Krakow attractions

Plac Nowy, also known as New Square, is a popular gathering place in Kazimierz. By day, it hosts market stalls that sell everything from fresh goods to antiques, books, and clothing. However, it truly comes alive at night, with nearby bars bustling and kiosks serving Krakow’s favorite street food—zapiekanki (Polish pizza baguettes).

Krakow’s Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Jagielloński), dating to 1364, is one of the oldest universities in Central Europe and is considered one of the best on the continent. You can explore the Jagiellonian University Museum in the Collegium Maius building, which is filled with university memorabilia, scientific instruments, and a medieval art gallery.

Considered Poland’s winter capital, Zakopane is a snow-sports paradise situated at the foot of the Tatras. Attractions include the Gubałówka mountain resort, the nearby thermal springs, and the Wielka Krokiew ski jump. The town is also known for its rich Goral heritage and traditional architecture, as well as sweeping summertime views.

St. Florian’s Gate was once the entry point for Krakow’s Old Town in medieval times when the city was surrounded by defensive walls. Many of the city’s fortifications have since been destroyed, but this Gothic gateway remains the only one of eight original gates still standing. So it’s an important photo stop for history lovers and architecture fans alike.

Encircling Krakow’s Old Town, Planty Park is a picturesque green space that replaced the city’s former defensive walls, taken down in the 19th century. The park stretches roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and consists of trees, fountains, monuments, flower beds, and seating areas—the ideal place for a break from sightseeing.

Built in 1862 by Krakow’s progressive Jewish community, the Tempel Synagogue (Synagoga Tempel) is one of seven remaining synagogues in the city’s former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. The synagogue is known for its gilded, Moorish-style wooden interior and hosts occasional religious services and regular Jewish community events such as concerts.

A magnificent structure in the heart of the city, the Krakow Town Hall Tower is located on the capital’s Main Market Square. Dating back to the 14th century, this Gothic-style masterpiece rises above the Old Town and lets you climb up to a small observation area. It’s also home to an exhibition space, a theater, and a cafe.

The Old Synagogue (also referred to as the Stara Synagogue) stands out as Poland’s oldest surviving synagogue. Originally built in the 15th century, it has been reconstructed over the years after it was damaged during World War II. Now, it’s been transformed into a branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow, and it hosts exhibits about the city’s Jewish community.

Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, Kraków’s Old Town (Kraków Stare Miasto or Stare Miasto w Krakowie has been the epicenter of the city’s cultural, religious, and political life since medieval times. Once completely surrounded by a 1.9-mile-long (3-kilometer-long defensive wall, Old Town is packed with history.

Spilling over Poland’s southern border into Slovakia, the Tatra Mountains (Tatry) are the highest part of the Carpathian range and make up Tatrzański Tatra National Park. Protected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, this wild and mountainous region is rich with snow-topped peaks, alpine lakes, and sparkling waterfalls.

When Tadeusz Pankiewicz became the only Pole allowed to work within the boundaries of the Krakow Ghetto—made in 1941 to segregate the city's Jewish population—his Eagle Pharmacy (Apteka Pod Orłem) became an important place of refuge and resistance against Nazi power. Today, the pharmacy is a branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow.

Continuously staging plays and operas since 1893, Krakow’s Juliusz Słowacki Theatre (Teatr im J. Słowackiego w Krakowie) is known for being the birthplace of Poland’s modern theater movement. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the venue boasts magnificent European baroque and eclectic architectural features inspired by the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris.

Every year, millions of pilgrims flock to the riverside city of Częstochowa to pay their respects to the Black Madonna, a medieval icon credited with miraculous victories and held in the Jasna Góra Monastery. But there's more to the city; visit its museums, historic market square, and a memorial to its murdered Jewish citizens.

The Skalka Sanctuary—also called St. Stanislaus Church—is a baroque church and Paulite monastery in Krakow. Predated by two earlier churches, the sanctuary marks the location of the gruesome 11th-century killing of Krakow’s and Poland’s patron saint, Bishop Stanislaus of Szczepanow.

The Church of St. Adalbert is one of Krakow’s oldest churches, and it's believed to have been built in the 10th–11th centuries. Smaller in stature and less well-known than St. Mary’s Basilica, it also happens to be one of Poland’s oldest stone structures. Visitors come here to see its Romanesque architecture and a small museum in the crypt.

A Roman Catholic basilica, the Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Sanktuarium Bożego Miłosierdzia is home to the tomb of St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who saw a vision of Jesus in 1931. Consequently, the church is a popular pilgrimage place for Catholics from around the world.

The Family Home of John Paul II is the tenement house where the late Pope John Paul II spent his early years. Situated in the small town of Wadowice, it is now a popular pilgrimage site for visitors looking to retrace the steps of the revered Polish Pope. You can learn stories about his life through multimedia exhibits and personal artifacts.

Krakow has four memorial mounds: two that are prehistoric and two that are modern. The citizens of Krakow created the Kościuszko Mound in 1823 to honor Poland's national hero, Tadeusz Kościuszko. Visitors can wind their way atop the grassy, cone-like structure for spectacular city views and visit a museum of Kościuszko's achievements.

The pretty southern Polish town of Wadowice is best known as the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II and now Pope St. John Paul II, making it a major place of pilgrimage. Highlights include the Family Home of John Paul II, a museum centered on the tiny apartment where the saint was born, a historic square, and a basilica.

The Maly Rynek (which translates from Polish as “small market square”) is the lesser-known baby sibling of Krakow’s Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square). Tucked behind St. Mary’s Basilica, it’s a place to escape the crowds, stop for a coffee, and enjoy views of colorful townhouses. It also hosts festivals throughout the year.

The Dunajec River runs through the Pieniny Mountains from the northern part of Slovakia into southern Poland and forms part of the border between the two countries. The Dunajec River Gorge is one of the river’s most scenic sections and makes for an action-packed day trip for travelers who want to spend time canoeing, rafting, or hiking.

Across the river from Kazimierz, Krakow’s Jewish Quarter, Podgórze has a tragic past. It was here that Nazi Germans forced Jews into a ghetto, then transported them to concentration camps. Most travelers come here for World War II sights, particularly Oskar Schindler’s Factory, home of the story retold in the film Schindler’s List.

In the heart of Krakow’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, Rynek Underground (Podziemia Rynku) sits approximately 13 feet (4 meters) below the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), one of the most beautiful medieval squares in Europe. This subterranean museum showcases Poland’s past through interactive displays, artifacts, and 4D movies.

A popular meeting point in the center of Krakow’s Old Town, the Adam Mickiewicz Monument commemorates the Polish poet, who lived 1798 to 1855. The statue, which depicts Mickiewicz surrounded by four artistic muses, was created on the centenary of his birth by sculptor Teodor Rygier. Destroyed by the Nazis in World War II, it was restored in the 1950s.

Jasna Góra Monastery in Czestochowa is one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites in Poland. Visitors from across Poland and around the world come to the monastery to see the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, also known as Our Lady of Czestochowa—a Gothic painting of the Virgin Mary associated with multiple miracles.

Cricoteka (the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor) is a museum, gallery, and research center in Krakow that’s dedicated to the work of influential Polish artist Tadeusz Kantor. An unconventional museum with surprises around every corner, you can learn about avant-garde theater while walking through bizarre set designs, creepy mannequins, and unexpected props.

Rather than one single venue, The Historical Museum of the City of Krakow is a collection of museums and historical sites that tell the story of the city’s past. The headquarters are at Krzysztofory Palace, in Krakow Old Town, but there are branches all over the city, including Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum and the Eagle Pharmacy.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an important Calvary pilgrimage site in Southern Poland. It's backed beautifully by the Carpathian mountains and is home to more than 40 small churches and chapels. The site is also famous for its annual passion plays that depict Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

This historic Krakow venue hosts a nightly performance that pays homage to Poland’s most celebrated composer, Frédéric Chopin. Housed inside a 15th-century townhouse adorned with period furnishings, the setting provides an elegant evening out for lovers of classical piano music.

Housed in the majestic former Town Hall of Krakow, the Ethnographic Museum of Krakow offers a glimpse of Poland’s folk traditions, crafts, and everyday objects. As one of the oldest and biggest collections of Polish ethnographic items, you can see an eclectic mix of objects, including folk costumes, nativity scenes, musical instruments, and recreations of 19th-century Polish villager houses.