KrakowInformer.com

Krakow Horse and Carriages

Any general photograph of the Rynek in Krakow includes the Sukiennice, probably St. Mary's Church, the Town Hall Tower and the monument of Adam Mickiewicz. There are, however, two more things that should be listed, both, it may seem, quite on the ephemeral side in comparison to the above-mentioned: the Krakow Pigeons and the Horse Cabs.

The birds aren't of much use unless you're a hawk, but the Horse Cabs – dorozki in Polish, dorozka for singular – are, on the other hand, considered to be a must when it comes to a full-blown Krakow Tour.

Back in the 19^th century, when they were first introduced to Krakow, the horse carriages were the only “public” means of transport for the city, and although the dorozki were soon supplanted by more economical ones, like the “omnibus” or the streetcar, the Krakow Horse Cabs remained one of Krakow's symbols. The Horse Cabs have often been an inspiration for poets and writers, like Konstanty Ildefons Galczynski and his “Zaczarowana Dorozka” (“Magic Horse Cab”).

Recently, the Krakow Horse Cabs have begun to lose some of their traditional look, succumbing to the more fashionable or distinguished trend, leading to the turning of horse cabs to carriages, or cabs modeled on fairytale ones. The Krakow authorities decided to stop this tendency by giving out licenses only to those horse cab drivers who represent a look closer to the historical Krakow Horse Cabs, to ensure a traditional experience for the tourists.

When it comes to routes and prices, the rules are pretty simple. The tour is either a ride around the Main Square, going up the Royal Road or seeing some more parts of the city. The 4-person Krakow Horse Cab tours cost about 30-40 euro per hour, with the shortest ones lasting for about 30 minutes. To take a ride in one of the Krakow Horse Cabs just come up to one and negotiate with the driver.