A culinary route combines what young people like most — tasting, discovering new places and short, dynamic stops — with a meaningful story about the city’s history, culture and people.
This way of exploring engages the senses: smells, tastes and sights help knowledge stick faster and be remembered more easily than during a traditional lecture.
For school and youth groups a culinary route is also a great opportunity to learn practical skills: reading menus, taking allergies and preferences into account, and basic table manners.
Key planning elements are: deciding the duration (ideally 2-3 hours for younger groups), group size (optimally 12-20 people), budget per person and any dietary restrictions.
Always ask for written consent from parents or guardians and collect a list of allergies and important medical information. The guide will adjust pace and menu to the group’s needs.
Reservations at restaurants are necessary for larger groups. It’s also good to plan short restroom breaks and time to walk between stops. When touring with young people, don’t forget crowd-safety rules and simple guidance for interacting with venue staff.
Start at the Main Market Square — a short story about the city’s history and a quick taste of an obwarzanek as a local street delicacy.
Walk to parts of Kazimierz — here you can try the famous zapiekanka at Plac Nowy or explore Jewish culinary influences while telling the history of the neighborhood.
Group lunch in a youth-friendly restaurant serving traditional Polish dishes and vegetarian options — time for a brief discussion of ingredients and culinary customs.
Coffee and dessert in one of the atmospheric cafés of the Old Town, where young people can compare flavors, write down impressions and take part in a mini culinary quiz led by the guide.
Mini-workshops and tastings — short stations where participants try, compare and describe flavors (eg. obwarzanki, pierogi, regional cheeses).
Culinary challenges and field games — tasks like "find the ingredient" or "identify the spice" that engage youth and develop teamwork skills.
Optional cooking workshops for groups 13+ — practical sessions where young people prepare simple dishes themselves under the instructor and guide’s supervision. This is a great complement to the route and a form of group bonding.
On the route it’s worth visiting recognizable and highly rated spots: historic restaurants serving regional dishes, atmospheric cafés in the Old Town and Kazimierz venues friendly to groups offering local street food.
Examples often recommended for groups because of their quality and atmosphere: Wierzynek (historic interiors and traditional cuisine), Starka (Polish flavors in the Kazimierz atmosphere), Pod Aniołami (regional cuisine), Szara Gęś (dining on the Market Square), Cafe Camelot and Charlotte (cafés with desserts). All listed places are used to hosting groups with prior reservation.
For a relaxed, quick snack include some street food: zapiekanki at Plac Nowy and obwarzanki sold on the streets of the Old Town.
The Kraków obwarzanek has a long tradition and is one of the city’s oldest street products — a great, inexpensive first stop on the route.
Kraków still has iconic milk bars where you can try home-style dishes for a low price and see the contrast between everyday food and trendy restaurants.
One of Poland’s oldest restaurants once operated on the Market Square — stories about old feasts and banquets can provide an engaging backdrop for youth conversations about the city’s past.
Planning too many stops in a short time — it’s better to choose 3–5 well-chosen points than to rush from place to place.
Lack of information about allergies and preferences — always gather participants’ dietary lists and inform restaurants in advance.
No reservations at popular venues — large groups may not be served without prior arrangement, which can disrupt the day’s plan.
Prices: prepare an approximate budget — a small snack 5–15 zł, coffee and dessert 10–30 zł, a restaurant lunch 30–80 zł depending on the place and menu.
Payments: more and more venues accept cards, but for street stalls it’s worth having some small cash.
Diets: most well-rated restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan options; if someone has an allergy, inform the guide and the restaurant beforehand.
Toilets: plan stops, because in some parts of the city access to public restrooms can be limited.
Opening hours: cafés and restaurants have varied hours — the best times for a route are late morning and early afternoon, outside the lunch rush.
Combining the route with a short cooking workshop lets students take an active part and gain practical skills. Activities can be adapted for groups aged 13 and up.
Educational themes to weave in: history of trade and markets in Kraków, influences of Jewish and Galician cuisine, the role of markets and local products in regional culture.
If the group has more time, consider an extended version with a visit to local Małopolska producers or a trip to a market with local products.
Set the pace, include engaging tasks and serve small tasting portions so participants have energy and can try many flavors.
Remember clear rules of conduct in venues — a short briefing at the start of the trip helps avoid misunderstandings.
Documentation — encourage young people to make brief notes or photos (following venue rules) and create their own culinary journal, which works well as a trip summary.
If you want a culinary route through Kraków tailored to the last detail, contact Małgorzata Kasprowicz — a guide who prepares routes adapted to youth, with an emphasis on safety, education and fun.
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Contact details and Małgorzata’s offer are available on the Zwiedzanie Krakowa website — feel free to inquire about private tours and programs tailored to your group.
