Best Things To Do in Krakow, Poland
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Glass And Ceramics Centre
(7 Votes)
The city of Krakow is famous for its glass arts. This is one of the best places to discover the history of such arts in Krakow, as well as a process is used by the masters and artists in the trade. The main attraction here for tourists are demonstrations of the glass shaping processes, and they happen throughout the day. If you want, you can try own hand at glass blowing. The permanent exhibit ...Read more -
Though this building is not usually open to the public, it’s worth checking out the exterior. This is one of the oldest buildings of the Jagiellonian University. The Collegium Juridicum houses the Art History Institute of the University, but was originally founded to house the school’s law students. The building is interesting architecturally; it used to be two separate tenements bu...Read more -
Wyspianski wasn’t the only famous stained glass artist of Krakow. Jozef Mehoffer was a contemporary of Wyspianski’s who sometimes collaborated with him. His house, a lovely Art Deco affair, was a frequent meeting place for intellectuals of the Young Poland movement. The original furnishings of the house have maintained as they were. Artifacts and documents related to the artist are ...Read more -
In the forests of Wolski, the Przegorzaly Castle is one of the main stops for hikers and cyclists. It’s not an especially old place; it was built by the Germans during WWII. Today the premises of the castle are used by a restaurant the also offers a catering service. It also housed the Przegorzaly Institute of European Studies and the Center for Holocaust Studies. Visitors are usually aft...Read more -
St. Barbara's Church
(6 Votes)
Overshadowed by the St. Mary’s Basilica, which was the house of prayer for rich Germans, this smaller 14th century church is probably closer to the hearts of the people of Krakow, as this is where the Poles prayed. Plain looking on the outside, it is surprisingly charming and intimate on the inside. Of interest are two Gothic sculptures. One is a 15th century depiction of Christ and the A...Read more -
Teatr Bagatela Im T Boya Zelenskiego
(14 Votes)
Established as a theatre in 1918, converted into a cinema in the 1920s, and the back again into a theatre after WWII, today this is a popular Krakow venue of comedy shows for both adults and kids. Most of the focus is on light entertainment, but the theatre has still made a great name for itself. These days the theatre is also a venue for chamber music performances. But perhaps the biggest reas...Read more -
Muzeum Archidiecezjalne
(3 Votes)
If you didn’t know, Karol Wojtyla is the man who went on to become Pope John Paul II. A quirky little fact the museum reveals about the Pope is that he liked to ski! His ski shoes are on display, as are his furniture and other belongings. There is a collection of gifts presented to the Pope here too. But the other exhibits in this 14th century townhouse are just as interesting. There are ...Read more -
Bishop Ciolek Palace
(2 Votes)
The Bishop of Plock used to stay in this Renaissance mansion, which was completed in 1503. It’s thought to be one of the greatest among the old residences in Krakow. Now managed by the national museum, the building houses two important exhibits. The first is The Art of Old Poland: Twelfth to Eighteenth Centuries, full of sculptures and paintings from various art movements - medieval, Rena...Read more -
Back when Krakow was established in 1335, this was one of the city’s most important public spaces. It was at once a market place, an administrative and judicial center, and measured 195-meters square. Today it’s much smaller, its reputation much more diminished. The old Town Hall rises to the west of the square, with a neo-Renaissance facelift from the 19th century. Also of note is ...Read more -
Pilsudski's Mound
(3 Votes)
This artificial mound, completed in 1937 is dedicated to a national hero - Jozef Pilsudski. Of the four mounds in the city of Krakow, this is the newest and the largest. Originally meant to commemorate the reestablishment of an independent Polish country, the soldiers renamed to the mound after their leader. Notably, soil from every important World War One battlefield in which Polish soldiers s...Read more -
Czartoryski Museum
(43 Votes)
The collection was founded in 1796 by Princess Isabela Czartoryska. Its most famous exhibit is Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Lady with an Ermine. There are treasures here from the Wawel Cathedral, the Royal Castle, and Polish noble families. But other, nearly as awesome treasures included: The books of the Duke of Brabant, Tadeusz Czacki, and Stanislaw August Poniatowski. Shakespeare'...Read more -
St. Katherine Of Alexandria Church
(2 Votes)
This Roman Catholic Parish is famous for both being the best example of Gothic architecture in the country, and also the best acoustics of any church in the city. This makes it not only a popular destination for Mass, but also for classical concerts. Consecrated in 1378, the church was hit by floods, fires, earthquakes and invasions, and has recovered each time. Highlights include the seventeen...Read more -
The third oldest Jewish place of worship was constructed in 1560. The ‘High’ in the name doesn’t refer to some sort of ecclesiastical responsibility. Rather, it refers to the fact that the synagogue is on the first floor of the building, as opposed to the ground floor, which just has shops. One of these shops is a good Jewish bookshop - Austeria. Not much remains of the temple...Read more -
Polonia Wax Museum
(10 Votes)
This is a pretty new exhibit in the center of Krakow's Main Market Square. Opened just in 2016, the museum exhibits characters from the history of Poland but also personalities well known around the world today. This includes everybody from Mother Teresa, Saint John Paul II, and Pope Francis, to Johnny Depp and Spiderman. The various rooms of the Museum are thematically presented to represent v...Read more -
Whether you’re a connoisseur of arts or of film, this gallery of film posters will hook you in! Though other poster museums exist around the world, this is the oldest. The museum was established in 1966, with around 500 posters that survived WWII. Today the Polish collection of posters alone has 36,000 items, with an additional 25000 foreign posters. About 10 major exhibitions are hosted ...Read more