If you’re a parent yourself, you know how difficult it is to organize time when traveling with your kids. The best would be to me a teleport, to be at the seaside or in the mountains in 2 seconds and start the holiday adventure. While during the flight you can turn on a fairy tale or just put them to sleep, waiting and all the airport procedures are terribly tiring for them. And for parents…even more so. It’s not enough that you have to take care of the luggage, pack the documents, take care of the provisions, it’s also best to keep an eye on them, so they don’t leave without their little one.
Flight Education Center – Balice
Practically all travelers always associate airports with long waits to get on a plane. But what if we told you that places like the airport in Krakow are not only the beginning of your journey, but also… a place where you can learn something? It’s here that both adults and children can fulfill their dreams of becoming a pilot or air traffic controller. If you find it hard to believe, it’s best if you check it yourself!
John Paul Airport hides in its corners the Krakow Airport Aviation Education Centre. Thanks to this, the youngest can learn how the airport operates on a daily basis and what procedures are in force there, but also take a first aid course! Specialists will tell you exactly how to pack your hand luggage, how to behave on board a plane and how to travel safely. All this knowledge is given in a very accessible and interesting way – which should especially please parents with children.
That’s not all we can find at Krakow Airport Flight Education Centre!
Apart from learning about the complete functioning of the airport, you can also learn about the latest technologies used in aviation and even space travel! During your visit you will be able to get a lot of interesting information by reading the interactive thematic zones prepared by the Centre.
Pack your baggage!
In this section you will learn how to properly pack your luggage so that it meets the regulations of each airline. This is also a great opportunity for the youngest to show them that sometimes items we consider safe can cause big problems during baggage control. For those curious about the sometimes really interesting things people can take with them on vacation, the Krakow Aviation Education Centre has prepared an exhibition of over 1200 items that have been seized during various inspections!
CITES Convention
It focuses its attention on the issue of endangered animals and plants. Here you will see exhibits inspired by what airline passengers around the world have tried to successfully smuggle in their luggage. We’re going to let you in on a secret: it’s rumored that you can even find… a crafted alligator head! This is a good place to perpetuate in children a greater awareness of the dangers humans pose to the world’s flora and fauna…and to each other.
Plane Room
“The Plane Room is a room that shows the inside of an airplane, which allows you to learn about its construction and the work of the crew … but that’s not all! Here you will also learn all the rules of the airplane during the flight. What is more, you can learn about all the procedures that are necessary to maintain the appropriate level of safety! This will be useful for both big and small passengers.
Cosmos
The “Space” room is a place for children and adults, where you will expand your knowledge not only about the Solar System, but also space technology or even phenomena like time zones. This zone is a great place for all fans of physics, gravity and other phenomena related to aviation. Nowhere else will you find such a good explanation of questions such as: “how do planes fly”?
The Vinci Corridor
A brilliant peculiarity of Leonardo da Vinci, who was called the most versatile man in the history of the world, was also a pioneer of the aviation of his time. It is here that we will be able to see a reconstruction of a model of a helicopter designed by this extraordinary artist.
VR Marshaller Room
Here you will observe how the technology used in aviation has changed over the years. I have never encountered that it was shown in such an interesting way. The presence of VR systems allows you to see the reality of the work of Ground Air Traffic Coordinators. After such an experience, maybe your little ones will want to become airport employees.
Our holiday in Krakow
As you can already guess, for our short but active vacation we went to the charming city of Krakow. Maybe it’s not a beach with white sand, nor a coral reef, but the city provides so many opportunities and attractions for families with children that without any reservations we booked tickets in December.
Additionally, the connection itself is very comfortable. The airport is only 20 km from the city center. So without any problem, after getting off the plane, we called the gentleman from the company offering Krakow airport JTP Group, who helped us pack the bikes, the stroller and the rest of the luggage into the bus. We chose this option because it was the most convenient for us, not to wander around in a bus with our luggage. However, you can’t fault Krakow’s transport, which has excellent connections by bus as well as by train.
After 30 minutes we were already at the place. Our hotel was really high class. It had a playroom, spa and even a small indoor pool. When we laid down on the comfortable bed, we really felt like we were in paradise.
Two wheels to happiness
Summer weather in Poland only encourages to go out on a bike. Personally, I think it’s one of the best forms of activity, especially with family. It’s also a lot of fun for children, especially when the surrounding landscape is interesting. However, it can be a big problem to find such routes. Especially in the city center, where bike paths run alongside streets and are usually very crowded, and every parent goes out of his or her mind not to let the child accidentally mistake the bike path for a car road.
That is why, during our stay in Krakow, we looked at the map and chose a beautiful route along the Vistula Boulevards, thanks to which we could also admire those historic places. The authorities of the capital of Małopolska have taken care of the rich infrastructure for cyclists and around the city you can find many interesting sightseeing routes stretching for really long kilometers.
Bike route on the Vistula Boulevards
Contrary to appearances, this route is really interesting, especially because of the places you will visit on the way! Of course the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral deserve your attention, but of course that’s not all! During this ride you will not miss the pleasure of crossing many bridges over the Vistula River… and the views from them are really beautiful, especially at sunset!
Cycling route along the Ore Mountains
Another of the suggestions is a bike trail that goes along the Ore Mountains, one of the tributaries of the Vistula River. This route is perfect as one of the first bicycle trips with your family. The route is not difficult and does not require much stamina. That is why it is worth to take a break from all the city noise and escape for a while on such a trip!
Cycling route through Nowa Huta
During this route you must see places such as Plac Centralny, Łąki Nowohuckie and Zalew Nowohucki, where you can stretch your legs and admire swimming swans. You should also visit Jan Matejko’s manor house, St. Bartholomew’s church or the Cistercian monastery in Mogiła. However, this is not really a good route for children, because it is usually very crowded, and every now and then there are pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, and intersections.
Cycling route – Zakrzówek Lagoon
On hot days, it is worth to pack a blanket on a bike and go to Zakrzówek Lagoon, located about 3 km from the Old Town. The area around the lagoon is extremely popular for walkers and, if we are talking about them – cyclists! What’s more, on site we can test our… rock climbing skills and turn into real divers! The route is really pleasant and easy, and the views are like from beautiful Croatia!
Route Krakow – Tyniec
The route between Krakow and Tyniec, or simply the Tyniec Route, is one of the most interesting and attractive routes in the area. We pass Wolski Forest and Camaldolese monastery. The view itself is very soothing and you can feel close to nature! If we had time, near the Wolski forest, there is a big Krakow ZOO, which will be fun for every kid! Reaching Tyniec, it is also worth seeing the local landscape park or the Skołczanka reserve.
Of course these routes are only a part of the possibilities to see Krakow from a cyclist’s perspective with the family.
We will probably come back here more than once
Our trip to Krakow was really very successful! Everybody came back relaxed, but also full of new knowledge and impressions. However, there are still many places to see, so next time I think we will take advantage of the tours organized by Krakow Direct and we will gladly listen to an experienced guide. Besides, I will definitely miss the crunchy bagel in the morning or the Krakow pastries. We also didn’t have time to try the legendary sausage from the blue Nysa under the Hala Targowa, about which the whole world has probably already heard. We will come back here for sure!