KrakowInformer.com

Safety in Krakow 

In general, safety in Krakow isn’t much of an issue – no volcanoes, no earthquakes and only one species of poisonous snakes make it safer than most places on the planet. Nevertheless, the most disaster-eliciting creatures – humans – are ever present, so staying safe in Cracow means taking care of threats they can pose. Below is a list of the most common safety problems in Krakow.

Your Car’s Safety

An old German joke claims that “Come to Poland, your car is already here” is the best advertisement for the country – and it seems that the Polish have been seen as the nation of car thieves. In fact, if it does happen that you can’t find your car where you left it, it probably means you have violated the strict rules of parking in Krakow and your vehicle had been towed away. Generally, because of the traffic, parking problems and other driving-connected issues, it seems it’s best for your safety to leave the car at the hotel parking lot and tour Krakow either on foot or using public transport. If you do decide to use your car, just keep to commonsense safety precautions – like not leaving it with open doors or windows and keeping things that might look too attractive from visible places – and nothing should happen to it.

Your Money’s Safety

As in most crowded cities, the biggest safety issue in Krakow seems to be pickpockets. Staying safe in crowded places includes keeping an eye – and a hand – on your purse or bag, and never leaving any of those open. Other things that should be watched at all times are cameras, mobile phones and other electronic equipment – as well as anything that looks worth stealing. Also, always beware of a crowd suddenly growing near you and strangers that seem to friendly, and you should stay safe.

Other Safety Tips

Sometimes one just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and there is nothing that can be done about it – except maybe avoiding some of the wrong places. On the whole, the Krakow city center and the biggest landmarks are safe. What one needs to watch out for are – obviously – empty dark alleys and the big residential zones – like those near Nowa Huta – especially at nighttime. Also, arguing with a maddened crowd of Wisla or Cracovia fans coming back from a lost derby match is, for safety reasons, unadvised.

Emergencies

Emergency telephone numbers in Krakow – as in the rest of Poland – are 997 for the Police, 998 for the fire brigade and 999 for ambulance – from regular phones – or 112 for all emergency issues for mobile phones. The good news is all emergency numbers are free – the bad news is there is little chance that you’ll be understood by whoever answers the call. Asking locals for help in such emergencies has proven to work, so try it in case of communication problems. Another way to deal with the problem is go in person to a police station or a hospital, and try to explain your emergency there. The last resort is always your country’s consulate in Krakow.