"'Krokowa not Kracow'" Krokowa by Ekaterinburg

Krokowa Travel Guide: 36 reviews and 97 photos

Krokowa is a village near the Baltic coast, about an hour north-west of Gdansk. It's not a big place and apart from Germany, not very many people outside of Poland would have heard of it. In 2004 some students from this village enrolled in one of my English classes and once they managed to establish that it was 'Krokowa not Krakow' they systematically painted a picture that was hard to resist. Over two years I saw hundreds of photos on their laptop: beaches and forests; castles and amber; pristine snowfalls and psychedelic sunsets. These young men did a fine job and indeed should be employed by the Polish Department of Tourism. In July 2006 I came to check it out for myself and found a little corner of Baltic paradise.

That is the story of how I came to stay in this large yellow castle surrounded by a moat, right at the heart of Krokowa. Next to the castle are the regional museum and the church; in front is a lake and across the road in a green area is a little cluster of buildings which house the local shop, pharmacy, restaurant and bank. Five minutes away you can be deep in the forest or in open countryside. Ten minutes will take you to the beach at Debki and the ozone-laden Baltic breezes. There are loads of interesting places to visit in this area if you enjoy sightseeing but if you need to chill out then go no further. After a week in Krokowa, this extremely hyper person reached a state of relaxation bordering on euphoric. Believe me, I can give no higher recommendation.

Krokowa - Centre of Polish-German Reconciliation

Castle in the trees

When I arrived in Krokowa I discovered the full extent of its importance in the ongoing processs of reconciliation between Poland and Germany. Pomerania, where Krokowa is situated has seen its borders move many times and has been alternately Prussian, German and Polish. After World War 11 German inhabitants, were expelled from Pomerania. Now major efforts are being made to heal the wounds of the past and Krokowa, once divided by the Polish-German border, is playing an important part in this mediation.

This is discussed in more detail in the 'Local Customs' section of this page

Debki

Musicians at Debki

In this page I am taking the liberty of including Debki as well. They are of course seperate places, a few km apart but as Krokowa's nearest beach and somewhere I went every day during my stay, these two places inevitably became an extension of each other to me. The photo shows a group of musicians in local costume on Saturday afternoon in Debki. They just appeared out of nowhere and carried on out of sight, playing and singing. I think they were going to a mass which is held on Saturday evening outside a tiny wooden church at the end of the village by the bus stop.

Last visit to Krokowa: Jul 2006
Intro Updated Mar 15, 2007
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Reviews (17)

Home Comforts Hotels (2)

In this area close to the sea, loads of people supplement their income by taking paying guests in the summer. This... more travel advice

von Krokow home in the 19th century - Krokowa

von Krokow Museum aka Archivum... Things to Do (5)

This small museum, situated in one of the side wings of the castle is only of interest if you want to know more about... more travel advice

Bus stop in the middle of nowhere - Krokowa

The road to Debki Favorites (2)

The bus trip between Krokowa and Debki was another aspect of this trip that gave me endless pleasure. I've already... more travel advice

A walk in the woods Favorites (2)

One of my fondest memories of Krokowa is the many opportunities it gave me to walk in the forest.This may not seem... more travel advice

Shopping (1)
Kashubian art and craft
Local Customs (1)
Krokowa - Historical & Cultural Contexts
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Comments (17)

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budapest8 Jun 3, 2010 at 9:23 PM

Wow,was looking for Krakow updates from the meet, &was lucky to find this wonderful place with a wrong click. Beekeeping hosts and wonderful forests and horse riding.Returning to Poland in July, so will have to see if we visit this place. Thx for sharing
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BruceDunning Jun 23, 2009 at 1:35 PM

The whole story you presented is great and thanks for super pictures/tips for this village
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yumyum Apr 20, 2009 at 12:15 PM

Fabulous page! You make me want to go there right now and eat a raspberry merengue :)) and take that walk.
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iaint May 11, 2008 at 11:02 PM

interesting stuff; sounds like my kind of place
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mvtouring Oct 31, 2007 at 4:55 AM

I saw Krokowa and thought when did they change the spelling, what a lovely surprise was waiting for me at this page ;-)
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craic Oct 22, 2007 at 7:34 AM

yes i was expecting krakow - nice surprise - a meal for 6 euro - get out of town! love the lonely bus stop
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irishgalmtl May 12, 2007 at 8:21 AM

Hello there Katherine, What a great pg your tips are great and you pics are so breath taken and the St Catherine's Church Is so beautiful.. Donna :)
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tpal Apr 27, 2007 at 6:22 AM

Hi Katherine, This is a beautifully constructed page and your writing is excellent. While I've been to Poland a couple of times, I've not visited the Baltic regions. Thanks for the tour...Tom
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Pawtuxet Apr 22, 2007 at 4:33 PM

Looks like a wonderful trip. Beautiful beaches. Here is another Polish city I missed. How many trips will I make to see it all??
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tiabunna Apr 2, 2007 at 4:01 PM

A very enjoyable page on another of those 'hidden treasure' places you seem to find, Katherine.