How many times have you crossed the Main Market Square, the largest city square of mediaeval Europe, without taking a look around? How many times have you stood at the tram stop in Centralny Square in Nowa Huta, the jewel of social urbanism, staring only at the timetable? Walked down Szeroka Street past one of Poland’s oldest synagogues without raising your eyes from the pavement? Hurrying through the streets of Podgórze and ignoring the green oases of calm? Daily hustle and bustle sometimes makes us forget how beautiful Kraków is and why it draws so many tourists. When we finally emerge from our homes after months of lonely isolation, let’s take a fresh look at our city! Now it’s the locals’ to explore it as tourists!

The information campaign “Become a Visitor in Your Own City. Explore Kraków!” encourages us to walk the city streets and parks, visit familiar (are you sure?) museums and institutions and sample dishes in new (to us) restaurants. The originators of the campaign, the City of Kraków and the Krakow Festival Office, hope that also businesses, cultural institutions and associations will inspire Cracovians to make the most of their city. It’s really simple: visit your favourite café, have lunch at a bistro over the road, take your family to a museum, visit an unfamiliar part of town for the best ice cream in the district. Our small gestures will bring Kraków back to life!

Start by exploring the city on your own or with your family using trails on the Kraków Travel website (two of them are published in this edition of “Karnet”). Soon we will suggest tours of the city with guides, activists and artists and tell you about open events such as picnics, workshops and intimate concerts. Keep up to date by following the campaign on Facebook and Instagram! But, most of all, go walking, sightseeing, discovering… and share your findings! There are plenty of new, unknown and fascinating things at your fingertips! (bs)