When to visit 碍谤补办贸飞, where festivals take place all year long
Jul 25, 2022 鈥 6 min read
Snowy winters in 碍谤补办贸飞 are cold but awfully photogenic 漏 Matt Munro / 香港六合彩即时开奖 Magazine
Poland鈥檚 liveliest city appeals at any time of year.
Most attractions in 碍谤补办贸飞 stay open year-round and events take place every single month. In April, May, September and October, mild temperatures and reduced crowds make for a lovely weekend getaway. Summers are jam-packed with festivals (and visitors), while a dusting of snow makes the city wonderfully photogenic during searingly cold winters.
Here鈥檚 our season-by-season, month-by-month guide for when to visit 碍谤补办贸飞.
High season (June鈥揂ugust) is best for festivals
Hot days, long daylight hours and balmy summer nights mean that 碍谤补办贸飞 bustles with visitors in summertime, particularly during July and August. It鈥檚 an excellent time to take your kids to the hands-on Stanis艂aw Lem鈥檚 Garden of Experiments, for a stroll around the Zoological Gardens or to watch the swans in 碍谤补办贸飞ski Park. Alternatively, head underground into the Wieliczka Salt Mine or use the pools and waterslides of Park Wodny to seek respite from the heat. This is 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 busiest season, so expect accommodation prices to shoot up correspondingly.
Shoulder season (April鈥揗ay and September鈥揙ctober) is best for sightseeing
Spring flowers bring a burst of color to 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 tree-lined streets and boulevards, while mild May days mean it鈥檚 warm enough to bring a packed lunch to the banks of the Vistula River or the picnic tables of Grazyna Park. Late spring and early autumn, when the leaves change color, is the loveliest time to stroll around Old Town and Kazimierz, since it鈥檚 warm without being sweltering, and accommodation prices are reasonable. It鈥檚 also a good time to explore 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 cultural offerings, since crowds are thinner.
Low season (November鈥揊ebruary) is best for photography and budget travel
Prices drop during the winter months when visitors are few, which makes it an excellent time for budget travelers to visit. It doesn鈥檛 snow here all winter (some days you may experience icy winds and freezing rain instead) but if you鈥檙e a photographer, you won鈥檛 want to miss 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 castle and other Old Town monuments with a dusting of sparkling white. You鈥檒l be able to explore 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 many museums without being jostled by crowds, and seasonal ice rinks spring up in Jordan Park and elsewhere. In December, twinkling lights add festive cheer to the 碍谤补办贸飞 Christmas market.
January is for snowy panoramas
While most nationals use January to get over Christmas hangovers, in 碍谤补办贸飞 the party鈥檚 just getting started. New Year鈥檚 Day marks the start of the carnival season that lasts until Shrove Tuesday and is marked by feverish festivities in the city鈥檚 many clubs. Typically, January also brings the heaviest snowfall of the year.
Key events: , Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity
In February, overeat
Another cold and snowy month, February sees 碍谤补办贸飞 residents (Catholic or not) fill up on Polish doughnut balls with rose jam filling on Fat Thursday, before partying till dawn on Shrove Tuesday. February also sees sea-shanty-singing groups from all over dropping anchor in 碍谤补办贸飞, while lovers of drum 鈥檔鈥 bass head for the nearby Tatra Mountains to ski and/or dance to the likes of Nero and Ghostface Killah.
Key events: , Fat Thursday, Ostatki (Shrove Tuesday),
Celebrate Easter in March
The days are warming up, snow is melting and spring flowers are popping up. Lent sees numerous ceremonies held in 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 churches, culminating in special services over Holy Week. If you鈥檙e lucky, you鈥檒l catch a hooded procession by the Brothers of the Good Death from the Basilica of the Virgin Mary every Friday during Lent. Watch out on Easter Monday: splashing water over one another is a local tradition.
Key events: Easter, Chocolate Festival, Early Music Days, 碍谤补办贸飞 Cello Spring
April brings medieval festivities and art
The weather is still brisk, but even occasional April showers are not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of jousting and fencing participants at the Rekawka medieval fair on Krakus Mound. Dozens of contemporary art exhibitions transform the city during Art Week.
Key events: Rekawka Traditional Medieval Fair, ,
May is for holy processions and student celebrations
Warm and sunny with ever-longer daylight hours, May sees local students dressing up in outlandish disguises to wreak havoc in the Old Town for a week. Poland鈥檚 faithful follow the relics of Poland鈥檚 patron saints from the Wawel Cathedral, while the Lajkonik Parade brings lighthearted pageantry, led by a bearded Tatar.
Key events: Constitution Day, Saint Stanislaw鈥檚 Procession, , Lajkonik Parade,
Celebrate Midsummer in June
Flower wreaths with candles float down Vistula River for the exuberant Midsummer celebrations while 碍谤补办贸飞 rocks out into the long summer night at a concert venue opposite Wawel Castle. Ten days of Jewish arts, music and film kick off in Kazimierz.
Key events: Wianki (Midsummer Festival), , , Ephemera Festival
July is all about festivals
This is 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 hottest and rainiest month, so bring your waterproof gear. The rain doesn鈥檛 deter most visitors, however, so expect high accommodation prices, particularly during the popular 碍谤补办贸飞 Jazz Festival.
Key events: Jewish Culture Festival, ,
Enjoy classical music with a side of pierogi in August
Expect another hot and rainy month, with temperatures an average of 77掳F (25掳C). String quartets, violinists, organists and choirs perform for a cosmopolitan crowd as part of a classical music festival in Old 碍谤补办贸飞. Village artisans and countryside entertainers set up shop on G艂贸wny Rynek (Main Square), while Maly Rynek fills up with pierogi stalls.
Key events: 碍谤补办贸飞 Folk Fair, , Pierogi Festival
Take it easy in September
As summer crowds depart and accommodation prices fall, the weather remains a balmy 68掳F (20掳F). It鈥檚 a quiet month event-wise, but it鈥檚 a wonderful time to wander around the city just as the leaves begin to change color.
Key events: Veganmania, Fermentation Festival
Expect literature, experimental art and music in October
Brisk days shouldn鈥檛 deter you from visiting just as fall reveals its splendor and the trees are in their full autumnal glory. Cold nights are ideal for heading indoors and partaking in offbeat music and literary events.
Key events: Unsound,
November lets you commune with the dead
As the days get colder, 碍谤补办贸飞 sees its first snowfall of the season and mournful strains of jazz provide musical accompaniment to the gathering darkness. Locals head for the cemeteries on November 1 鈥 All Saints鈥 Day 鈥 to light candles on the graves of relatives and deck them out with fresh flowers.
Key events: All Saints鈥 Day, Andzejki, 碍谤补办贸飞 Jazz Autumn
December is all about Christmas markets
It鈥檚 cold and snowy, but the Old Town鈥檚 main square is aglow with lights from the Christmas market, where you can admire the elaborate 鈥淐hristmas cribs鈥 (or Nativity scenes). On New Year鈥檚 Eve, accommodation prices soar and 碍谤补办贸飞鈥檚 Old Town and main square get swamped by tens of thousands of revelers counting down to the new year.
Key events: Mikolaj, 碍谤补办贸飞 Christmas Crib Competition, Christmas Eve, New Year鈥檚 Eve
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