Are you coming to Krakow to study?
Here are the top 10 things you should know.
Communication, discounts, nightlife and more…
Do you wish to study in Krakow?
The academic year is about to begin. But what does this mean for Krakow? Busy buses, crowds in the streets of the Old Town and a lot of joy that young people bring. What does October 1st mean for a student? Moving to a new city is sure to arouse excitement and positive emotions while arousing stress and anxiety. How to find yourself in a new place? Here you will find everything you should know about Krakow when you come here to study!
1. Moving around Krakow
In accordance with the regulations of MPK, students can get a public transport ticket discount.
To move freely about the city, without having a care in the world, it is best to buy seasonal tickets (monthly). The students that are not residents of Krakow can buy these tickets for a period of 1 to 3 months.
The prices as of today (23rd September 2022) are:
– monthly: PLN 40 (one line) / PLN 74 (all lines in zone I)
– 2-month: PLN 80 / PLN 148
– 3-month: PLN 120 / PLN 222
Where to buy MPK tickets?
The ticket can be purchased in the Krakow City Card (mKKM) mobile application, available for iOS and Android. For those travelling by rail in Małopolska, an even better option will be to buy a ticket in the Małopolska Agglomeration Card (iMKA) application, which will additionally allow you to buy a train ticket.
Students of eight universities in Krakow (AGH, UJ, PK, UR, UP, WSZB, WSE, KA) have the opportunity to register their season tickets on the Electronic Student ID, which they will receive after the beginning of the academic year, after purchasing them online or in KKM machines. In case of doubt, students can go to the Ticket Sales Point (the one with the least amount of traffic is the one located in Krowodza Gorka).
2. Student discounts
One of the reasons it is great to be a student 🙂
As you have read in point 1, students get discounts on public transport – but not only that!
With a valid ID card, students will be able to eat cheaper in some Krakow restaurants, pay less in museums, and gyms or watch a movie in Multikino for only PLN 12.90 or in Cinema City for PLN 16-18. What’s more, students can also use Spotify for less than PLN 10 a month.
3. Where to eat cheap in Krakow?
If you are in Krakow and you never tried the Bar Mlecnzy (Milk Bars) yet, you are in for a treat!
They are a remnant of the communist era and all the locals enjoy it. Good homemade food at a low price.
Here are the most popular Milk Bars where you can dine cheaply and properly:
– “Targowy” Milk Bar (Al. Ignacego Daszyńskiego 19)
– “Pod Temidą” Milk Bar (43 Grodzka Street)
– “Krakus” Milk Bar (Limanowskiego Street) 16)
– Milk Bar “Flisak” (ul. Kościuszki 1)
– Żaczek (ul. Czarnowiejska 75)
– Milk Bar “University” (ul. Czysta 5)
– and the flagship Milk Bar “Centralny” (housing estate Centrum C 1)
4. Photocopying is key!
Some may be surprised by this, but we assure you that during your studies you will often come to the photocopying point. Unfortunately, a printer and a photocopier are items that not everyone has in their student apartment, and almost everyone needs them (especially before the session).
Here is a list of some photocopying points where you will be able to print or photocopy the necessary materials:
– ul. Gronostajowa 7, Campus of the Jagiellonian University
– ul. Józefa Piłsudskiego 9, next to the main building of the Jagiellonian University
– ul. Gołębia 10, next to the buildings of the Jagiellonian University and the Pontifical University
– ul. Witolda Budryka, AGH Student Campus
– ul. Czarnowiejska 84, AGH Student Campus
– ul. Reymonta A4, the AGH Student Campus
– ul. Warszawska 24, Campus of the Cracow University of Technology
– ul. Królewska 65A, next to the Pedagogical University
– underground passage ul. Rakowicka / ul. Lubomirskiego, next to the UEK Campus
– ul. Stanisława Wysocka 2C, AWF
5. Where to live?
Well… if you are not from Krakow you have mainly 2 choices: Dormitory VS Flat.
Krakow’s universities offer rooms in dormitory buildings, most of which are located in clusters, known as student campuses:
– AGH Student Campus, ul. Józef Rostafiński – in the town there are dormitories of AGH, UJ, UR, UP
– Osiedle Studenckie PK, os. Stanisław Skarżyński
There are also dormitories at UEK, AWF and private universities. The cost of course depends on the standard of living, the size of the dormitory and so on… Each university has its own price list.
Of course, the flats are available to rent and Facebook groups always have people searching for flatmates. Check the amenities always! 😉
6. Juwenalia 🙂
The most beloved festival (an annual event for the students) happens in May, each year. So you will have time to prepare 😉 “Juwenalia” is a wonderful time when students throw all their worries away and devote themselves to having loads of fun with their friends.
The best concerts are seen there, there are multiple stages, competitions and generally… a wonderful time to be young and feel alive 🙂
7. Krakow’s nightlife
There are plenty of student clubs on the map of Krakow. To find out about events organized in individual clubs, we recommend that you follow their social media and websites on a regular basis. In the academic year, there will certainly be concerts and interesting events.
Student clubs in Krakow:
– Żaczek, ul. 3 Maja 5
– Kwadrat, PK Campus, ul. Skarżyńskiego 1
– Studio, AGH Student Campus
– Filutek, AGH Student Campus, ul. Rostafińskiego 10
– Zaścianek, ul. Rostafińskiego 4
– Gwarek, ul. Reymonta 17
– Pod Jaszczurami Club, Rynek 8
– Polibuda Pub, ul. Warszawska 17
If you prefer to sit quietly with your friends over a cold beer and chat, we present a list of examples of places that you can visit:
– Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa, ul. Floriańska 34 / ul. Szewska 25 / pl. New 7
– BaniaLuka, pl. Szczepański 6
– Failure, ul. Mikołajska 9
– Pod Ziemią Pub, ul. Miodowa 43
– Craftownia, ul. Wawrzyńca 22
– Huki Muki, ul. Floriańska 26
8. Where to study?
Sometimes the conditions in the apartment or dorm do not allow for learning, and sometimes it is just difficult to gather thoughts at home and concentrate properly. If you’re the type of person who likes to study in public, you’ve come to the right place. Krakow is a city with plenty of libraries! Below is a list of university libraries, where each student will be able to obtain the necessary reading and teach:
– Jagiellonian Library, al. Adama Mickiewicza 22
– AGH Main Library, AGH Student Campus, al. Adama Mickiewicza 30
– The CUT Library, ul. Warszawska 24
– Main Library of UEK, ul. Rakowicka 27
– Main Library of the University of Life Sciences, ul. Podchorążych 2
– Main Library of the University of Agriculture, al. Adama Mickiewicza 24/28
In addition to the above-mentioned places, the Provincial Public Library, located at ul. Rajska 1. The library offers a wide range of books and textbooks and provides convenient conditions for learning. Moreover, next to it, at ul. Rajska is very active in Arteteka, ie “a modern space where Users can develop their interests, create their own projects, and supplement their knowledge based on various collections and specialized programs“.
9. Cultural Krakow
It would be a pity to stay and study in Krakow and not visit this wonderful city – it has so much to offer!
You can select from cinemas to theatres to (my favourite!) amazing museums!
I know everyone will jump in to see the Wawel Castle or the Sukiennice as they are landmarks of this fine city, but there is so much more one could see!
Here are my picks:
- The painting “Lady with an Ermine” at the Princes Czartoryski Museum, ul. Pijarska 15 – much better than its counterpart “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre 😉
- Schindlers Factory on Ulica Lipowa 4
- The Mehoffer Museum on Ulica Krupnicza 26
- The 19th Century Polish Art Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Sukiennice – has 4 rooms and some of the most beautiful paintings I have seen in Poland! Romanticism, realism, Polish Impressionism, Młoda Polska (Young Poland)… and paintings that are as big as a wall!
I also recommend you check the Słowacki Theater, the Krakow Opera (on Lubicz) and the Philarmonic.
10. Medical aid
ree medical services under the National Health Fund for the academic community are offered by the Scanmed network:
– Scanmed Medical Center, ul. Armii Krajowej 5 (AGH)
– ul. Akademicka 5 (AGH)
– ul. Gronostajowa 7 (UJ)
– ul. Warszawska 24 (PK)
– ul. Rakowicka 16 (UEK)
– ul. Podchorążych 2 (UP)
– al. Jana Pawła II 84 (AWF)
– ul. Kanonicza 23 (UPJPII)
After moving to a new city, away from your hometown, it is also worth submitting a special declaration of choosing a primary care physician, which can be downloaded online or obtained at any clinic. Then contact with the primary care physician will be faster and trouble-free.
NOTE! It is possible to change the primary care physician up to 3 times a year, and each subsequent change costs PLN 80.
That being said, I wish everyone a lovely stay in this amazing city 🙂
And in case of any questions, just drop me a line 😉
#SharingIsCaring
Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug
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