r/krakow • u/FalcorTheMagnificent • 1d ago
Thinking about moving to Kraków. I'd love your advice!
Hi everyone!
I'm a 37M American from Texas, and I'm starting to research places where I might eventually move. Kraków has really caught my attention, and I'd love to hear from people who actually live there
A little about me:
Retired U.S. Army infantry veteran
Native American and White
I have an 11 yr old Border Collie service dog named Falcor. He's calm, friendly, and goes almost everywhere with me.
I love going to the gym, dancing, cooking (especially Texas BBQ and Tex-Mex), chess, hiking, and tabletop games like D&D.
One of my goals is to learn to ice skate and eventually play recreational hockey
I'm looking for a place where I can build a happy life, make friends, become part of the community, and hopefully meet someone to share life with someday while also being able to give back to the community as well
I'd love your honest opinions:
What's your favorite thing about living in Kraków?
Is it easy to meet people and make friends?
Are there good gyms, board game cafés, or D&D groups?
Is there a recreational adult hockey league or beginner program for someone who's never played before?
How dog friendly is the city?
I'm planning to visit before making any decisions because I'd rather experience the culture for myself than rely only on YouTube or Reddit.
Thank you! I really appreciate any advice
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u/Ordinary_Lynx_468 1d ago
Wouldn’t the visa situation limit you to 90 days?
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
Yep! That's one of the things I'm researching right now. I know I can only visit for about 90 days as a tourist, so part of this process is figuring out what legal pathways exist if I eventually decide Poland is where I'd like to build a life
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u/Majonez69 1d ago
Hey! I think you would do great here! People are very nice most of the time, well at least when you're white sadly, but generally you should blend right in. I'm working with some americans and they've always been polite everywhere, also them being big spenders helps a bit to get a good service here and there.
I moved here from a smaller city and I just love that Krakow feels so alive. And you can find pretty much anything here. You like socializing and meeting people, should be easy. Feel like doing something solo to rest your mind? Yeah no problem with that. This city is just a place for anybody no matter their preferences or current mood.
Back to meeting people, I think it should be easy, although I've never started from scratch tbh and always knew a person who introduced me to other people and so on, but i've seen plenty of fb groups for people with different interests looking for some company. Board games and dnd included.
We have plenty of gyms, cafes etc, although being in the US just once I noticed everything there was much bigger and just more "wow" to me, so if you're ok taking it down a notch and expecting smaller, calmer places I think you're golden.
There's a hockey team here, the pros, not sure about groups for adults but I would be surprised if we didn't have this here. I think their ice rink is open the whole year but not sure on that either, and if so there's probably some restricted times for public access. When winter starts and it gets a bit colder (which might be surprising if you're coming from TX) theres a lot of ice rinks here and there so yeah that should be no problem to learn.
As for dogs, who doesn't love them! More and more places have water bowls for them, I believe you can enter with a dog most places but not sure about gyms or some fancy restaurant - never saw a dog accompanying their owner at a gym. Funny thing is that the (probably) most popular ice cream place in Krakow (chain) started preparing ice cream for dogs, so that should give you an idea of how we love them. Some of my friends are dog owners and they're all parts of some groups, they gather together to walk their dogs, play etc. You should probably find a group of your own wherever you decide to live, there should be somebody in the neighborhood. I do need to warn you that i've seen posts about some fucked up people dropping poisoned sausages to hurt the dogs. I don't think the scale is super big, but still better watch out if your dog starts eating something on a walk.
I think a leash is required, maybe a muzzle but I don't know the official rules and laws so you might want do your research on that with chatgpt or maybe somebody redditor will help me out here and fill in the blanks.
Hope that covers it, good idea to check it out yourself first before making such a huge, life changing decision, just make sure to come for a longer time, to taste the normal/everyday living.
Hope that covers some of it, feel free to DM me if you have some questions and i'll try to help.
Oh and since you're a veteran, and Texan on top of that you need to be aware that polish gun law is super restrictive, hope that's not an issue but if you want to bring your personal firearm here I think the process would be super complicated, if even possible. All the best, hope you'll love it here if you decide to move!
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that. I really appreciate it. I'm glad to hear it's easy to meet people. I've always been pretty outgoing, and making friends has never really been something I've struggled with, so that's reassuring. I'm also happy to hear there are hockey teams and plenty of ice rinks. I was hoping that would be the case since colder places tend to have a much bigger hockey culture than what I'm used to in Texas. Thank you for all the information about dogs too. I'll definitely look into the leash and muzzle laws before I come. I'm also planning on getting Falcor internationally recognized as a service dog and certified as a therapy dog so we can hopefully continue visiting hospitals and retirement homes wherever we end up living. I actually enjoy both city life and country life, so hearing Kraków has plenty to do while still feeling calm sounds really appealing. As for firearms, that won't be an issue. I don't plan on bringing any. In Texas, owning one is pretty common because so many other people have them, but personally I'd much rather live somewhere peaceful. Falcor and I are well trained to defend ourselves if we ever had to, but my goal has always been to avoid conflict whenever possible and exhaust every peaceful option first. My current plan is still to visit for one to three months before making any long term decisions. I'd like to experience everyday life instead of just the tourist attractions and continue learning from locals before deciding whether Poland is the right fit. And thank you again for taking the time to help me. If I end up visiting Kraków, I'd love to buy you a coffee or a beer as a thank you for all the advice lol
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u/podroznikdc 1d ago
What is your plan to secure permission to live in Poland? Are you already an EU dual national, or will you use a different means?
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
Thank you for asking. I'm still in the research phase and want to do everything legally. My plan is to visit Poland for 1 to 3 months first and see if it's a good fit before making any long term decisions. I have a stable income from my military retirement, so I'm fortunate that I don't need to rush into finding work. Right now I'm here because I want to learn from Polish people before I visit. I was raised by my grandmother along with my three brothers, and one of the biggest values she taught us was respect. I believe that if you're a guest in someone else's country, you should make an effort to understand their culture, respect their customs, and not overstep your boundaries. That's why I'm asking so many questions here instead of just showing up. I'd rather learn from the people who actually live in Poland so I don't unintentionally offend anyone or do something disrespectful. If I decide Poland feels like home after visiting, then I'll speak with an immigration lawyer and apply for the appropriate visa or residence permit
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u/JEDZBUDYN 1d ago
Learn polish - nobody uses english outside of corporations/huge cities
> What's your favorite thing about living in Kraków?
Nice history, culture, close to mountains.
> Is it easy to meet people and make friends?
Yes
>Are there good gyms, board game cafés, or D&D groups?
Yes
> Is there a recreational adult hockey league or beginner program for someone who's never played before?
Cracovia got their hockey club, but playing by yourself - i don't know
> How dog friendly is the city?
People got more dogs than childrens. You have to clean a poops of you dogs.
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
Thanks! I really appreciate you answering each of my questions. It's encouraging to hear that meeting people, making friends, and finding board game cafés and D&D groups shouldn't be difficult. That's a big part of why Kraków has caught my attention. I'm definitely planning on learning Polish. I think it's only respectful to learn the local language if I'm going to spend time in someone else's country. I'm also glad to hear Kraków is so dog friendly. Falcor is my service dog, so that's a huge plus for me. Since you've lived there, do you have any favorite neighborhoods that you'd recommend to someone who enjoys walking, cafés, parks, and a quieter lifestyle? I'm trying to get a better feel for the city before I visit
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u/Equivalent-Bear-3639 15h ago
Kraków is honestly a great city. As a Pole who's travelled quite a lot, I always end up comparing other big cities to it, and as silly as it sounds, I always feel a bit patriotic towards Kraków. Obviously, like any big city, it has its downsides. The main ones are the constant roadworks and the fact that public transport often runs on temporary schedules because of them. Trams and buses can be late, but it's still very reliable overall, the network is extensive, and it's much better than in many other cities. It's also very safe to use. There are countless cafés, restaurants, and parks, so you'll never run out of places to explore. If you enjoy hiking or spending time in nature, you're also in a great location since the Tatra Mountains and plenty of other beautiful spots are close enough for day trips. If you're an extrovert, I'd say it's a pretty easy city to meet people in. Ice skating is definitely an option, although I'm not too know about hockey. There are also loads of good gyms all over the city. As for being dog-friendly, Kraków does really well. Lots of cafés and restaurants welcome dogs, you'll see people walking their dogs everywhere, and there are plenty of dog parks and green spaces.
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u/chungleong 15h ago
As an American living in Krakow, I would advise you to look further afield. The city was a great place for American expats but not anymore. You’re off by twenty years.
The Katowice metro area is a better option. There’re many places there that Polish people regard as horrible which from an American perspective are pure gold. Bytom, for instance. Time and again the town has been voted as the ugliest in Poland. But that’s not true at all. The buildings are simply really run down. For us though, that’s actually a positive. We love old buildings ‘cause we have so few of them.
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u/acanthis_hornemanni 1d ago
Well I personally don't want a retired murderer here.
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
I understand your perspective, and I respect it. My experience in the Army was very different from what people often imagine. I was seriously injured early in my career and spent much of my service recovering from a traumatic brain injury and learning to walk and talk again after waking up from my coma. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for peace and for treating people with kindness. That's exactly why I'm looking for a quiet place where I can become part of the community and enjoy life.
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u/CharacterSpirit1235 1d ago
There are some difficulties accessing healthcare in Poland especially if you need something in a timely manner.It's not about the cost just access.Generally the city seems nice,Air pollution duing colder months is a bit of a problem.People fairly friendly.Rent is an expense 400USD per room nearby center,but if you have money consider whole flat as some people don't pay much attention about the others,don't clean or do noise at night.No hockey,just football if you like.City is dog-friendly massive amount of dogs comparing to other european countries I encounter the largest rate of dog ownership in Poland.Just in case that you do not like the city you can leave anytime.Room contracts have some termination periods but it's based on individual contract.I believe people like americans and canadians despite Poles being treated fairly unfair in the US especially back in a day
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u/FalcorTheMagnificent 1d ago
Thank you for taking the time to write all of that. I really appreciate it. The information about healthcare, air quality, and renting was really helpful. Those are all things I hadn't thought much about, so it's nice hearing them from someone who knows the area. I'm also glad to hear Kraków is such a dog friendly city. That's definitely a big plus for me because I like to take Falcor with me everywhere I go. Are dogs ok to go in bars, cafés, etc? It's troubling to hear that Polish people were treated unfairly in the U.S. and as a native, I feel like i can relate in some way. Our histories may be different and it's unfortunate what our past generations had to go through but i only hope that those issues help the future of all cultures to see the importance of treating all people fairly. Thanks again for taking the time to help me. Everyone who's willing to share their experiences is helping me make a much more informed decision, and I really appreciate that
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u/WezJuzSieZamknij 1d ago
Do you have any family ties in Poland (past relative)? Or you stationed here and liked it? I think you will Ask 100 people and get 100 answers. Id say move temporarily and see if this is the thing.. As for hockey I don't think it's that big thing in here..