CACE TRIP 2010
CRACOW 30 SEPTEMBER – 5 OCTOBER
The 'three-hills' race (actually three historical burial grounds) in Cracow takes place on Sunday 3 October, start at 10.30 in the morning. It is a 13 km, tough race, starting from the top of the first hill outside the city (altitude 271 m), going down towards the river (altitude 199 m), following the river through town, leaving the city on the other side, first climbing up towards the second hill (altitude 326 m) and finally, after running back down (altitude 250 m), up again towards the third hill and the finish (altitude 358 m). If you follow the links at the end of this document, you will see that there should be panoramic views along the way!
The race website is only available in Polish for the time being:
http://www.biegtrzechkopcow.pl/?language=1
There were 557 participants in 2009, the winner finishing in 41:48. First male veteran A finished in 47:04, first male veteran B in 50:44. The winning time for the ladies was 51:13 (56:16 in the category 30-39, 54:12 in the category 40-49).
You can find last year's race results here:
http://3kopce.lama-projekty.pl/artykuly/183/557-osob-pobieglo-miedzy-krakowskimi-kopcami
For those interested, there are money prizes for the first 6 in the 'scratch' and for the first 3 in every category.
We will fly Wizzair from Charleroi to Katowice.
Departure:
Wizzair flight W6 122
Take-off: Thursday 30 September 17:20
Arrival: Katowice 19:15
As always, we will car-pool together: departure from Schuman 15:15
Return voyage:
Wizzair flight W6 121
Take-off: Tuesday 5 October 15:00
Arrival: Charleroi 16:55
Return to Brussels by car-pool
Currently return tickets can be booked for EUR 49.98
(This includes all charges, including for payment method and luggage.)
The transport between Katowice Airport (which is about 70 km from Cracow) and Cracow will cost around EUR 20 (return voyage). Do not book this yet, we will make a collective booking later on.
For those who cannot take the Friday off work, there is an alternative flight, leaving Charleroi Saturday afternoon at 17:20. This would mean you could participate in the race, but you would have only 1.5 days for visiting Cracow, which would make it a very short trip.
If you decide to join us, please go ahead and book your Thursday-Tuesday flight already, informing me by e-mail when you have done so.
If you want to leave on Saturday, please contact me first.
We have selected two possibilities, which we will decide by majority voting.
The first possibility is the Angel House Bed and Breakfast.
The cost would be EUR 25 per night per person, including breakfast. Very nice and very good value for money.
The only disadvantage is that our group will be split over their 2 locations, which are a 10 minute walk from each other. You can see the location of both houses through the following link:
(For reference: you can see in the map how the B&B is situated compared to the famous central market square which is called Sukiennice.) The second alternative consists of renting appartments. We have found a location where they have a choice of large and small apartments:
http://www.krakowholidayapartments.com/index.html
These are somewhat less luxurious than the B&B and we would have to cook our own breakfast (the apartments have kitchens). The advantage would be that we could all be in the same location (most of the apartments are in the same building in Szczepanski square), which is very centrally located:
The price would be around EUR 18 per person per night based on 4 bedroom apartments. Smaller apartments would be more expensive. Cost of cooking breakfast not included of course.
Could you let me know by Friday March 26 which type of accommodation you prefer? We will book only 1 type (either the apartments or the B&B) and we will let the majority decide.
Cracow is a beautiful historical city. There are many things to visit and it is beautiful to walk around in. It is also very popular with tourists and it can get crowded, although this should normally not be a big problem in October. Besides the historic city, highlights and must-see activities are a fun visit to the salt mines and an impressive daytrip to the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Some links to wet your appetite:
http://www.krakow.pl/en/turystyka/
http://www.viator.com/krakow-tours/d529-ttd?pref=02&aid=g2211
http://www.auschwitz-tours.com/?gclid=CJrn0bfJuqACFQxB3godyk-uSw
http://www.kopalnia.pl/index.php?id_language=2&id_news=&action=&id_site=&language_change=1&
Some images from the 'three hills' in the race:
Kopiec Krakusa: the first hill (point A on the map) where the start is (on the panoramic photo you can see the second hill in the distance (Kosciuszki)
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopiec_Krakusa
Kosciuszko Mound is the second hill of the race: (point B on the map)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C5%9Bciuszko_Mound
And the third and final hill of the race: Kopiec Pilsudskiego Mound (point C on the map)
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopiec_Pi%C5%82sudskiego