November is a month of waiting. The summer is long gone, it is getting darker, and we are all looking forward to Christmas and even more, our Christmas holidays. But, November is also a month in which many hotels offer accommodation cheaper than they normally do, and tour companies offer cheaper sightseeing tours. In addition, airlines offer cheaper flight tickets, making November an ideal month for traveling, if you have the time and money. But, is November a boring month if you come to Krakow? What has the city got to offer visitors coming in a month before Christmas, and most likely before the annual Christmas markets open?
First of all, Krakow is a beautiful city all year around. As a result, if you want to explore the city of Krakow without being surrounded by thousands of tourists, November is a fantastic month. It can get quite cold, but not too cold (of course depending on where you are from and what you are used to). But, we believe that November is one of the best months in the year if you want to visit Krakow. Why is that? These are some of the main reason!
When you enter the Salt Mines, it doesn’t matter what month of the year it is!
As you come to Krakow, you will for sure read and hear about the Salt Mines. If you are reading this article, you are probably doing your home work and planning ahead before you even come to Krakow. The Salt Mines is a fantastic place to visit just outside Krakow. Here you will travel down into the earth and look at fantastic concert halls and smaller rooms filled with salt sculptures and a magical atmosphere. Since the number of tourists in Krakow is much lower in November than during the rest of the year, you are much more likely to find tickets last-minute, and you will also avoid long queues. And if we haven’t said it already, when you enter the Salt Mines, you will forget about the weather outside at once, because it has a steady temperature throughout the year on the onside. So, whether it is -5 Celsius or +35 Celsius, or if it is raining or snowing, you couldn’t care less as you visit the Salt Mines in Wieliczka.
If you are lucky, you might be able to visit the opening day of the annual Christmas market at the main square.
The annual Christmas market at the main square in Krakow normally open in the end of November (between November 24-31). You can find the exact dates (once they have been published) at our page about the Christmas markets in Krakow. People travel from all across Europe to Krakow to shop at these markets, but also to taste hot wine, eat sausage, and to experience Polish Christmas atmosphere.
The Christmas markets are really beautiful and after sunset, they get even more awesome as the lights are turned on and the market literally shines in the dark. Once again, if you arrive in the last week of November, this is definitely an activity that you should look out for!
Go to a folklore dinner or a concert.
It is obvious that you will walk around the old town of Krakow to learn and discover. But, what else should you do? November is a perfect month to attend some special indoor program, since it might not be the nicest month to eat your dinner outdoors. There are several good options you can choose from, but among the most popular evening programs in Krakow you have indoor piano concerts, and you also have dance shows in which you can eat and drink as much as you want while watching traditional Polish folkdance.
Many might say that you will be bored if you have to watch folkdance and listen to folk music five evenings in a row, and that might be true. But, as a one night program, these are activities you can definitely consider.
Want to see snow? Travel to Zakopane!
Would you like to see high mountains and maybe even travel or hike to the top of them? One of the best options if you are in Krakow is to do a day trip to Zakopane. You can travel between the cities in 1 1/2 hours and it will take you out of a traditional city, into a mountain heaven. Here you can go hiking, travel with cable cars to much higher mountains, go skiing, or just sit in a wooden cabin and drink some hot chocolate. Zakopane is also nice for shopping and just sipping in of some fresh mountain air.
No trip to Krakow is complete if you haven’t been to Auschwitz.
It doesn’t matter if we write an article about January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, or December… no trip to Krakow is complete without visiting Auschwitz. It doesn’t matter if it is cold or warm outside, if it is raining, the wind is blowing, or if the sun is shining. Auschwitz is one of those places anyone coming to Krakow must visit (except for children who might not understand it yet).
Auschwitz is one of the most terrible places to visit on earth, and that is exactly why it is so important. If you have never been there, it is a place where you will learn about what happened there during the Concentration Camps, and also about the politics that led to the construction of the camps, and how it was possible for something so cruel to happen without the “civilized” world raging against what was going on.
All in all, Auschwitz is the place you must visit, even though it will destroy your appetite and ruin your day (in many ways).
Look at our calendar to find information about upcoming events.
November isn’t the most busy month of the year, but sometimes there are special concerts, exhibitions, running competitions, festivals, or markets taking place at this time of the year. We try to write about the most important events in Krakow, and you can see if there will be any special upcoming event in Krakow as you come to the city in our Krakow calendar.
These are some thoughts and ideas about what you can do in Krakow in November, and what you should do in Krakow in November. Do you have any other ideas, thoughts, or suggestions for activities ideal in November? We would love to read your thoughts in the comment field below.
