December in Poland
Places to visit in Poland
Stunning scenery, many places of interest; salt mines, castles, towns in southern Poland.
Skiing and snow
The skiing season arrives with the snow in December. Go skiing, snowboarding and skiddoing.
Travel Guide
Flights, coach travel, trains, buses and taxis in and out of Cracow.
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Baubles, gingerbread and mulled wine
Cracow Christmas Market
The Cracow Christmas Market is held each December in the Old Market Square in the city of Cracow in southern Poland. The market begins in the last week of November and extends to the first week of January but the majority of stalls are there for the whole of December excluding Christmas Day. Shoppers and holiday makers browse the stalls, eat hot sausage and grilled meats from open air stalls and purchase cups of warm mulled wine from barrel shaped cabins.
Surrounding the market are the pavement cafes, restaurants, shops and churches that the enormous old square is famous for.
Festive Christmas trees and lights
The market is at its best soon after dark when the Christmas lights are glowing and each stall is lit to better display its wares. Buy iced Christmas gingerbread hearts, santas, Polish sweets, hand-made glass Christmas baubles and good quality Polish crafts.
more about Christmas gifts from Poland
Polish Christmas food and traditions
The meal on Christmas Eve celebrates the religious meaning of Christmas and for a change the meat loving Poles go vegetarian. Fish, often carp, features in one of the twelve dishes. Twleve dishes symbolise the twelve apostles of Jesus. Hay is sometimes placed under the table cloth to remind people that Christ was born in a manger. Everyone shares bread (a Christmas wafer) and exchange wishes for health, happiness and prosperity.