Dobo Square in Eger.

Day 9 (Saturday, September 13th, 2008)

Continuation from Krakow, Poland

I was woken up on the overnight train around 7:30 in the morning when one of the attendants brought me my rail pass. I finally reached the station in Budapest around 8:45. Once off the train, I had to find the nearest departure board to determine from which platform the 9:05 departure to Eger would be leaving from. The board listed the train as leaving 10 minutes earlier, so I ran to the train as I thought I only had a few minutes. However, when I approached the train I realized that it was still leaving at 9:05, so thankfully I had several extra minutes to spare.

The train ride to Eger took about two hours. From the tiny train station, I took a taxi into the center of town as I didn’t feel like walking the 20 minutes with my own two feet. I checked into my hotel, Offi Haz which was located in the picturesque and quaint Little Dobo Square. My room was located on the third floor of the building in a decently sized room that contained an internet cable and a small refrigerator.

My room at Offi Haz in Eger.

Offi Haz in Eger.

After dropping my bags off and freshening up from the long train ride, I walked into town. I was thoroughly impressed with the small town of Eger; the city was filled with beautifully preserved baroque architecture, clean streets, and many different types of cafes and restaurants to choose from.

Statue in Eger.

Eger

I stopped in for a quick lunch of a sandwich and a slice of cake at a place called Radi Bisztro. My meal cost about $3 for both items!

Cake from Radi Bisztro in Eger.

My first stop of the day was at the Lyceum, which is a university that was built in the mid-18th century and is still in use today, with current enrollment around 2000 students. The school is best known for its 20,000 volume library and the Astronomical Museum, which contains the famous camera obscura. Within the museum, I visited an interactive exhibit that allowed visitors to try out several different scientific experiments such as using air pressure to make a small ball levitate. Afterward, I walked up several flights of stairs to the outdoor terrace which provided panoramic views of the entire city of Eger and its beautiful surroundings. Next, I walked up the final flight of stairs to the darkroom containing the camera obscura. It's difficult for me to explain how this piece of equipment worked (you might want to Google it) but basically, a guide moved several levers around in the room, which would then project live images from the streets of Eger on a large table in the middle of the room. It was quite fascinating and interesting to watch, but I wondered what people would have thought of the apparatus over 200 years ago when it was first created. It probably seemed unreal and maybe even like magic to some!

Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger Cathedral from the Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

View of Eger Cathedral from the Lyceum in Eger.

View of Eger from the outdoor terrace at the Lyceum.

Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.

Day 6 (Wednesday, September 10th, 2008)

Continuation from Prague, Czech Republic

My overnight train from Prague arrived in Krakow at 6:30 after an eight hour journey. I wasn't able to get much sleep since the train was constantly stopping or slamming on the breaks. I guess I probably received two to three hours; needless to say, I was exhausted when I got off that train!

The early morning air in Krakow that greeted me was cold and crisp but helped to wake me up. I walked down to the main terminal with the friends I had made on the train and took some Polish Zlotys out from the ATM.

I continued along until I reached the tram stops, where I bought a 2.5 Zloty ticket from a machine. Krakow is filled with a ton of efficient trams that can whisk you all over the city cheaply and quickly. It seems that very few tourists take advantage of the inexpensive transportation as I appeared to be the only non-local on the tram. I said goodbye to my train friends (as they were headed in a different direction) and then boarded my tram, which like all others in the city, was three cars long. Unfortunately, as it was close to the beginning of the work day, it was filled to the brim with people headed to work, so I had to stand with my luggage. The ride only took about ten minutes, where I was dropped off only a few minutes’ walk from my hotel.

I had booked a room at Cracowdays Apartments, which was very highly rated on Trip Advisor. The website had claimed that it was only a five minute walk away from the main square of the old town, although I would later find out that it actually took about 12 minutes.

When I arrived at the hotel, it was around 7:45, but the hotel personnel did not arrive until 8:00, so I waited outside for 15 minutes. Once inside, I was told that my room was available and that I could go ahead and check in! Initially, I was told I was going to have to wait until 14:00 and just store my luggage, so the weary traveler in me was very excited to hear this news. I stayed in the room for about an hour, attempting to freshen up from the long train ride and force myself to get ready for another day of sightseeing on very little sleep; this seemed to be a common occurrence on the trip! On a positive note, Cracowdays Apartments was very nice inside with a communal kitchen and a nicely decorated room with a very comfortable bed!

Cracowdays Apartments in Krakow.

From the hotel, I walked towards Rynek Glowny, which is the main market square. I was slightly disappointed at first glance as the centerpiece of the square, Sukiennice-Cloth Hall, was under renovation and slightly hidden behind steel, coverings, and a crane. I walked around the corner of the hall and viewed the rest of the square. I saw many baroque buildings that lined the square including the beautiful and tall St. Mary’s Church on one end and Town Hall Tower on the other, both of which seemed to anchor the square. I also saw many different types of people enjoying the vast open space ranging from the typical tourist to the business men of Krakow hurrying as they walked along. There were also several flower stands selling different types of flower bouquets.

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

Town Hall Tower in Krakow's Rynek Glowny

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

Flowers for sale in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

From here, I walked north to the Barbican, which was the gateway that was once connected to the massive wall that was built around the city limits during the late 1200’s in an attempt to save the city from invaders. I paid 6 Zloty in order to walk along a short passage of the fortification. Originally, the structure had 47 watchtowers and eight gates; today, only a few of each remain including the beautiful St. Florian's Gate. Most of the wall fell into disrepair in the late 19th century and was torn down and turned into the large Planty Park that now surrounds the entire 2.5 miles around the perimeter of Old Town.

St. Florian's Gate of Krakow.

Barbican of Krakow.

Passing underneath St. Florian's Gate looking towards the Barbican.

Traditional music being played in Krakow.

The fortification surrounding old town Krakow.

Krakow

The fortification and St. Florian's Gate surrounding old town Krakow.

Krakow

The fortification surrounding old town Krakow.

Afterward, I walked back towards Old Town, along Florianska Street. The street was filled to the brim with tourists but also somehow managed to retain its charm; some of the architecture along here was very pretty.

Florianska Street in Krakow.

Krakow

St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

Krakow

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Eger, Hungary

Monday, February 11, 2013

Krakow, Poland

Day 6 (Wednesday, September 10th, 2008)