there should be an airport that covers it!
