Immediately next to the main train and bus stations, Galeria Krakowska shopping mall sits just five minutes away from the Kraków’s Old Town and is an excellent place for new arrivals to sort out food, money, or nearly anything else
Pawia entrance to Galeria Krakowska and Krakow Glowny train station – image © Jason Weaver
Galeria Krakowska has pretty much everything the traveller could need, all under one roof. Spread over three floors and easy to navigate, the stores are open between 9am and 10pm (and, remarkably, until 9pm on Sundays). In addition to the areas we cover below, you’ll find familiar brands like H&M, Zara, and Deichmann, so it’s a good place to pick up clothes. There are toilets on each floor, though you’ll need some small change for entry.
Money
Most things in Kraków can be paid for with a card. Contactless is ubiquitous, and Apple and Google Pay are widely accepted. All the same, it’s helpful to carry some backup cash and, if you’re coming into Poland from another EU country, you may need to change up some Euros. Galeria Krakowska is as good a place to do this as any. We covered some financial ground rules earlier and these apply in the centre of Kraków. Pay attention during any transaction and you won’t get into trouble.
Withdrawing Money: Where possible, only use an ATM attached to a bank. When you enter the basement of Galeria Krakowska from the train station, you’ll find a McDonald’s to your left and a small Carrefour to the right. Stay on this floor and carry on straight ahead, past the escalator. Look for the bright orange fascia of the ING Bank, with a couple of ATMs just to the right.
If, for whatever reason, you cannot use the ATM here, there is also a Millennium Bank on the same level – it’s on the left-hand side towards the end of this hallway – as well as a handful of banks on the first floor. The ATMs at eurobank and mBank are also safe to use.
Euronet ATM in Galeria Krakowska: do not use these! – image © Jason Weaver
Many of the cash machines in central Kraków are Euronet-branded, especially in the tourist areas. These should be avoided, due to their unfair exchange rates. Look for a brand of Bank Pekao instead, or make the short walk from the Old Town to the shopping mall if you need to make a withdrawal.
Changing Money: If you need to change money, there’s a Kantor on the first floor, close to the larger Carrefour supermarket. Take the two flights up the escalator and you’ll find it pretty easily. Despite the odd report of scamming, the rate here is generally considered decent. Check the market first with an online converter like XE and compare what they offer. Remember to use their buying price and factor in any commission before handing over cash.
Kantor in Galeria Krakowska – image © Jason Weaver
If you’re prepared to wait, there are Kantors all over Kraków and you will certainly find a more favourable exchange. Kantor Grosz at the Market Square end of ul. Sławkowska is a good bet.
Phones, SIMs, And Other Tech
Having withdrawn money in the basement of Galeria Krakowska, you’re in the perfect place to get your tech needs seen to. Shops for all four main mobile providers are in this section of the mall. See Where To Get A Sim Card In Kraków for full details.
MediaMarkt Galeria Krakowska – image © Jason Weaver
If your phone needs a boost or you need to get online quickly, there are charging points built into Krakowska’s seating and free wifi throughout the mall. And look out for the massive MediaMarkt store in the basement next to the escalators. It sells a comprehensive range of technology.
Food and Drink
Galeria Krakowska is also great if you’re hungry and need to fuel up quickly. There’s a large cluster of decent cafés and restaurants on the first floor, catering to every taste and dietary requirement. And, as this is a local mall for local people, you won’t find outrageous pricing aimed at tourists.
Carrefour supermarket Galeria Krakowska – image © Jason Weaver
If you want food to go, you should make use of the splendid Carrefour supermarket that occupies the entire north end of the first floor, just next to the escalators. It’s comprehensively stocked and easy to make sense of. You’ll be amazed by how little the total bill adds up to.
You need to weigh and price any fresh produce before you get to the checkout, otherwise you’ll make the cashier grumpy and hold up the queue. It also gets really busy either end of the working day, so try to time your visit for mid-morning or afternoon.
KrakowCard
You can’t get a KrakowCard in Galeria Krakowska. They are apparently avaiable at the TIP (Tourist Information Point) in the train station but I wasn’t able to verify this.
If you’ve paid for one online, you’ll need to exchange the voucher at either plac. Szczepański 8, opposite the Palace of Fine Arts, or from plac. Wolnica 13 in Kazimierz.
Otherwise, you can buy one from Jordan, the tourist information agency close to Galeria Krakowska. Leave the shopping mall at the Pawia exit described above. Turn left and walk towards the Old Town. Jordan is close to the bottom, at number 8, on the opposite side of the road to Andel’s Vienna House.
See our dedicated KrakowCard page for information on collection points and how to book in advance.