Accessible Krakow -Quingo Scooters

Accessible getaways abroad: Accessible Kraków

This is a beautiful city, steeped in history, right in the heart of Europe. With wonderful markets, great churches and some classic architecture to satisfy all tastes, the Polish city of Kraków should be on every traveller’s list. It is also a city that is very welcoming and accessible to visitors who use mobility scooters.

With that in mind, here are just a few of Quingo Scooters’ favourite sites across the wonderful city of Kraków.

Visit the main square

It’s hard to miss the Rynek Główny, or main square, right in the centre of Kraków. It’s one of the largest medieval squares in Europe and is in many ways the beating heart of the city. When you are in this central square, you are in a part of the city that has changed very little over the last 900 years or so.

Over the centuries, it has been the site of everything from executions to coronations, religious celebrations and flower markets. The square is also ringed with beautiful buildings and as you move around it you’ll find plenty of places to eat, drink and soak up the atmosphere. It’s big, flat, and as you’d expect, completely accessible.

Go down a salt mine!

Heading down a salt mine might not be the first choice for many people when they think of a relaxing getaway, but stick with us. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a remarkable place – and also accessible to those of us with different mobility needs (it includes an accessible elevator).

People have been mining salt here since Neolithic times, and it is genuinely one of the most incredible places we’ve ever visited. It is absolutely vast, with winding passageways and also a number of remarkable underground chapels. This is somewhere that really has to be seen to be believed.

Chill in the botanical gardens

If the salt mines and the busy historical centre all get a bit too much, then there is nothing better than relaxing in Kraków’s beautiful botanical gardens. They were created in the 18th century and are a part of the Jagiellonian University of Kraków.

They’re open from April to October and are packed with a wonderful collection of plants, including some stunning magnolias. The paths are generally flat and access is good.

Botanical gardens Krakow
Editorial credit: CoinUp / Shutterstock.com

Visit an Art Nouveau masterpiece… or take in some Brutalist architecture

Kraków is the perfect place to see a huge range of different architectural forms, and we thoroughly recommend that you head to the gorgeous Art Nouveau St Francis Basilica. In our view, it’s the most beautiful church in Kraków.

But we also wanted to mention another area of this city that became famous in the late ‘80s as the home of the trade union movement, Solidarity. There couldn’t be more of a contrast between the communist-era Brutalist style Nowa Huta area of Kraków and the Old Town – but it is well worth checking out.

One of the most remarkable buildings to visit is the incredible Nowa Huta steelworks, but really the whole area is worth exploring. It might not be the prettiest part of Kraków, but Nowa Huta’s role in the long journey towards the fall of communism makes it one of the most interesting, and historically significant places in Europe.

Guided tours of the area are available here. Give the team a call before you book to discuss your individual needs.

St Francis Basilica Krakow
Editorial credit: akturer / Shutterstock.com

Did you know?

Kraków is the home of the zapiekanka: a mind-blowingly tasty toasted baguette with cheese, mushrooms and tomato ketchup.

Getting to Kraków

You can fly direct to Kraków from the London airports, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds and Manchester. Make sure you let the team at Kraków airport know your particular mobility requirements a couple of days before you fly and they will provide an assistance service if you need it. There is also special blue path that will lead you through the airport smoothly.

It’s simple to get in to the city too. You can either get an accessible taxi, take a shuttle bus (just head to the stop outside the terminal entrance) or one of the regular trains into the city centre. The trains run every 18 minutes and are all accessible.

Once you’re in Kraków, you’ll find that it is a fairly straightforward city to get around in. Even the Old Town is relatively level and is pedestrianized. There is no metro in Kraków, but there is an extensive bus and tram network. The new vehicles are all accessible, but there are still a few older ones that unfortunately aren’t. There’s a good general guide to getting around in Kraków here.

Travelling with scooters

The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.

Share your accessible getaways abroad with us

Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.

About Quingo Scooters

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847