Holiday and work in Krakow: These are the best workation tips

Summer begins in Krakow with one of the world's largest Jewish cultural festivals. From June 25 to 29, the city vibrates with klezmer and jazz music, with more than 200 events taking place recently. The city of the Polish kings is now populated by musicians and creative minds, partly because people can still afford to pursue their muse here.

In Tui's workation ranking, the 800,000-inhabitant metropolis on the Vistula River has moved up to fifth place, partly due to its moderate cost of living, behind hipster locations such as Porto or top-ranked Lisbon – where an apartment costs almost twice as much per month.

Hardly any other city is currently as popular as Krakow – especially among people who enjoy combining travel and business: fast internet, affordable rents, and a spot in the co-working space "Rynek 28" right on Europe's largest medieval market square costs 12 euros a day. That's about as much as a cocktail at "Mercy Brown," where they perform burlesque like in the 1920s.

Google and IBM are already here, as Poland's first AI center, an Eastern European hub for digital nomads, is to be built in Krakow.

Krakow's coffeehouse culture – dating back to the 18th century – is about as legendary as Vienna's. Those who want to swap their office for the bustling, thoughtful atmosphere of a café have plenty of options: The "Bunkier" has its own gallery, the "Singer" sits among old sewing machines, and the "Cheder" serves coffee with cardamom from brass pots. And the "Café Camelot" was once a brothel.

The Copernicus restaurant serves exquisite meals – the famous astronomer who gave the restaurant its name once studied at the venerable university in Kraków, one of the oldest in Europe. Dine like royalty within the Gothic walls, just like former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (1930–2017) or King Charles (76) did. And a business lunch in the restaurant of the Relais & Châteaux hotel of the same name is available for around 30 euros.

Sleep in style in Art Nouveau buildings like the "Willa Wawel" (prices from 140 euros, with a view of the castle) or Krakow's version of the "Soho House," called "Stradom House" (from 210 euros per night). This former monastery, with a pool and "Hedwig's" bar in a former chapel, is part of the Autograph Collection of Marriott, the world's largest hotel chain.

Another advantage of Krakow: almost everything is within walking distance. A bridge leads from the Old Town and the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz to the new, trendy Podgórze district. Many artisans and factory owners once lived here. The former enamel factory of Oskar Schindler , who saved the lives of approximately 1,200 Jews during World War II, is also located here. The former halls now house a museum that educates about the Holocaust and the Mocak, Krakow's "go-to" for modern contemporary art.