34 Best Sights in Krakow, Poland
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Starting as a market town in the 10th century, Kraków became Poland's capital in 1037. Until as recently as the 19th century walls encircled the Old Town; these have been replaced by the Planty, a ring of parkland, in the 1820s. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many interesting examples of architecture from that period can be found within the second ring, marked by Aleje and Dietla streets. In the late 20th century another phase of the city's development began farther out, and it continues today.
Most major historical attractions are within walking distance in the compact Old Town, but you'll also find very interesting sights further outside the city center, including Ko?ciuszko's Mound to the west and Nowa Huta to the east of the city center.
To the immediate southeast of the Old Town is the old Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. This was once a separate town, chartered in 1335 by its founder, King Kazimierz the Great. In 1495 Kraków's Jews were expelled from the city by King John Albert, and they resettled in Kazimierz. The Jewish community there came to an abrupt and tragic end during World War II. In 1941, the Jews of Kazimierz were moved first to a Jewish ghetto across the Vistula River in Podgórze, then to the P?aszów concentration camp. Most who survived P?aszów were transported to their deaths in the much larger concentration camp at Auschwitz–Birkenau. The story of the few Jews who escaped P?aszów through the help of businessman Oskar Schindler formed the basis of Thomas Keneally's book (and Steven Spielberg's film) Schindler's List.
Development during the 2010s has breathed a new life into the district of Podgórze, which gained as many as three new museums. The Historical Museum and MOCAK Museum of Contemporary art are both in the area of the former Schindler Factory; a third, Cricoteka, documents the work of Tadeusz Kantor. Podgórze abounds with hip restaurants and bars, and is the destination to go to if you want to get away from the crowds.
Nowa Huta
Even for Kraków natives, a trip to Nowa Huta is something of an adventure. Though officially part of Kraków—and only a 20- to 30-minute tram ride from the city center—it is quite a different world. You'll feel the change not just in the sweeping scale of urban planning but also in the spirit of the place. Always the workers' town—and designed as such by rulers of the obsolete Communist Bloc—it remains mostly proletarian, although the area is also increasingly popular with students and bohemians. Although you could look at the neighborhood as a living museum of the former era, this is not to suggest that Nowa Huta doesn't have an interesting present and (hopefully) brighter future.
Regrettably, its past is bleak indeed. In the 1950s, several villages outside Kraków were razed to build a huge steelworks and a steelworkers' town on the fertile farmland. The location of this "experiment" wasn't random: the "model socialist town," with its healthy social structure, was meant to counterbalance traditionally aristocratic and intellectual Kraków.
In June 1949, the foundations were laid for the first residential block of Nowa Huta. Nearly a year later, construction of the steelworks began. The steel factory reached its apogee in 1970s, when it employed 38,000 and produced 6.7 million tons of steel annually, not to mention fantastic volumes of pollution, which nobody seemed to control. (Now it has been privatized—and modernized—with production down to 1 million tons per annum and the environmental impact greatly reduced.) Next to the factory, the workers' town grew where authorities hoped to build "a modern socialist society."
Its ideological heritage notwithstanding, Nowa Huta is an interesting example of urban planning and architecture—so interesting that it was proclaimed a historical monument by the Polish government. The Central Square was modeled on that of Versailles, and the buildings that surround it are replete with echoes of the Renaissance and classicism. The street plan of the original residential areas of Nowa Huta is based on an American concept of "neighborhood units" first developed for New York City in the 1920s. Each block of Nowa Huta was equipped with all the necessary facilities to help the neighborhood function—shops, a school, a kindergarten, and so forth.
One thing was missing, however: as a model socialist town, Nowa Huta was not supposed to have churches, so none were built. Yet faith and tradition were stronger than the enforced model, and people of Nowa Huta erected an "illegal" crucifix around which they gathered to pray. When authorities ordered its removal in 1960, the citizens came to defend their cross, and hundreds were injured in a battle with the government militia. The struggle continued off and on until the first church in Nowa Huta was consecrated in 1977. Shaped like Noah's Ark, it was a powerful symbol in the political context at the time.
Paradoxically, the "model workers' town" played a key role in the downfall of communism, and became a stronghold of the Solidarity movement. Wide alleys of Nowa Huta were perfect for more than just May Day parades: in the 1980s, local residents people marched through them in antigovernment demonstrations.
It is not easy to cover Nowa Huta sights by walking—it is better to use a bike, tram, or car.
The
Although you won't find the famous statue of Lenin that used to stand on
From plac Centralny, any tram going up aleja Solidarności will take you to Centrum Administracyjne (Central Administration Building), the impressive castlelike entrance and offices of the former Lenin Steelworks. Unfortunately, these days it is next to impossible to enter the steelworks as a visitor, but even a peek from outside can you some idea of the scale of this operation.
A 10-minute drive or ride west of the steelworks is the
To get to Nowa Huta, take tram numbers 4 or 15 from Kraków Główny, the city's main railway station. You need two to four hours to get a flavor of Nowa Huta, but bear in mind that there are considerable distances to cover if you really want to see the town. The company Crazy Guides offers tours to Nowa Huta in grand style—in an authentic Trabant car, a true wonder of the communist automotive industry.
Rynek Główny
Europe's largest medieval marketplace is on a par in size and grandeur with St. Mark's Square in Venice. It even has the same plague of pigeons, although legend tells us the ones here are no ordinary birds: they are allegedly the spirits of the knights of Duke Henry IV Probus, who in the 13th century were cursed and turned into birds. This great square was not always so spacious. In an earlier period it contained—in addition to the present buildings—a Gothic town hall, a Renaissance granary, a large weighing house, a foundry, a pillory, and hundreds of traders' stalls. A few flower sellers under colorful umbrellas and some portable souvenir stalls are all that remain of this bustling commercial activity. Above all, Rynek is Kraków's largest outdoor café, from spring through autumn, with more than 20 cafés scattered around the perimeter of the square.
A pageant of history has passed through this square. From 1320 on, Polish kings came here on the day after their coronation to meet the city's burghers and receive homage and tribute in the name of all the towns of Poland. Albert Hohenzollern, the grand master of the Teutonic Knights, came here in 1525 to pay homage to Sigismund the Old, King of Poland. And in 1794 Tadeusz Kościuszko took a solemn vow to overthrow czarist Russia here.
The square is surrounded by many historic buildings. The Dom pod Jeleniami (House at the Sign of the Stag), at No. 36, was once an inn where both Goethe and Czar Nicholas I found shelter. At No. 45 is the Dom pod Orłem (House at the Sign of the Eagle), where Tadeusz Kościuszko lived as a young officer in 1777; a little farther down the square, at No. 6, is the Szara Kamienica (Gray House), which he made his staff headquarters in 1794. In the house at No. 9, the young Polish noblewoman Maryna Mniszchówna married the False Dymitri, the pretender to the Russian throne, in 1605. (These events are portrayed in Pushkin's play Boris Godunov and in Mussorgsky's operatic adaptation of it.) At No. 16 is the 14th-century house of the Wierzynek merchant family. In 1364, during a "summit" meeting attended by the Holy Roman Emperor, one of the Wierzyneks gave an elaborate feast for the visiting royal dignitaries; today the house is a restaurant.
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Zamek Królewski na Wawelu
The castle that now stands here dates from the early 16th century, when the Romanesque residence that stood on this site was destroyed by fire. King Sigismund the Old brought artists and craftsmen from Italy to create his castle, and despite baroque reconstruction after another fire in the late 16th century, several parts of the Renaissance castle remain, including the beautiful arcaded courtyard. After the transfer of the capital to Warsaw at the beginning of the 17th century, the castle was stripped of its fine furnishings, and later in the century it was devastated by the Swedish wars. In 1905, a voluntary Polish society purchased the castle from the Austrian authorities and began restoration. It narrowly escaped destruction in 1945, when the Nazis almost demolished it as a parting shot. Today you can visit the royal chambers, furnished in the style of the 16th and 17th centuries and hung with the 16th-century Arras-style tapestries from the Low Countries. Counted among the most valuable treasures of the Polish people, the tapestries were evacuated to Canada by Jan Polkowski (who had been appointed their guardian) during World War II in order to protect them against the invaders, and returned to Poland in 1961. The Royal Treasury on the ground floor contains a somewhat depleted collection of Polish crown jewels; the most fascinating item displayed here is the Szczerbiec, the jagged sword used from the early 14th century onward at the coronation of Polish kings. The Royal Armory houses a collection of Polish and Eastern arms and armor. The west wing holds an imposing collection of Turkish embroidered tents.
For many Poles, the castle's importance extends beyond its history. Hindu esoteric thinkers claim it is one of the world's mystic energy centers, a chakhra. Some believers—and there have been many over the last few decades—think that by rubbing up against the castle wall in the courtyard they will absorb vital energy.
To reach the castle, go to the end of Grodzka or Kanonicza streets, and then walk up Wawel Hill.
The number of visitors to the royal chambers is limited, and entry tickets are timed; therefore, you should always try to book your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Phone to make the reservation, and then collect your tickets from the Visitor Centre located across the outer coutyard, in the direction of Wisła river.
Bagelmama
Bagelmama is a cozy little bagel shop—the only one in Kraków.
Barbakan
Only one small section of Kraków's city wall still stands, centered on the 15th-century Barbakan, one of the largest strongholds of its kind in Europe. You can visit both the round, outer structure of the and a part of the defensive walls nearby on one ticket. Sometimes there are ticketed concerts or other events in the courtyard here.
Collegium Iuridicum
This magnificent Gothic building, built in the early 15th century to house the Jagiellonian University's law students, lies on one of Kraków's oldest streets. It's still part of the university, housing both the art history and law departments, but the charming courtyard is open to the general public. Hiding in the courtyard, you can find a striking sculpture by Igor Mitoraj, titled "Luci di Nara" ("The Lights of Nara"), which the artist donated to the university.
Collegium Maius
Jagiellonian University was another innovation of Kazimierz the Great. Established in 1364, it was the first university in Poland and one of the earliest ones in Europe. The Collegium Maius is the oldest surviving building of the university, though historians are undecided where the very first one stood. Jagiellonian's most famous student, Nicolaus Copernicus, studied here from 1491 to 1495. The first visual delight is the arcaded Gothic courtyard with a well and a musical clock. The clock plays the University anthem, while figures of royals and professors make a passage through two little doors below it every two hours from 9 to 5.
Don't miss lovely college gardens, through the passage to the left. On the second floor, the museum and rooms are a must for all visitors to Kraków. They can only be visited on a guided tour (English-language tours are at 1 pm, but call in advance to confirm and make a reservation). On the tour you see the treasury, assembly hall, library, and common room. The museum includes the so-called Jagiellonian globe, the first globe to depict the American continents.
Cricoteka—Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor
Dom Jana Matejki
The 19th-century painter Jan Matejko was born and died in this house, which now serves as a museum for his work. Even if you don't warm to his painting, Matejko was a prodigious collector of everything from Renaissance art to medieval weaponry, and this 16th-century building is in wonderful condition.
Jama Michalika
How often do you have a chance to have a cup coffee or a glass of wine among museum-quality artworks? In the Art Nouveau café Jama Michalika (also seen as Jama Michalikowa), the walls are hung with works by its original customers—artists, who sometimes paid their bills in kind.
The atmosphere is deliciously decadent: dark interior lit with stained-glass lamps, palatial chairs upholstered in green plush, and other fin-de-siècle attributes. Some evenings the café becomes a scene of a "Folk Show" for tourists, which some will find pleasant while others will prefer to avoid.Katedra Wawelska
Wawel Hill, a 15-acre rocky limestone outcropping on the banks of the Vistula, dominates the old part of the city. The hill was a natural point for fortification on the flat Vistula Plain. During the 8th century it was topped with a tribal stronghold and since the 10th century has held a royal residence and served as the seat of the bishops of Kraków. Construction on the present Wawel Cathedral—the third cathedral in this very place—was begun in 1320, and the structure was consecrated in 1364. Little room for expansion on the hill has meant the preservation of the original austere structure, although a few Renaissance and baroque chapels have been crowded around it. The most notable of these is the Kaplica Zygmuntowska (Sigismund Chapel), built in the 1520s by the Florentine architect Bartolomeo Berrecci and widely considered to be the finest Renaissance chapel north of the Alps.
From 1037, when Kraków became the capital of Poland, Polish kings were crowned and buried in the Wawel Cathedral. This tradition continued up to the time of the partitions, even after the capital had been moved to Warsaw. During the 19th century, only great national heroes were honored by a Wawel entombment: Tadeusz Kościuszko was buried here in 1817; Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki, both great romantic poets, were also brought back from exile to the Wawel after their deaths; and Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the hero of independent Poland between the two world wars, was interred in the cathedral crypt in 1935. Many feel that this tradition was disrespected when, in a controversial decision, Wawel received the body of Lech Kaczyński, Poland's President who died in a tragic plane crash in 2010.
The cathedral also has a treasury, archives, library, and museum. Among the showpieces in the library, one of the earliest in Poland, is the 12th-century Emmeram Gospel from Regensburg. After touring at ground level, you can climb the wooden staircase of the Sigismund Tower, entering through the sacristy. The tower holds the famous Sigismund Bell, which was commissioned in 1520 by King Sigismund the Old and is still tolled on all solemn state and church occasions.
Pick up an audio guide for zł 7.
Kawiarnia Noworolski
One of the oldest cafés in town, this lovely historical spot, next to the entrance to the National Museum in the Cloth Hall, is a great place to sit and watch the goings-on in the square while enjoying a coffee. This is also a good vantage point from which to observe the hourly trumpet call from the tower of the Church of Our Lady. Be warned: the service can be really slow—don't go there if you're on a tight schedule. But if you're at your leisure, then what does it matter?
Kopiec Kościuszki
This mound on the outskirts of Kraków was built in tribute to the memory of Tadeusz Kościuszko in 1820, three years after his death. The earth came from battlefields on which he had fought; soil from the United States was added on July 4, 1926, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The best place from which to get a panoramic view of the city, the mound presides above a 19th-century Austrian fort. With the same ticket, you can also visit an exhibition explaining the system and the history of the Kraków Fortress. The entrance to the exhibition is to the right, after you come back down from the top of the mound.
Kościół Bożego Ciała
This 15th-century church was used by King Charles Gustavus of Sweden as his headquarters during the Siege of Kraków in 1655. Its austere gothic interior is filled with exuberant baroque furnishings, most notably the pulpit in the shape of a boat floating on the waves of the sea. The organ, with 83 voices, 5950 pipes, and 25 bells, is the largest in Kraków, and it consists of two parts: the historical side organ from 1664, and the main organ, fitted in 1963.
Kościół Franciszkanów
The mid-13th-century church and monastery are among the earliest brick buildings in Kraków. The Art Nouveau stained-glass windows and wall decorations by Stanisław Wyspiański (dating from 1895 to 1905) are true masterpieces. The combination of austere Gothic and colorful Art Nouveau is surprising but harmonious. Wyspiański brought joy and emotions into the church, filling it with meadow flowers, of which its patron St. Francis of Assissi would certainly have approved. In the west window, above the choir, is a sight not to be missed: stained glass depicting God the Father creating the world.
Kościół Mariacki
Dominating the northeast corner of Rynek Główny is the twin-towered Church of Our Lady, which is also known as St. Mary's Church. The first church was built on this site before the town plan of 1257, which is why it stands slightly askew from the main square; the present church, completed in 1397, was built on the foundations of its predecessor. You'll note that the two towers, added in the early 15th century, are of different heights. Legend has it that they were built by two brothers, one of whom grew jealous of the other's work and slew him with a sword. You can still see the supposed murder weapon, hanging in the gate of the Sukiennice.
From the higher tower, a strange bugle call—known as the "Hejnał Mariacki"—rings out to mark each hour, breaking off on an abrupt sobbing note to commemorate an unknown bugler struck in the throat by a Tartar arrow as he was playing his call to warn the city of imminent attack. The legend, which seems to have originated with Polish immigrants in the U.S., was captured in print by American author Eric Philbrook Kelly in his novel The Trumpeter of Krakow (1928).
The church's main showpiece is the magnificent wooden altarpiece with more than 200 carved figures, the work of the 15th-century artist Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss). The panels depict medieval life in detail; the figure in the bottom right-hand corner of the Crucifixion panel is believed to represent Stwosz himself. A late 19th-century renovation added even more murals by artist Jan Matejko, who was aided by his disciples, Józef Mehoffer and Stanisław Wyspiański.
From April to October it is possible to climb the taller of the towers (the entry costs 15 złoty), but please note this is an arduous climb, and for safety reasons, children under seven years of age are not admitted.Kościół na Skałce
Standing on the Vistula embankment to the south of Wawel Hill, this church is the center of the cult of Saint Stanisław. The bishop and martyr was beheaded and dismembered by order of the king in the church that stood on this spot in 1079—a tale of rivalry similar to that of Henry II and Thomas à Becket. The story goes that the saint's body was miraculously reassembled, as a symbol of the restoration of Poland's unity after its years of fragmentation. Beginning in the 19th century, the church also became the last resting place for well-known Polish writers and artists; among those buried here are the composer Karol Szymanowski, the painter and playwright Stanisław Wyspiański, and poet Czesław Miłosz.
Kościół świętego Andrzeja
The finest surviving example of Romanesque architecture in Kraków is this 11th-century fortified church. Local residents took refuge in St. Andrew during Tartar raids. The interior, remodeled during the 18th century, includes a fanciful pulpit resembling a boat.
Kościół świętego Piotra i Pawła
The first baroque church in Kraków was commissioned for the Jesuit order. It's one of the most faithful and successful examples of transplanting the model of the famous del Gesu Church (the "prototype" Jesuit church in Rome) to foreign soil. At the fence are the figures of the 12 apostles. The parish hosts numerous classical music concerts in the church.
Manggha: Centrum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej
The "Manggha" Center for Japanese Art and Technology houses a magnificent collection of woodblock prints, pottery, Samurai armor, netsuke (small sculptures worn on the sash of a kimono), and more. The collection was the gift of an eccentric bohemian named Feliks Jasieński, who became caught up in the fashion of collection Japanese artifacts in fin de siècle Paris. Jasieński's admiration and obsession with all things Japanese earned him the nickname "Manggha." Manggha are picture books containing famous prints of old Japan (not exactly the same as today's manga, which are popular graphic novels). Jasieński actually donated the collection to the Kraków National Museum in 1920, but there was no space to properly display it. The present museum opened in late 1994, in a building designed by the renowned Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki.
MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow
Muzeum Archidiecezjalne
The Chapter House is now the Muzeum Archidiecezjalne, displaying 13th-century paintings and other art belonging to the archdiocese, not to mention Pope John Paul II's former room.
Muzeum Etnograficzne im. Seweryna Udzieli w Krakowie
Kazimierz's 15th-century Ratusz (Town Hall) stands in the middle of plac Wolnica. It's now the Ethnographic Museum, displaying a well-mounted collection of regional folk art, and much more. The main goal is to preserve and help visitors understand the various cultures that have helped to mold and shape Kraków through the ages. This is both a permanent exhibition and a variety of temporary ones.
Rynek Underground
Directly underneath the main square, this permanent exhibition, a branch of the Kraków City Historical Museum, presents the history of the city in its European context. The interactive displays, using multimedia technology, can often feel like time travel; most importantly, it incorporates pieces of the actual archaeological site, allowing the visitor to walk over real medieval tracts (the oldest dating back to the 11th century). Layer after layer, some 1,000 years of history can be uncovered before your eyes. There's an interactive zone for children, and some fun surprises—can you spot the portrait of a medieval Polish king who actually winks at you?
Plan at least two hours to properly enjoy your visit.
Smocza Jama
Every Polish child knows the legend of the fire-breathing dragon that once terrorized residents from his Smocza Jama, a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill. Follow the signs to the ticket office opposite the castle, in the direction of the river. The dragon threatened to destroy the town unless he was fed a damsel a week. The king promised half his kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage to any man who could slay the dragon. The usual quota of knights tried and failed. But finally a crafty cobbler named Skuba tricked the dragon into eating a lambskin filled with salt and sulfur. The dragon went wild with thirst, rushed into the Vistula River, and drank until it exploded. The Dragon's Den is still there, however, and in warmer months smoke and flame belch out of it every 15 minutes to thrill young visitors. A bronze statue of the dragon itself stands guard at the entrance.
Visiting the Dragon's Den involves a descent via a spiral stairway followed by walking on uneven ground through a rock cave, therefore it is advisable to bring comfortable walking shoes.
Stara Synagoga
The oldest surviving example of Jewish religious architecture in Poland, this synagogue was built in the 15th century and reconstructed in Renaissance style following a fire in 1557. It was here in 1775 that Tadeusz Kościuszko successfully appealed to the Jewish community to join in the national insurrection. Looted and partly destroyed during the Nazi occupation, it has been rebuilt and now houses the Museum of the History and Culture of Kraków Jews, which is part of the Kraków City Historical Museum. Audio guides are available for an additional zł 10.
Synagoga Izaaka
Isaac's Synagogue was named after its founder, Izaak Jakubowicz (reb Ajzyk reb Jekeles). One of the most famous Hasidic legends is connected with this pious Jew, who lived in Kazimierz.
One day he had a dream about a treasure hidden in Prague, near the Charles Bridge. Without thinking twice, Isaac went to Prague and found the bridge he had seen in his dream. The bridge was filled with soldiers, and Isaac was unsure what to do next when one of the soldiers approached him and asked what he was doing there. When Isaac told the soldier about his dream, the man laughed: "Only a naive fool would come so far for a dream! I myself keep having this dream that in a house of a Krakovian Jew named Isaac, son of Jacob, there is a treasure hidden under the furnace, but I'm not so foolish as to go to Kraków and check it out. After all, every second Jew is named Isaac, and every third, Jacob!" Isaac thanked him, returned home, dismantled the furnace, and found a great treasure, becoming one of the wealthiest citizens of Kazimierz—wealthy enough to found a magnificent synagogue. Today the early baroque building with a beautiful, stucco-decorated vault and marvelous arcades in the women's gallery is home to Chabad Lubawicz Foundation, which, among other things, is running a kosher store and a library.
Synagoga Remuh
This 16th-century synagogue is still used for worship and is named after the son of its founder, Rabbi Moses Isserles, who is buried in the cemetery attached to the synagogue. Used by the Jewish community from 1533 to 1799, this is the only well-preserved Renaissance Jewish cemetery in Europe. (The so-called new cemetery on ulica Miodowa, which contains many old headstones, was established in 1800.) Today this synagogue in Ashkenazi tradition again serves as a place of prayer for the local Jewish community and visitors. Visitors should wear a head covering out of respect.
Synagoga Tempel
The 19th-century Reformed Tempel Synagogue has a striking, eclectic decor complete with stained-glass windows. Under the care of the local Jewish Community, it is one of the venues of the famous Jewish Culture Festival.