TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – For solo female travelers, safety is often a key consideration when choosing a holiday destination. An analysis released by tour company Private Tour Englands earlier this year ranked Krakow as the best city in Europe for female travelers traveling alone.
The study evaluated 21 indicators across five main categories, including fraud risk, overall safety, and nighttime walkability. The study also considered travel costs, such as food, accommodation, and transportation. Social amenities were also analyzed, including the friendliness of residents, English language skills, and the variety of activities available in each city.
Krakow, based on these factors, earned the top spot thanks to its high safety score, particularly for walking. The study noted a relatively low level of violence against women, although the risk of fraud was moderate. Food and transportation costs were relatively affordable, and the availability of safe hostels for women was considered quite good.
Besides safety, the city also offers a variety of facilities to make things easier for travelers, such as museums, spas, easily accessible ride-hailing services, and fast internet connections. The locals’ English skills are also quite good, making it easy for tourists to interact and explore the city on foot.
Krakow’s Attractions
As Poland’s second-largest city, Krakow has a long history as a former royal capital. The city is famous for its medieval-style Old Town, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Popular destinations in the city include the Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral complexes, which once served as the center of the Polish kingdom. Tourists can also climb the Sigismund Bell Tower for panoramic views of the Vistula River and Krakow’s distinctive terracotta rooftops.
Underneath the Rynek Underground Museum, visitors can explore a modern archaeological site featuring holographic reconstructions, soundscapes, and even ancient stone trading routes. This experience transports visitors back approximately 700 years, to a time when merchants sold spices, amber, and furs beneath wooden stalls.
Tourists can also visit St. Mary’s Basilica to witness the Hejna Mariacki tradition, where trumpeters play a distinctive melody every hour in honor of the 13th-century city guards who fell to Tatar arrows.
Meanwhile, the Podgórze area, once a wartime ghetto, has now developed into a creative area with street murals, design boutiques, and museums like the Eagle Pharmacy Museum. The Kadka Bernatka pedestrian bridge is also a favorite photo spot for tourists thanks to the love locks and sculpture installations that appear to float above it.
List of Friendly Cities for Solo Female Travelers
On the same list, Zagreb in Croatia came in second place, with a high nighttime safety score and relatively affordable transportation costs in Europe, although there are not as many women-only hostels as in Krakow.
Meanwhile, Wroclaw in western Poland came in third. This city has a high safety index, although nighttime walking comfort is slightly lower than in Zagreb. However, food and hotel prices in the city are still below the European Union average. Several other cities in the top 10 best destinations for solo female travelers in Europe include Poznan, Seville, Warsaw, Prague, Edinburgh, Malaga, and finally, Porto.
Read: Why Krakow is Europe’s Best Anti-Stress Holiday City
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