Krakow Old Town
The 13th century merchants’ town is home to Europe’s largest Market Square and offers numerous historical houses, palaces and churches with magnificent interiors, 14th century fortifications, ancient synagogues, Jagiellonian University and the Gothic cathedral where the kings of Poland were buried.
Ulica Kanonicza
Lined with mostly Renaissance houses, this street is one of the oldest in Krakow. It could be very romantic at night with the lights shed all the way, and can be fresh & calm during daytime.
The Barbican (Barbakan)
Styled after Arab defensive architecture, this masterpiece of medieval military engineering with its circular fortress was added to the city’s fortifications in the late 15th century.
Church of St. Andrew
This church is one of the oldest in Krakow and was built towards the end of the 11th C. It has a double function as a defensive tower and was called the Lower Castle. It withstood the Mongol invasion of 1241. Today it remains a fine example of Romanesque architecture and its twin octagonal towers are impressively lit up at night. If you venture inside, look for the boat shaped pulpit. The church is open from 7 am till 6 pm.
Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Kraków, Poland is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to the Divine Mercy devotion, as the resting place of Saint Faustina Kowalska, canonized on April 30, 2000.
The new basilica was built 1999–2002, and is located in the District of Łagiewniki at ul. św. Faustyny Street. Two Popes have visited the shrine and millions of pilgrims from around the world continue to visit it every year.
Church of the Virgin Mary
One of the most famous of Poland’s churches, this Gothic structure features two striking towers, the taller of which is a magnificent Gothic spire with a gold-plated crown built in 1666 (Cost 10-20 PLN).
Przegorzaly Castle
It’s a district located 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) west of the city centre. Originally a separate village, it was first mentioned in 1162 as the property of the Norbertine Sisters.
Dzok Monument
This is what it says on the statue close to Grunwaldzki Bridge in Krakow: Throughout the entire year /1990-1991/ Dżok was seen waiting in vain at the Rondo Grunwaldzkie roundabout to be fetched back by his master, who had passed away at the very site.
Smocza Jama (Dragon’s Cave)
This is a legendary cave in the western slope of Wawel Hill. The oldest version of a legend about the dragon of Wawel, related to the mythic beginning of Krakow, comes from the turn of the 13th century.
Krakow Museums
Wawel Royal Castle
Serving as a royal residence and the site where the country’s rulers governed Poland for five centuries (1038-1596), this castle is a symbol of the independent Polish state and today contains a priceless collection of 16th-century Flemish tapestries, considered to be one of the largest in the world. (Free entrance)
Polish Aviation Museum
The Polish Aviation Museum (Polish: Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego w Krakowie) is a large museum of old aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. This airfield, established by Austria-Hungary in 1912, is one of the oldest in the world. The museum opened in 1964, after the airfield closed in 1963.it has been scored as eighth world’s best aviation museum by CNN television.
Jagiellonian University
First founded in 1364, this integral part of Krakow life has many distinguished alumni including distinguished Polish intellectuals, political leaders and well-known international figures like Nicolaus Copernicus and Pope John Paul II. The Collegium Maius is the oldest surviving building of the university.
Rynek Underground
The underground square central museum of Kraków is situated below the market square of the city and has an area of over 6000 meters square.
Work on the underground square first began at the start of 2009 and cost 38 million zloty. The museum first opened on 24 September 2010, at the time only displaying regular exhibitions. The main feature “In the footsteps of Krakow’s European identity” was launched three days after the museum’s opening, on the 27th of September 2010.
Ethnographic Museum
Located in the Kazimierz district, this 15th-century Town Hall was converted into a Renaissance building in the 16th century, which now houses the Museum of Ethnography.
Contemporary Art Museum MOCAK
The program of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK), which has been active since 1st February 2010, encompasses presentation of the latest international art, education as well as research and publication projects. MOCAK’s two most important aims are presenting the art of the two last decades in the context of the post-war avant-garde and conceptual art as well as clarifying the rationale of creating art by highlighting its cognitive and ethical value and its relationship with everyday reality.
All the projects will be undertaken by the Museum with diverse audiences in mind. The publications produced will provide information bringing closer the origin and significance of the works and events presented and placing them in contexts. The institution considers it an important challenge to reduce prejudice against very recent art.
National Museum
The National Museum in Kraków (Polish: Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie), established in 1879, is the main branch of Poland’s National Museum, which has several independent branches with permanent collections around the country. The Museum consists of 21 departments which are divided by art period; 11 galleries, 2 libraries, and 12 conservation workshops. It holds some 780,000 art objects, spanning from classical archaeology to modern art, with special focus on Polish painting.
National Museum