Two Cafés in Krakow, Poland and answers to October HPUD Guessing Contest
Many of you may know that I went to Krakow in Poland recently to attend the HiveBeeCon. You can read about it here. Whilst I was in town, I took the opportunity to visit some local cafés. Here's a couple that I would like to share with you.
Camelot Cafe
This cafe is in the middle of the city centre, just behind the famous Old Square and it must be the cafe with the most interesting history that I have visited. First of all, it's located in a building that dates back to the 13th century, that's 700 years ago! Second... I'll tell you in a minute.
The age of the cafe seeps through every wall within the cafe, and I think the owner has done a great job with the decor to reflect its history. The first thing that caught my as I entered the cafe, was a table perched on the window sill. I wonder what it feels like to sit there and watch the world go by outside. Or would it be the passer bys watching in on the guests as a window display?
Due to the age of the building, the cafe and the tables are spread in three separate rooms. The first being the entrance, the second being these two images and a third room I didn't take any photos as there were other customers sat at the tables. However, you'd probably get the idea of the vibe already.
Apple pie seems to be a very popular dessert in Krakow, it was on most of the menus I dined at. I'm always interested in trying the most popular local food and this one did not disappoint. In fact, I love dessert so much that it's pretty difficult to find a dessert that I don't like.
Remember I said earlier that there's another interesting fact about Camelot Cafe? I'm not sure if the pink decor has anything to do with it. Apparently, in the early 20th century, this building was a brothel!!! It bought a little smile to my face when I found out, I mean how often do you get to dine inside a brothel 😊
Café Tramwaj
The other cafe I visited couldn't be more different, and yes we're going to a cafe, but no we're not catching a tram to get there. Actually, I took a one hour train ride to this cafe in Tarnow. Tarnow is about 80km away from Krakow and is a beautiful town that deserves it's own post later on.
Let's go back to the cafe first. This is Cafe Tramwaj and is a cafe inside a tram carriage. According to the owner, this tram dates back to 1911 till it stopped operation in 1942. Then he acquired it ten years ago and ran in it as a cafe.
The seats inside looks exactly like tram seats, but I forgot to ask him if they were original. They looked as though they were. Anyway, I love the whole setting, and how the café is plonked in the middle of town, as if it's moving.
And do you know what's behind this door? Not only is it a store room, but it also has a toilet inside, I totally didn't expect it! How convenient for customers. However, I couldn't see any mains into the ground when I looked outside, so not sure how the connections work. Anyway, it functioned as a proper toilet, it was clean and there was no foul smell so I'm sure they have it well sorted out after so many years.
A coffee post wouldn't be a coffee post without coffee. Here's the one I had on the tram. It was good, but not as good as the café.
Which was your favourite café out of the two? Let me know 😊
Answers to October HPUD Guessing Contest
If you read my HiveBeeCon post from a few days ago, you probably know the answer to this month's HPUD Guessing Contest already. After Krakow, I went to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. My next stops are Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia. I know it wasn't an easy one to guess this month as Europe is so big,and the neighbouring countries would have been a logical choice. Anyway, I head up north for this trip, the other cities many of you mentioned will have to be for another trip.
No one guessed all three cities correctly but two users managed to guess two. And if you mix their guesses together, they actually guessed all three cities! Congrats to @mipiano and @phortun, two friends whom I met for the first time at HiveBeeCon in Krakow.
| Username | City 1 | City 2 | City 3 | Correct guesses | Power up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @incublus | Budapest | Vienna | Prague | 0 | -- |
| @kathrynkw | Warsaw | Budapest | Bratislava | 1 | -- |
| @littlebee4 | Vilnius | Tallinn | Helsinki | 1 | -- |
| @beeber | Vienna | Budapest | Ljubljana | 0 | -- |
| @lizelle | Budapest | Warsaw | Prague | 1 | -- |
| @sodom-lv | London | Paris | Berlin | 0 | -- |
| @mipiano | Warsaw | Helsinki | Tallinn | 2 | yes |
| @jenthoughts | Bratislava | Prague | Budapest | 0 | -- |
| @coquicoin | Prague | Vienna | Budapest | 0 | -- |
| @gems.and.cookies | Oslo | Stockholm | Munich | 0 | -- |
| @phortun | Warsaw | Vilnius | Riga | 2 | no |
| @nanixxx | Kyiv | Chisinau | Bucharest | 0 | -- |
| @emeka4 | Budapest | Bratislava | Bratislava | 0 | -- |
| @soyunasantacruz | Vienna | Prague | Varsovia | 0 | -- |
| @jhymi | Budapest | Vienna | Prague | 0 | -- |
| @micheal87 | Bratislava | Prague | Budapest | 0 | -- |
| @bereal47 | Chisinau | Prague | Bratislava | 0 | -- |
| @cetb2008 | Vienna | Prague | Warsaw | 1 | -- |
| @nkemakonam89 | Budapest | Prague | Vienna | 0 | -- |
Thanks to everyone who took part this month, see you in November HPUD Guessing Contest!!
0/3 I'm pretty nice about that guess thing XD
These cafes look very nice. I love the tram cafe. It would be great if we could have a little tour of the city while we drink our coffee 😆🚊
That would be really cool if there's a moving tram cafe, I bet it would be quite popular
Maybe I can give this idea to someone but it would be quite expensive all of these work.
You found some cool cafés in Krakow! Both that you are showing here are very nice!
The one where we met on Friday was cute too. I can't even count how many cafés we visited during these few last days 🤦♀ 😂
No one guessed, but I am happy that between @phortun's and my guesses we can have the correct answers 😋
🤗
Yeah, the one we went to was pretty cool as well and had a great vibe, but we really were too busy chatting, and some were too busy eating an apple pie all by herself 😂😂🤭
Apple pie AND shortbread that I got as a gift from someone :p
{thank you} 😇
I still have the second box, intact at the moment but with strong temptations to open it. Soon 😁
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Those are both cool venues for a coffee. Now I'm wondering about the tram toilet.
I wish I took a photo of the inside, it would have been great for my Loo Loo Community !!
Looking forward to the next. My losing streak is bound to change hehe (I wish) 😂
Hope to see you again next month!
I knew that there were many interesting cafes in Krakow but I didn´t know there was a "brothel cafe" as well :D I can see it´s on the St. Tomas Street, I had to walk by that cafe many times when we lived in Krakow. I should start paying more attention to cafes I guess, even though I actually don´t drink coffee :D
I´m one of the winners! Wow! Thank you so much and congrats to my fellow co-winner @mipiano! Together, we would get it 100% right together :) Nice team work haha! :D
@tipu curate 2
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 19/59) Liquid rewards.
Yes! 😃 👏
We just had to discuss and agree our answers earlier so we both get 100% correct answers 😂
Wise idea! but dont forget about !BEER too.
View or trade
BEER.Hey @phortun, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @qwerrie for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.I'm not a big coffee drinker either, but I do like visiting different cafes just to absorb the atmosphere.
You probably didn't notice it because it's in a tourist location, and locals tend to avoid tourist place. I know I do back at home!!
Awesome cafes, you explored only a tiny bit of what Krakow can suggest, I guess?
St.Petersburg also has such a coffee shop in an ancient tram wagon, but it does not look so fascinating (but have an option to sit at the wagon's roof! I have to shoot its inside design and then will be ready to share here...)
My sincere congratulations to @mipiano and @phortun, who were the better solvers of your travel riddles! This time it was even more harder nut to crack.
Sitting on top of the roof? Is it quite a big wagon? It must be great in the winter. Look forward to see it when you post!
The cafes look really nice and I love how you describe them nicely. So nice that I wish I get some of that apple pie!
The apple pie was very nice, the filling was nice and mushy but still had a nice bite
If that Camelot Cafe doesn't manage to pull you back in time then I don't know what will!!
Sheeshh it's been a while since my last pinmapple post.... I should really get out there again hey!!
!LUV
@livinguktaiwan, @technicalside(1/3) sent LUV. | connect | community | HiveWiki | NFT | <>< daily
! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoYeah! Where have you been!!!??
My, my! What a gorgeous cafe that Camelot one is. So quirky and what a history, heh?
The second one is awesomely lovely and you've made me want to book a flight to Krakow just to explore coffee shops.
It's hard to choose which one I prefer because they both offer completely contrasting themes. They are both fantastic for sure 🙌
I love a café with a story and history, and both these have interesting background.
I got two more coming on Warsaw, and hopefully will get two in every city I go that I can share
Now I'm even more sorry that we didn't get to talk longer during HiveBeeCon. I lived in Tarnow for a few years and could recommend many places in the town. But one of the more interesting ones you found on your own. BTW, the world is too small. Cafe Tram is run by a friend of mine (and his brother who was there during your visit). He is a well-known DJ in Tarnow. In 2009 we even recorded an album combining folk and rap. And my wife, @foggymeadow, did the illustrations that are on the windows.
How long will you be in Riga and from when?
Wow! Not only a small world, and a much connected one as well. Just wondering, are those the illustrations I took in my photos above? What a lovely coincidence.
I listened to the video, although I didn't understand the lyrics, the folk music and the rap blended in very well, you and @foggymeadow are a family of artistic talent!
I left Warsaw for Tallinn on Wednesday and will go to Riga on Saturday, leaving next Tuesday. Any recommendations for nice things to do there?
Yes, those that cover the toilet windows ;)
As for Riga, it's a topic for a whole post, but I'll just quickly list some of the most important things for me (very subjective)...
First of all, you can find chocolate-covered strawberries in the Rimi supermarket or in the Skriveru company's shop at the railway station. They are delicious!
At 48 Tallinas Street you will find a very Latvian mural.
From Tallinas, you can walk to Miera Street. It has a great atmosphere. Very Latvian. Few tourists ;)
If the weather is ok, it is worth taking the train to Jurmala to see the sea. It is best to buy a ticket to Majori station. Nice wooden architecture is there.
When it comes to museums, I like Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. But of course there are many others.
As for places to sit down, have a drink and a quick bite to eat, I recommend Ezītis miglā. There is also a cool café on the mentioned Miera Street, at number 9. It has the name 'Miera'. It doesn't show up on Google, but their Facebook is active.
So much for now.
Thanks so much for the suggestions Dawid. Hopefully the weather will be good and we'll have time to take a trip out to Jurmala. We have a Rimi Express neaer our accommodation here in Tallin, I'm going to check it out tonight, otherwise definitely going to try find the strawberry chocolate in Riga 🍓
The other two eateries are bookmarked already 👍
Skriveru is a Latvian company, that might not be in the other two countries (and by that I mean Estonia and Lithuania)
Got it, Riga it will be then!! Anything else I should try? I love to try local foodstuff
This bread I like very much.
This drink.
And this one too.
Sweets Serenade are very special.
And I love speķa pīrādziņi.
You can find it all in Rimi at the train station.
Thanks Dawid. There's a Rimi hyper by the station, will be stocking up before I leave !
Must try "maizes zupa", which is a bread dessert or "maizes kartojums". That's very Latvian. Otherwise, food is very similar to German cuisine as well as influenced by the USSR.
Try cheese with caraway seeds, again, very Latvian.
Black balsams - traditional herbal drink. I prefer one with currents and they sell those in tiny bottles, so it makes it easy to try.
Try a drink called "Kvass". It is non-alcoholic. You might like it.
Pork dishes are very popular and according to my meat-eater friends, taste amazing.
I read about Black balsams, sounds like it can heal everything 😁. I just saw it in Rimi, they will make good gifts to take home. Simon loves his meat, so he'll be sure to try out the pork dishes. Kvass sounds interesting will look out for it, and for maizes zupa... It sounds intriguing, if I manage to try it, will definitely let you know what I think 😉
Thanks for the suggestions ！！
Cheers @hallmann
Cheers @livinguktaiwan! You chose the same table :D
Omg!! That's crazy 🤣!!
And of course the same premises. Because there are several Ezitis Miglā in Riga ;)
💙💙
I love your work at the back of the tram,so classy! 💓
Thank You a lot 💙
Hi, congratulations to the winners, what an Original that coffee shop inside a railroad carriage, it has a beautiful decoration, and the other one was a brothel, an amazing and striking transformation.
Both are very creative use of places, making a very unique café
That’s so close…
Well done @mipiano and @phortun 🥳
Cute little bars you visited. Looking forward to seeing the visits to the capitals.
Have a great day!
!LUV
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoVery close, getting Tallin was a good one, nobody else apart from phortun got it.
How's your trip going? Hope you're having a great time
They were difficult too as it could be so many… hehehe 🤭
It’s awesome, we are having such a great time. Love it truly. Thanks!
Will share when back home later in the month, as need to get the photos from the camera and edit them first before I can share them.
Friday we go to state number 3 to explore…
Have a great Thursday Pauline 👋🏻
Wow, what a fun old building. The character in that first one is pretty amazing. My wife once stayed in an old lodge that used to be a brothel. The rooms upstairs bedrooms still had the outside and inside door and everything. It was pretty interesting. Not anywhere near 700 years old though!
Wow! I'd say staying at a(n old) brothel beats having coffee inside one, as long as all the furniture and beds are new, thats ok 😄
No kidding. Giant ewww there!
The day cafes are original and beautiful, if I have to decide on one it would be Café Camelot for its decoration, the little table right at the window and its history of brothel, it is less likely to eat or drink something there than in the transvia, but I liked them both. It's a pity that what you tried at both cafes you won't like.
As for the contest, I managed to guess Warsaw with the help of a friend, glad @phortun is one of the winners along with @mipiano. Congrats!
Happy day until a next post.
Camelot certainly has a very unique feel. It's pink, but it doesn't feel little girly pink like a child's room. Glad you liked it
My choice would be the first one, it has so much charm and I think I'd love to sit in that window.
I think it would be fun to sit there as well, and maybe pretend to be a mannequin when people walk by
Fantastic your coffee reviews and much better that great meeting of Hivers I am also organizing to attend one in Caracas Venezuela.
Will that be your first meet up? Hope you have a great time
My favorite thing about Steemfest when it was in Krakow was just exploring the city and finding all the fun little places to eat. It is such a cool city.
It also has such a long history and lots of beautiful architecture, plus a great vibe. It was so busy over the weekend
What a great discovery, darn I didn't have time and I regret about it now :D
Pink is their color because I saw in India, that brothels are also in pink color because they use mostly warm-toned lights, for example: red, blue, and pink. They try to create a moody/ romantic (pinky) atmosphere for the clients... LOL
I really liked the interior of Camelot Cafe, vintage style and cozy...
Yes, t's a very seductive colour isn't it 🤭
When I visit small towns I always look for the cafes!! I really liked the idea of the tram cafe. You see that food trucks are getting more and more popular but to turn a tram into a sit in coffee spot with a toilet…yea that’s pretty genius and cool is you ask me.
The guy said he's had the place for ten years, so he's really got foresight. Good on him!
Both cafes have their charm, but if I could visit only one, I would choose the first one. And what a curious fact that it used to be a brothel, hehe.
Enjoy the rest of your trip 😄
Thanks for dropping by @coquicoin hope you enjoyed your virtual visit
Congratulations to both winners, @mipiano and @phortun! I skipped this round to leave a better reward to them... 😂 🤣
I saw something similar to that Tramway cafe in 2 different cities in the Balkans and as I like trains, I would pick that one... But, the "brothel" (cafe) sounds interesting too... 😂
You better check with Mrs ph1202 first, to make sure you don't get into trouble 🤭
It's wonderful to hear about your café experiences. Both places seem to offer unique atmospheres and their own charm.
It's hard to choose a favorite as both places offer their unique charms but still I liked Café Tramwaj the most because of its Tram outlook.
Both bare interesting in their own way, so difficult to choose sometimes
True.
Nice finds. That tram Cafe is such a unique idea. Love it! That coffee looks incredible. The foam looks like clouds of deliciousness. it's unfortunate that it wasn't as good as the one from the other location.
In fact I was so immersed with the surroundings that the coffee in both cafe's took the backstage
Yeah I can see that happening. They are very cool locations
A good cafe day makes the day :-)
So true, especially for coffee lovers
Indeed 😊
it really is a beautiful cafe to sit in, it should be a great pleasure to either sit in or watch them pass by, I love the antiques.
It's a great way to spend the afternoon, so relaxing
thanks for reading the post
An old building and a café tram, I liked both, but I think the history and decoration of 'Camelot' gives it an extra point. Excellent review, thanks for sharing.
I leave you a delicious cup of coffee.☕
Good day
Thanks so much!
I failed because if I had drunk a Chinese beer, I would have discovered the destinations you would go to for sure.
The coffee I like the most is Camelot. And of course the apple pie. You are like me crazy about sweets.
It's true what you say, you don't go to a brothel every day hahaha...and it has gladioli. 😅 They are not my favorite flowers, but I always laugh when I see gladiolus, because here every time you get a diploma you also get a gladiolus.
Now it turns out that from so much talk about gladiolus, because I have mentioned it several times on the Blockchain, my neighbor has given me gladiolus seeds and they are already grown.
;)
PS. That coffee you had looks like a meringue instead of a coffee (lol).
I saw many places in Krakow have gladiolus, maybe it's very popular in the city. My mum used to like them so seeing them is a nice memory of her.
When are you going to plant the flower seeds?
They are beautiful, yes. I'm glad they bring back fond memories for you. 💚
Well in my yard I have some flowers planted, like butterflies, lilies, brujitas, which bloom when it rains, and before the weekend I am going to plant the gladioli. I already see them strong enough to put them in the place I have destined for them, in the ground, because they are in a kind of seedbed. And I also have some sunflower seeds, and a good space that I want to see full of sunflowers.
What a great idea for the tram cafe! Enjoy Tallinn and Riga. Both are so so nice but you have chosen the very wrong time of the year to visit the North. It is rainy, and dark and won't represent the cities in a good light.
Wishing you some sunny days during your visits! And shout if you need any advice 👍 You are going to my neck of the woods!
Hello stranger!!! Where have you been, been missing you!!
We went to Krakow for a Hive meetup last week so tagged on Tallinn and Riga to make the trip worth while. It's been drizzling today in Tallinn but looks like it will be ok tomorrow. I guess I shall feel right at home here, the weather and lights sound like UK 😉
You got any insider tips to go and eat in Riga? We have two full days there and fly out at 10pm on the third day, so pretty much 2.5 days
Camelot cafe really looks so old outside but I like the transformation or decorations inside and that table in the window is really unique.
I like the cafe tramwaj because it is like recycling a tram that not in use and turned into a cafe. So cool.
About the guessing contest, how sad I didn't get any right answer, indeed it is just a guess and my little research didn't work hehehe.
Here's my little research before I submit my guess.
Congrats @mipiano and @phortun
The Cafe Tramwaj is the cutest cafe I have ever seen! I really want to go there and have a nice coffee! Watching the world go by.
What a quaint cafe, I just love it when they repurpose old things and turn them into something unique!
Dessert is quite fitting for what used to be a brothel not so;) I gladly skip starters so I can have dessert, and apple pie is one of my favourites. I'm spoilt for choice here in the Netherlands as that is on every menu in every cafe, and they've all been different so far!
I guessed wrong, was thinking of going north, but took the wrong turn ;)
I was surprised sometime ago that Yaga, the site on which I sell my preloved goods, originated in Estonia.
I have to get back to Hive Thrifted and try to get Hivers to grab the concept, but life has been so upside down, I will get there sometime.