What to See in Krakow

The Dominicans came in 1222 to Kraków. After the Tatars destroyed this monastery, they rebuilt it. Duke Leszek, the Black of Kraków, and Bishop Iwo Odrowaz were buried inside the church in the 13th century. Also the great Italian Humanist Fillipo Callimachus was buried there in the 15th century. His grave was made by Veit Stoss and Peter Vischer.…

Old Jewish cemetery of Kraków. Located next to Remuh Synagogue was established in 1535. It closed when the new cemetery at Miodowa was opened in year 1800. The most notable person buried at Remuh Cemetery is Rabbi Moses Isserles, others include rabbis of the Jewish communities in Vienna, in Prague and in Kraków and heads of Kraków Talmudic Academy.…

Art collection of 18th century Polish magnate family. "Lady with an Ermine" (also known as the Polish Mona Lisa) by Leonardo da Vinci and "The Landscape with Good Samaritan" by Rembrandt van Rijn among others.…

Built in 1266 by the bishop Prandota for the Cistercians who came to Mogila in 1220 invited by duke Leszek the White and bishop Iwo Odrowaz. The crossway was founded by Casimir the Great in the 14th century. The interior is painted by Stanislaw Samostrzelnik, considered to be the best Polish Renaissance painter, who himself was a Cysterian.…

This is the oldest of the university buildings, erected in 1364 as part of the University of Kraków. It was completed in 1400 and has preserved its Gothic scape. It has a beautiful court yard and chambers, of which the stuba communis is considered to be the most important. Niclaus Copernicus, Jan III Sobieski, and John Paul II studied here.…

St. Peter's and St. Paul's Church and Benedictine Abbey are situated at the bank of Vistula river. In the 11th century it was one of the most important scientific places in the first Polish Kingdom, the first chronicles of Poland were written here about 1100. Built as a fortress, in the 15th century the church was rebuilt and later remodelled in the 17th and 18th centuries.…

St. Trinity Church, a Dominican church, was built in 1222 in Romanesque style (the refectory still is). It was rebuilt as a three-aisled basilica in the second half of 14th century and the 15th century. It is filled with a countless number of tombs and the set of burial chapels of the 16th and 17th centuries was second only to the Wawel Cathedral necropolis.…

ul. Skałeczna 15. With the monastery of the Paulins, one of the oldest in Poland. The defensive position of the "Church on the Rock" (Skałka) brought settlement already in the 9th century. Bishop St. Stanislaw is said to be killed there by King Boleslaw II in 1079. The garden pond is traditionally believed to have served for pagan sacrifices.…

Built in 1860 - 1862. Reform synagogue that is open to the public. Since it's an operational synagogue male visitors are expected to wear yarmulke and women should dress somewhat conservatively and have their shoulders covered. During the Nazi occupation, the synagogue was used as a horse stable, but was eventually rededicated to its religious mission.…

Founded in 1800 and operational until around 1920 when it filled. Nazi Germans closed the cemetery and sold the most valuable tombstones to masons for reuse. After the war some of these were returned. Today cemetery has over ten thousand headstones, renovated brick mortuary, lapidarium and a monument dedicated to Holocaust victims.…

Wawel is a lime hillock situated on the left bank of the Vistula at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level. This is a symbolic place of great significance for Polish people. The Royal Castle and the Cathedral are situated on the hill. Polish Royalty and many distinguished Poles are interred in the cathedral and royal coronations took place there.…

The Galicja Museum in Kazimierz houses an exhibition of photographs with explanations in Polish and English. These are recent photographs of locations around Poland associated with the Holocaust. Some are places where massacres occurred; most show old synagogues and Jewish cemeteries with comments about how respectfully (or not) these places are now preserved.…

The Franciscans came in 1237 to Kraków. Their first monastery was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241 and 1259. In 1269, the saint Salomea was buried inside the St. Francis Church. In 1462, 1655 and 1850 parts of the monastery burned. The inside is Gothic and secession. The famous window "Good Father the Creator" by Stanislaw Wyspianski is there.…

The first St. Mary's Church was built in 1220. The façade consists of two unequal towers. The tune (hejnał) is played from one of the towers every hour and on Polish Radio at noon. Inside the church, the east wall is taken up by the altar of Veit Stoss (1477-89). It is the largest piece of medieval art of this kind. There is also an altar with a stone crucifix by Veit Stoss.…

This church was built in the 14th century and rebuilt in 1407 in Gothic style. It served as the university church. It was rebuilt in baroque style in 1689 by Tylman from Gameren modeled on S. Andrea della Valle in Rome. The corpus of the church was composed of a wide main nave with three pairs of side chapels. The holy professor of theology Jan Kanty is buried there.…

This is the best example of the Romanesque style in Poland. It was built in the 11th century by Sieciech, palatine of Duke Wladyslaw Herman. The fortifying character of the church is visible and the church was the only place the Krakovians could flee successfully when the Tatars conquered Kraków in 1241.…

A museum consisting of a new pavilion (good contemporary architecture) and few hangars filled with over two hundred historic gliders, aircraft, helicopters and more. Among them is a collection of 22 extremely rare antique planes that once belonged to Hermann Göring.…

Renaissance palace with a beautiful yard. It is world famous as the home of Pope John Paul II. Starting in 1963, he lived there as the bishop/cardinal of Kraków. After he became pope, he always stayed at there while in Kraków. His small talks from the window with Krakowians are famous.…

One of the oldest churches in Central Europe. History of the first wooden church on this site dates from 10th century. It is said to have been built by a pagan cult. Holy Adalbert preached before his missionary expedition to Prussia in the late 10th century.…

It was constructed in 1186. The oldest part of the church is a stone presbytery, while a brick part of the construction dates from the 15th century. The interior is very beautifully decorated with wall paintings dating back to 1420, like 'The Agony in the Garden' in the chapel and a wonderful Gothic palm vault which is…

Big meadow next to the centre of Kraków. It was used as a grazing field by villagers since the 12th century. In the 19th century swamps were drained and Błonia became suitable for large gatherings - Napoleon troops salute happened here, masses celebrated by popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI and concerts such as Selec…

The mound was built by Polish people in 1820s to commemorate a national hero - Tadeusz Kościuszko. In the 1850s Austrian authorities built a Neogothic chapel and a citadel around the mound, it was used as a strategic lookout. Today there is a museum dedicated to Kościuszko's life and the mound.…

Part of the big 13th century Gothic-Renaissance Town Hall that once stood on the Main Market. The town hall was destroyed by the Austrians in the 19th century after they took control of Krakow. It is now one of the branches of Kraków Historical Museum; there's a nice view of the city from upstairs if it is open.

Named after the most famous Polish SF writer Stanisław Lem, the Garden is a place where kids (but not only them) can learn about optics, physics and astronomy using free standing installations like Newton's cradle, gongs, liquid vortexes, etc. There's also a spherical cinema with educational films.

Barbakan was built in the 15th century as the biggest European defense building of its kind. The Gothic Barbakan was meant to defend the Florian Gate from attacks of the Osman Turks, which were thought to attack Central Europe after conquering Constantinople and the Balkans in the late Middle Age.

Sukiennice was built in the early 14th century in the middle of the Main Market Square as a trading hall in Gothic style. It got its present Renaissance look in 1555. In the 19th century, it was turned into a museum. The first floor was used for great banquets. Now, souvenir shops are there.

One of the newest museums in Krakow, located in renovated buildings belonging to the former Schindler’s Factory, houses a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions of modern art, sometimes the 'I don't get it' kind. Inside a bookstore with albums on not only Polish art and a cafeteria.

Houses the National Museum's Japanese artifacts, consisting mostly of the fabulous 6,500-item collection of local legend Feliks Jasieński (1861-1929) who adored Japan. It is located across the river from Wawel castle in a very interesting contemporary architecture building by Arata Isozaki.

The name refers to the Gothic All Saints' Church that stood there until the 19th century. Actress Helena Modrzejewska and writer Joseph Conrad lived in houses at this square. There are two beautiful Gothic churches, the St. Francis and the Dominicanus, at its western and eastern ends.

The main building. Usual historical museum stuff: armour, swords, etc. Every year after Christmas there is an exhibition concerning local tradition: Krakow szopka (characteristic nativity scene where historical buildings of Kraków are used as backdrop for the Nativity of Jesus.)

It is located in old tram sheds and on the grounds of former gasworks and powerplant. It has exhibitions on the history of Polish automotive, public transportation, radio and television, household and office appliances industries. The museum is well prepared for younger visitors.

The oldest baroque building in Poland. It was built in 1597 by Jozef Britius for the Jesuit Order and completed by Jan Trevano. The stone façade is based on the Roman church Il Gesu. You can see the longest Foucault's pendulum in Poland (46,5 m) there. Showings on Thursdays.

The name refers to the Gothic Stefanus Church that stood there until the 19th century. The secessionist Palace of Art and Old Theatre are there. It was renovated in faux secessionist style, which angered lots of citizens. The fountain plays music in summer evenings.

Built sometime during the 15th century, the synagogue is the oldest still standing synagogue in Poland. It was ransacked by the Nazis during World War II and was renovated between 1956 and 1959. Currently, it serves as a museum documenting Jewish life in Kraków.

If you're walking the most direct route from the train station to the Rynek (or vice versa), it's nearly impossible to miss this building. Its stunning façade is enough reason to visit, but attending one of the theater's performances sweetens the deal.

This church was founded in the 11th century by Duke Wladyslaw Herman as a votive offering for the birth of their son. It was later rebuilt in the Gothic style at the end of the 13th century. The Holy Mass is offered in English on Sundays at 10:30AM.

This gate is the only part of the medieval walls which has survived. It consists of four towers and the arsenal and gives you a good idea of what the five kilometers of walls around the Old City looked like in the Middle Ages.

A fine square in the center of Okół, the oldest part of the Old Town just under the Wawel. The early baroque St. Peter and Paul Church and the Roman St. Andrew Church are there. In the middle stands the column of Piotr Skarga.

Area of former camp is now grass fields and hills with one large stone monument commemorating the victims. Also the villa of Amon Göth, the commandant of the camp, is still standing. See Holocaust remembrance for context.

A fine medieval square at the heart of the Old City, festooned with churches, restaurants and bars. It is the biggest medieval marketplace worldwide with more than four hectares of area and eleven streets beginning here.

Manmade hill (with great views of the city) which age and purpose remain unknown. Some believe it has Celtic origins and is over two thousand years old. There is a folk fest every year on the first Tuesday after Easter.

Three permanent exhibitions on three floors, from top: 20th-Century Polish Art, Gallery of Decorative Art, Arms and Uniforms in Poland, the first most worth seeing. On ground floor city's best temporary art exhibitions.

Permanent exhibition "From the history of photography" shows works of Polish photographers since 1850s till WW2. Several temporary exhibitions a year on both documentary and art photography. Unfortunately underfinanced.

This was founded in the second half of the 13th century by Duke Boleslaw Wstydliwy. On the wall of the apse stands the sculpted group Golgotha. Inside the church is a rococo pulpit with a worth seeing cross.

Established (by the end of 19th century) around former industrial area (limestone quarry). These days slightly run down but has its own unique atmosphere and is considered the most beautiful park in Krakow.

Exhibition focuses on the pharmacist - Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Righteous among the Nations and life in Jewish Ghetto and Plaszow camp. Museum was renovated as memory lab and expanded in March 2013.

A small medieval place connecting Main and Little Marketplaces. It was a cemetery in the Middle Ages, but is now a charming and quiet place with the sculpture of a medieval Kracovian student.

Very well prepared temporary art exhibitions in a nicely remodeled and renovated building on Main Square. There's also a library and a terrace on the roof with views of the city centre.

Exhibitions, concerts, seminars and workshops on Jewish culture. There is also a cafe (with roof terrace!) and a great antiquarian bookshop located in the basement.

Former Zucker Synagogue built in 1880s. Today a gallery showing well-known Polish artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Tadeusz Kantor or Jerzy Nowosielski.

History of city's fortifications and defenders. The Celestat is a genuine headquarter of one of the oldest, existing continuously for over 700 years rifle-clubs.

Gun turret built between 1853 and 1856. Unique in terms of European fortress architecture. The building is not accessible and the surrounding area is fenced off.

Built in 1618, this church was constructed in early baroque style for the Carmelichans. Later, it was used by the nuns of the hospital of the Holy Ghost.

Museum houses a permanent exhibition concerning Krakow under Nazi occupation; it is located in the administrative building of former Schindler's Factory.

Museum documenting life and work of one of most important 20th century Polish artists. Rusty structure built on the Vistula bank, opened in 2014.

Stands opposite to the Cistercian Abbey. It is one of the oldest surviving examples of Polish wooden sacral architecture from the 15th century.

Temporary exhibitions of Polish art, mainly relating to the period of Young Poland. There's also a collection of works by Stanisław Wyspiański.

The Gothic Holy Spirit Church is located on the square. Beautiful 19th century Słowacki Theatre is situated there as well.

Built around the 6th or 7th century for unknown reasons. Considered a burial place of a legendary princess Wanda.

The church built during the 1970s. Considered somewhat of a symbol of defiance against communist government.