Krakow Chronicles Summer Quiz

How well do you know Krakow and its people? Test yourself with the Krakow Chronicles Summer Quiz ...

1. The most famous river in Poland flows through Krakow on its way to Warsaw and, eventually, on to the Baltic Sea. What is the name of Krakow’s river?
a) The Wisła
b) The Vistula
c) The Mississippi
d) Krakow has a river?

2. Kazimierz was once a run-down, neglected district, where only brave souls dared walk at night. How things have changed! What is your impression of the modern Kazimierz?
a) It’s a cool, bohemian place to hang out and meet my friends
b) The parking is a joke and there are few facilities for the local community
c) I can remember when you could buy a beer, a vodka chaser, a zapiekanka with extra ketchup and still have change for a two-bedroom flat on Plac Nowy
d) I prefer Galeria Krakowska


3. The Poles are naturally proud of their extensive range of fine, golden beers. I, for example, support the Okocim brewery. Which is your favourite Polish beer?
a) Tyskie
b) Lech
c) Żywiec
d) Polish beer …?


4. Few are those who leave Krakow without experiencing the Heynal at least once. But what is the Heynal?
a) An informal goral (mountain-man) form of address
b) A trumpet call
c) A strumpet call
d) A spicy Polish kebab


5. A visit to the smallest room in Krakow’s bars, cafes and restaurants can lead to confusion and embarrassment: what should you do when faced with two doors, one marked with a triangle and one marked with a circle?
a) Wait patiently until someone enters or exits, thereby ascertaining which is ‘gents’ and which is ‘ladies’
b) Rattle the doorhandles, bang loudly and insistently on both doors, then suddenly lose all interest and walk back into the bar, all the time shouting inanities to your boyfriend down your mobile phone
c) Use whichever room is free: it’s two in the morning, for God’s sake!
d) Put the vodka back in the fridge, go straight to bed and never try to turn your flat into a nightclub again


6. Some countries queue, some countries don’t. Poland doesn’t. What should you do if, while waiting patiently in line, someone jumps the queue ahead of you?
a) Tap them politely on the shoulder, smile diplomatically and say ‘Przepraszam, ale czy mogł(a)by pan(i) stać na kolej? (Excuse me sir/madam, but could you please take your place in the queue?‘)
b) Pretend to ignore it: you’re only here for the weekend and you don’t want any trouble
c) Quietly slip back in front of the queue-jumper (‘When in Rome …’)
d) Write about the incident on internet forums and / or English-language newspapers

7. Krakow is home to foreign nationals from nearly every country in the world. What are you doing here?
a) Just visiting
b) Teaching English
c) Working in real estate
d) 4 to 5, with time off for good behaviour

8. For what is the nearby town of Wieliczka famous?
a) Its amazing salt mine, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
b) The only surviving statue of Lenin tying his shoelaces
c) The longest bar in Poland (over 200 miles long, every inch hand-cut from living rock)
d) Its world-famous ready salted crisps

9. Noone should leave Krakow without seeing the famous Wawel. What is the Wawel, pride of all Poland?
a) The name of a famous bar in Wieliczka
b) A well-established chain of language schools
c) Krakow’s castle: the former seat of the Polish monarchy
d) A Polish traditional wedding dance


10. The Poles are great animal-lovers and it’s no secret that Krakowians love their dogs (cf. daschund parade, 6th September). In Krakow, many dogowners allow their dogs to ‘do their business’ …
a) anywhere they want
b) wherever they want
c) anywhere they like
d) wherever they see fit

SCORING

1 A4 B3 C2 D1
2 A2 B4 C3 D1
3 A1 B1 C1 D4
4 A2 B4 C3 D1
5 A1 B3 C2 D4
6 A4 B1 C2 D3
7 A1 B3 C2 D4
8 A4 B1 C1 D1
9 A1 B1 C4 D2
10 A4 B4 C4 D4

0 - 10
Tourists may be forgiven their lack of Krakowian knowledge; the rest of you obviously live in a shadow-world of unknowing, from which a throwaway quiz in a newspaper cannot ever hope to rescue you.

11 – 20
Congratulations! You’ve done your homework. Take a moment to look smugly around before returning to your guidebook.

21 - 30
You’ve obviously been here some time and should be proud of yourself. But beware that experience does not turn to cynicism.

31 - 40
Impressive: it seems you know Krakow like the back of your hand. However, there’s more to life than the back of your hand. Krakow is a fine city. Never forget it.