Krakow Storyteller

28/03/2022

Today I had a great pleasure of guiding Max Sarin - a cartoonist from Finland that was a guest of the Krakow Comic Book Festival. ❤ - thank you for a great morning!

My contribution to the Festival was a guided tour about Krakow in comicbooks and comicbooks in Krakow.

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03/03/2022

Streets of Krakow are welcoming the refugees from Ukraine.

26/02/2022

Kraków stands with Ukraine!

05/01/2022

Tomorrow at 4:00PM (Polish time), you will be able to watch me chat with Jonathan Ornstein and Rav Avi Baumol from JCC Krakow. Can't wait! :)

*Scroll down for English*

Dołączcie do nas w tym tygodniu na AMA z Alicją Zioło, licencjonowaną przewodniczką po Krakowie! Przed pandemią oprowadzała głównie anglojęzycznych turystów, a teraz zajmuje się głównie zachęcaniem Krakowian do odkrycia własnego miasta pod szyldem Chodźże na wycieczkę. Do zobaczenia w czwartek o 16:00!
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Join us this week for the AMA with Alicja Zioło, a licensed tour guide around Krakow! Before the pandemic she worked mostly with English-speaking tourists, but as the world started to change, she came up with the idea of getting local Krakowians to learn about their own city and she started Chodźże na wycieczkę. See you this Thursday at 10am New York Time or 4pm Krakow time!

21/07/2021

Last Monday I spend an afternoon with Gesundheit family. They came to Krakow from Isreal to look for places important for the history of their family. They want to prepare a movie about an incredible journey that was the life of Beni's mother, Shoshanna. She was born in Krakow in 1927 and managed to leave Poland with her family in September 1939, which saved her life. In fact, Shoshanna (today being 93 years old) is considering coming to Krakow in October, what a trip it will be!

I must say I was a little worried about my task - I was supposed to make it easier for them to get around Krakow, be their translator and try to help them get wherever they needed. What was my concern? It's always weird if you knock on the door of total strangers, trying to get inside - you are an intruder, even if the place is close to your heart. But luckily, I was about to be surprised by how understanding, open and welcoming were the Cracovians that we met on our way. Owner of the building at Krakowska street, letting us in to show us the courtyard were little Shoshana used to play and sharing knowledge about how the place changed since then. Piotr - student that agreed in one second to let us inside his apartment, so we could see the balcony that Shoshanna remembers so well. And finally - Tunisian guy, Sayid, who happens to rent an apartment that was arranged in a space that used to be young Shoshanna's living room, allowing us to go inside and enjoy an amazing view on the old Kazimierz Town Hall building that before the war used to be her school.

It was quite a day! I'm always amazed by what stories and people are introduced to me by

17/07/2021

Today I showed the Old Town of Krakow and the Wawel Hill to a lovely young family from Switzerland. Unfortunately, you can't see their son (5 months old), who fell in love with the city and then took a nap (which is a kind of tourism that personally enjoy the most). ❤

As you can see, during a private tour, we can adjust the schedule and the pace to your needs.

15/07/2021

In early 19th century Cracovians founded a new cemetery, just outside of the city, by the road to Warsaw. During over two centuries of its existence, it became the most prestigious cemetery in Krakow. It's also very beautiful - filled with old trees and extraordinary tombstones, very often designed by top artists.

If you are looking for a place to visit during your stay in Krakow that would be off the beaten tracks - it will be perfect! Today I spent 4 hours there, preparing for the tour that I will guide on Sunday.

14/07/2021

Two days ago I ran into them, they were looking for the pharmacy. I was walking in the same direction, so they joined me and we started talking. And that's how we ended up on a tour around the Jewish district of Krakow!

Thank you, dear group from Germany! ❤

13/07/2021

Sigismund is 500 years old!

In 1521, Polish king Sigismund I decided to spend some money on making his name last forever. That's why he asked Hans Beham, bell-founder from Nuremberg (Germany) to prepare something special for the Wawel cathedral. Beham created a bell that for almost 500 years remained the biggest bell in Poland: 12600 kg, diameter of 2,41m. It's gigantic! It was named after its founder - we call it the Sigismund Bell.

It only rings once in a while, for biggest catholic holidays or when something extraordinary is happening. Cracovians could hear it's sound during the coronation of every king, when there was a fire or when new pope was being elected. It warned them that WWII started, mourned John Paul II after his death, helped to part with the greatest minds of our city.

And today is its birthday! Exactly 500 years ago Cracovians heard its sound for the first time. That's why, this evening, drop everything and run to the Wawel Hill. The Sigismund Bell will sing its song at 21:00, especially for you.

13/07/2021

Today I'm spending the entire day at the Wawel Hill, guiding kids. Now, with way less tourists coming here then before the pandemic, it makes even better impression on the visitors.