A poignant and thirsty walk around Kazimierz

It’s back to Krakow for a while, as we take a look at the Kazimierz district of the city. Kazimierz was the former Jewish quarter of Krakow, and whilst most of its Jewish inhabitants have sadly departed, the memory of them lingers, along with many of the physical structures they left behind.

Prior to WWII, Poland had been home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, and perhaps the world. It is estimated that the country was home to 3 million Jews; the large number reflecting the fact that, compared to other European countries, they had been mainly free from persecution in Poland.

Kazimierz was the centre of the Jewish community in Krakow, but in 1941 the population of this district was forcibly expelled by the Nazis, and marched across the River Wisla to the Podgórze area of the city. Sandwiched between the river and cliffs to the south, the Nazis saw the setting as a natural prison, and sealed the area off from the rest of the city. For the history and film buffs amongst you, Podgórze is also the site of Oskar Schlindler’s enamelware factory.

What became known as the Krakow Ghetto, only lasted a couple of years before sadly, most of the inhabitants were either murdered inside this natural prison, or transported to one of the death camps. During the communist era Kazimierz became one of Krakow’s least desirable districts, as the area gradually fell into disrepair, but today it has re-discovered itself and is home to several of the city’s best craft beer bars.

My plan was to take a look at Kazimierz’s Jewish past, before decamping to one of these outlets for a spot of lunch, plus a few beers, as after a morning spent traipsing around the Wawel Castle complex,  I was certainly looking forward to a beer or two.

Kazimierz was just a short 15-20 minute walk away, along some pleasant tree-lined boulevards, but after entering the district, with its maze of narrow streets I decided that the historical/cultural stuff could wait, and a beer should come first.

I headed for a place called Omerta, which was one of the first craft beer bars to open in Krakow. The write ups I read, along with the ratings, persuaded me this would be a good place to start off the afternoon. Imagine my disappointment then at finding it shut. To be fair, the opening times were indicated by a sign in the window, which clearly indicated the pub didn’t open until 4pm.

It’s a pity that the guide I down-loaded from local-life Krakow, didn’t mention this, but the moral here should be, check the website before setting out.  Plan “B” was a bar called Strefa Piwa, but as it was several blocks away, I decided to do what I’d come for, and take a look at the area’s Jewish heritage.

The Remuh cemetery and synagogue were conveniently close by, and after a wander around the former, with its rows of tombstones, I stepped inside the restored synagogue, which is one of the smallest in Krakow. I made a donation towards its continued upkeep, whilst pausing to reflect on the enormous crime perpetrated by the Nazis. In the space of just six short years, they had destroyed centuries of Jewish culture and traditions, and were well on their way to eliminating Europe’s Jews altogether.

What makes people act in a way where they go out of their way to inflict pain, suffering and death on their fellow human beings? Europe’s Jews weren’t a threat to the Nazis, or to the German people, but they were a convenient scapegoat for the regime. Now they’re gone, vanished like snow in the spring, and only their ghosts living on.

On a more positive note, it was encouraging to see a handful of Jewish restaurants and cafés as well as a Jewish bookshop. I walked back towards Strefa Piwa, passing the impressive Old Synagogue en route, but when I arrived, I discovered that it too didn’t open until 4pm.

I was beginning to think this must be a local conspiracy. I was footsore, weary, hungry and of course thirsty, but fortunately salvation was on hand, in the form of the Wrega Pub-Gallery and Restaurant. It was also blessed with an attractive looking courtyard that I’d walked past earlier. I dived in and was rewarded with somewhere pleasant to sit in the sun, some excellent beer and some traditional Polish food as well.

I wrote about Wrega in a separate post, which I posted from Krakow at the time. It ticked all the right boxes leaving my inner man well satisfied. What is worth repeating from that post are the lines about the Zywiec Porter. It was excellent, dark, full-bodied and with just the right amount of residual bitterness. In short, it was a very satisfying beer. Although the early morning rain and cleared and the sun had come out, conditions remained quite sultry. I headed back to the hotel, arriving just before the heavens opened.

I made a brief return to Kazimierz the following evening, on my way back from a trip across the river to Podgórze. Ironically, whilst the craft beers bars were open, none of them seemed to serve food. As I don’t like drinking on an empty stomach, I called back in at Wrega, where I enjoyed an excellent chicken Schnitzel, plus more Zywiec Porter.

Before returning to my hotel for the night, I stopped off at the Omerta pub, where there was indeed an excellent selection of Polish craft beer. I sat out at one of the outside tables, watching the students passing by, whilst wishing I was 40 years younger! 

The locally brewed Chocolate –Vanilla, Coffee Milk Stout, 6.5% ABV and the Irlandzkrie Cienne 6.0% Lager, were both excellent. I can’t tell you who brewed them, or where, but you can look them up on Untappd if you’re so inclined. 

Wherever they came from, they were a fitting way to mark the end of my short visit to Krakow.