essential - krakow

Krakow Nightlife comes with a reputation that precedes it, and rightly so! Krakow is without doubt one of the party capitals in Europe and the city attracts many visitors from Poland and abroad, purely for the nightlife and partying scene.

So imagine a medieval old town adored with traditional architecture and its narrow streets. Now cram the narrow streets with hundreds of lit up bars and nightclubs, underground taverns and drinking dens and you are starting to build a picture of the Krakow nightlife scene. In fact according to urban myth, Krakow old town has the highest density or bars and nightclubs in the world. True or not, you are never more than a few meters away from a watering hole with a hazardous choice potent Polish Vodka

There are two main going out areas in Krakow - the old town area, surrounding the main market square, and Kazimierz, although some off the beaten track nightlife spots are starting to appear in the Podgorze district. To sum up, the old town area tends to be more main stream, whereas in Kazimierz clubs and bars, you are more likely to find alternative, more bohemian clientele, and slightly fewer tourists. Of course it's the people that make the party and the Krakow nightlife scene draws a wide ranging, but predominantly young crowd. Visit while the 170,000 or so students are at home and most of the clubs and bars will be packed on Friday and Saturday nights although during the week, you'll need to look a little harder to find the party. During the Summer months the bar and nightclub's clientele changes and you'll be as likely to chat with a European tourist as you will a local Pole.

On the plus side, you will rarely have to pay to enter a nightclub in Krakow except perhaps for the more established venues, such as Frantic located on Szewska st. The less mainstream you go, the cheaper the alcohol, which is good value and served in tourist felling measures. So if you are looking to party in Krakow, Essential Krakow presents to you the main nightlife hotspots. Check our visitor ratings and comments for each nightclub or bar. Please have a chat with our online guides if you'd like to know more about where to go on a particular night!