Discover Krakow

Kraków’s majestic Main Market Square is undoubtedly a unique place in global terms. Recognisable around the world, it attracts crowds every day. It is also viewed as one of the “World’s Best Squares” under the Project for Public Spaces, which has been operating for thirty years to regenerate urban public spaces. The Main Market Square and the network of streets that make up the Old Town were laid out in 1257, when the city was founded under Magdeburg Law. The Cloth Hall, situated in the middle of the square, has survived to this day. For centuries, it has been a place of commerce, and today you can buy local souvenirs here. The Cloth Hall has housed the National Museum in Kraków for over a century, first as the main seat, and later as a local arm of the museum.

Almost all of the buildings around the Main Market Square are centuries-old monuments, housing attractions such as the Museum of Kraków and the International Cultural Centre, as well as bookshops, shops, restaurants and cafés.

There are also concerts here, mostly jazz, as the music community, which has been active here for years, has made Kraków the capital of Polish jazz. Clubbing life also bustles here in the evenings and at night. After all, we have over 130 000 students in the city.

It is the city layout that largely determines the unique atmosphere of Kraków. The area surrounded by Planty Park is considered to be the very centre of the city. Planty Park forms an oval which is irregular and slightly elongated towards the Vistula River. It was created in the 19th century on the site of the demolished city walls surrounding the old Kraków.

This layout of the city centre is conducive to sightseeing. At the longest point, Planty Park runs in a straight line almost perfectly adjacent to the Royal Route, which is the oldest and probably the best known tourist route. It leads from St. Florian’s Church at Jan Matejko Square, through St. Florian’s Gate.

The only well-preserved piece of the mighty defensive walls houses the Arsenal. Today, it is part of the Princes Czartoryski Museum, the Kraków arm of the National Museum. The route continues along ul. Floriańska to the Main Market Square, and then along ul. Grodzka and Kanonicza to the Wawel Royal Castle.

The Old Town district also encompasses Kazimierz, which was once the Jewish quarter. You can get there by descending the Wawel Hill and following ul. Stradomska to the intersection with ul. Dietla. Following the tragedy of the Second World War and the extermination of Jews by the Nazi invaders, Kazimierz was deserted and it fell into disrepair for decades.

The current rapid development of this part of the city was brought about by political changes of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Kazimierz found its way onto cinema screens thanks to Steven Spielberg, who shot the multiple Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List” here. The world-famous Jewish Culture Festival, which has been organised since the early 1990s, focuses, by definition, on the history and traditions of the people who once lived here. It features concerts, workshops, lectures and exhibitions which attract people from Poland and around the world. Nowadays we can say that the district has been revived and undergone a facelift.

Kazimierz is living testimony to the centuries-old tradition of coexistence of various nationalities and denominations. Two nations and two great religions have lived side by side in harmony here for centuries.

Kazimierz is also a place particularly valued by all those who love antiques and various bric a brac. On Plac Nowy [the New Square], as well as beneath the nearby Market Hall in Grzegórzki, antique fairs are held every Sunday.

Situated in a picturesque area, at the foot of Krzemionki (white limestone rocks), Podgórze was once the right-bank part of the town of Kazimierz. In 1784, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II issued a proclamation declaring Podgórze a Free Royal City.

The multinational, tolerant community of Podgórze attracted entrepreneurs, factory owners and craftsmen.

The footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Vistula is the best way to get to the heart of the district.

Podgórze remains cosy, green and imbued with mystery. One of the greatest achievements of Podgórze is the famous Wojciech Bednarski Park. From here it is only a short distance to the symbol of the history of Podgórze - the Lasota Hill. At the foot of the hill is the historic Old Podgórze Cemetery, founded around 1790. From here, the Krakus Mound can also be seen. From the top of the mound, you can admire the city panorama, and on a clear day you can even see the Tatra Mountains.

In 1949, the postwar authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland decided to build a steelworks and a new town on the fertile grounds of villages near Kraków, Pleszów and Mogiła. Nowa Huta was to be Poland’s showpiece in the world. Its clear urban plan and socialist realist architecture followed the models of native Renaissance and Baroque architecture, but also the American concept of the “neighbourhood unit.” Nowa Huta’s routes span ancient and modern history, areas of protected nature (the Nowa Huta Meadows by the Central Square itself) and the memory of a once powerful industry.

When looking for a place to relax, consider a visit to the Nowa Huta Lagoon or Przylasek Rusiecki.

On the way back to the centre of Kraków it is a good idea to stop and explore the unique collections of the Polish Aviation Museum. The museum is located on the site of the former Rakowice – Czyżyny airport, and is distinguished by its original shape. More than 250 historic aircraft and engines can be found here, and the area on which the museum was built is listed as a monument.