Krakow attractions

In Krakow’s former Jewish district of Kazimierz, the Galicia Jewish Museum pays tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and illuminates Jewish culture through exhibitions and educational programs. The museum is renowned for its collection of photographs, which captures 800 years of Jewish life in Polish Galicia. It also hosts regular concerts and cultural events.

Close to the Slovakian border in southern Poland, Pieniny National Park is best known for the Pieniny mountain range and the Dunajec River Gorge, where you can go rafting down the gentle river. Another highlight is the Three Crowns (Tri Koruny) peak, a mountain range that resembles its namesake.

A spectacularly ruined Gothic castle, Ogrodzieniec Castle (Zamek Ogrodzieniec) is one of the most dramatic stops on the Trail of the Eagles’ Nests, a chain of medieval fortresses built to secure Krakow, mostly during the 14th century. Its eerie turrets and gaping windows served as the filming location of the Battle of Sodden Hill in The Witcher.

Home to 780,000 objects, Krakow’s National Museum (often abbreviated to MNK) is one of Poland’s biggest museums. It features Polish art from the 20th century, plus military memorabilia and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the Art Nouveau period.

One of the country’s largest amusement parks, Energylandia sprawls over 64 acres (26 hectares) of southern Poland. It offers a wealth of shows, a water park, and scores of rides spread across three zones: Family, Little Kids, and Extreme, known for its roller coasters. Summer weekends see music festivals ranging from ‘80s to EDM.

From training jets to helicopters, the Polish Aviation Museum (Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego) is a little piece of heaven for those interested in international aircraft and aviation. Located on the outskirts of Krakow, the museum puts 200 aircraft on display, both indoors and outside. Especially compelling is the collection of non-Allied and non-NATO aircraft that offers a rare showing of Soviet jets once behind the Iron Curtain.

The Home Army Museum (Muzeum AK) opened as a tribute to the heroic actions of the Polish Underground Movement, which operated under the Nazi German occupation. Situated in a restored former red-brick Austrian barrack, it tells the story of the fight for freedom during World War II through old documentary clips and displays of weapons, uniforms, propaganda materials, and photos.

The Archeological Museum in Krakow is a treasure trove of more than 500,000 archaeological artifacts. The collection spans the entirety of human history, from the Paleolithic age to the present day. Admire Egyptian antiquities, prehistoric pottery, and a very important discovery—a 9th-century depiction of a Slavic deity—The Zbruch Idol.

Jan Matejko House, once home to one of Poland’s most renowned artists, is now a museum in Krakow that honors his legacy. Jan Matejko rose to fame for his historical paintings that captured pivotal moments in Polish history. This museum exhibits sketches, paintings, and personal belongings, and offers insight into both his artwork and the way he lived.

Perhaps Poland’s most famous son, Karol Wojtyla, now better known as Pope St. John Paul II, came to the priesthood in Krakow and served as both bishop and archbishop. Today, three separate Archdiocesan Museums pay tribute to him: the Wojtyla Family Apartment, the St. John Paul II Museum, and the Cardinal Karol Wojtyla Archdiocesan Museum.

Home to Krakow’s Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral, Wawel Hill stands 748 feet (228 meters) above sea level to the south of the city’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overlooking the River Vistula, the hill was settled some 50,000 years ago and was the power base of Poland’s kings for 500 years from the 11th century on.

Part of the chain of 25 medieval castles that form the Trail of the Eagle's Nests between Częstochowa and Krakówon in southwest Poland, the well-preserved Pieskowa Skala Castle (Zamek Pieskowa Skała is one of the best surviving examples of Renaissance architecture in Poland. A visit is one of the highlights of Ojców National Park.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK)—in the hip district of Podgórze, next door to Schindler’s Factory—opened in 2011 to much fanfare. The museum features paintings, sculptures, and photographs by Polish and other European artists, including Kristof Kantor and Tymek Borowski. Constantly changing exhibits keep the excitement fresh.

Once the city headquarters of the Gestapo—Nazi Germany’s secret police—today this branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow (Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa) displays exhibits that cover local World War II history. Travelers can visit former Gestapo prison cells and learn about the chilling events that took place here—and throughout Krakow and Poland—throughout the war.

The 14th-century Bishop Erazm Ciolek Palace now houses a branch of Poland’s National Museum, exhibiting mainly religious art from Poland and the wider region from roughly the 12th to 18th century. Itself an attraction, the attractively restored palace is one of Krakow’s finest and a must-visit attraction for art, history, and culture lovers.

Tucked away inside Krakow's Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) in the Old Town, the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art harbors a magnificent collection of Polish paintings and sculptures that date back to the 19th century. The museum houses four rooms that spotlight masterpieces from genres such as Polish realism, romanticism, impressionism, and symbolism.

Overlooking Lake Czorsztyn in southern Poland, Niedzica Castle was built in the early 14th century for Hungarian aristocrat Kokos of Brezovica. Once a fortification on the Polish-Hungarian border, the site is now home to a museum with fascinating artifacts, including hunting rifles, maps, paintings, and antique clocks.

On Krakow’s market square, 17th-century Krzysztofory Palace today houses the main branch of the Krakow Museum. Learn about the city’s history from the 13th through the 20th century through updated multimedia displays, scale models, and permanent as well as temporary exhibits at this well-preserved baroque palace.

Jozef Mehoffer (1869 to 1946) was a versatile and talented artist, who produced paintings, tapestries, drawings, and incredible stained glass designs. Jozef Mehoffer House is a museum and the former residence of its namesake Polish artist. It not only exhibits Mehoffer's artwork but also encapsulates the essence of a bourgeois household, creating a feeling of stepping into a time capsule.

The main branch of Krakow’s Museum of Photography (MuFo), Poland’s only museum devoted to photography, MuFo Rakowicka opened in 2021, though iterations of the museum go back to 1975. A former Austrian barracks, stylishly converted, the space hosts permanent and special exhibitions devoted to the art of photography.

The Hipolit House (Kamienica Hipolitów) is a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, containing recreations of townhouse interiors from the 17th to early 19th century. The house represents a typical home in Krakow from this time period. The outside of the building has a grand facade with a central entrance hall. A narrow staircase takes visitors to the upper floors of the three story house. Visitors can still see carefully preserved stucco decoration by Baldassare Fontana from the late 17th century on the first floor. The permanent exhibition, Bourgeois House, shows how the interiors of the homes changed over the centuries. Visitors can see from this exhibition how the former wealthy citizens of Krakow lived. Furniture, paintings, fabrics, decorations, antique clocks and watches, and a variety of other objects show how the inhabitants arranged their homes. Through these details, visitors can get a glimpse of what life was like for the upper class during the 17th to early 19th century.

One of two outposts of Poland’s GOjump trampoline-park brand in the city, GOjump Krakow is located on the outskirts of Nowa Huta in northeastern Krakow. The park has a wealth of trampolines, a dodgeball court, an obstacle course, a bouncy basketball court to practice your Michael Jordan dunks, and more.

Similar to a pretzel or bagel,obwarzanek krakowski is a round, braided bread that’s a Krakow specialty. At the Interactive Museum of Obwarzanek (Zywe Muzeum Obwarzanka)—more café-bakery than museum—visitors can learn the history of the revered snack and even make one themselves. This fun, interactive attraction appeals to children and adults alike.

Named for a local soccer (football) legend, Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium in Krakow is home to one of Poland’s oldest and most successful teams, Wisła Krakow. The 33,000-capacity stadium was renovated to elite European soccer status in the 21st century, so it offers all modern amenities as well as sections designated for VIPs, families, and local enthusiasts.

After World War II, the Soviets extended their communist reach to Poland and constructed the utopian ideal city of Nowa Huta—6 miles (10 kilometers east of Krakow’s city center. Today it's a suburban neighborhood and is one of the most populous regions of the city.

More arcade than museum, despite the name, the Krakow Pinball Museum is home to a wealth of vintage and modern pinball machines and arcade games, some over 40 years old. Game on over 60 different pinball machines, all in free play mode, or almost 30 arcade classics, or unwind with a beer or a soft drink.

A branch of the National Museum in Krakow that opened in 2013, the Europeum Center for European Culture displays Continental art in a renovated, 17th-century granary. The compact collection of more than 100 paintings and sculptures spans seven centuries and includes important works by Italian, Dutch, and Flemish masters (Polish art is housed elsewhere).

The main branch of the Tatra Museum (Muzeum Tatrzańskie), Zakopane’s Tatra Museum (Muzeum Tatrzańskie im. Dra Tytusa Chałubińskiego) explores the nature, geology, history, architecture, and traditions of the Tatra Mountains. The vibe is retro, with taxidermied birds and animals galore, plus folk costumes and rustic interiors, but it’s still a great way to learn about the Tatra Mountains’ unique culture.

Perched on a hill in southern Poland, Lipowiec Castle ruins take you back to medieval times. Even though this once-mighty fortress has seen devastation by fires, it still retains significant parts of its structure. You can learn about its history as a prison and fortification at the museum, and climb the tower for spectacular views of forests and valleys.

Beautiful Zakrzowek provides quite a contrast to medieval central Krakow. The blue reservoir southwest of the city was created in 1990 when a disused limestone quarry was flooded, which explains the steep-sided white limestone cliffs that surround the lake. Visitors can swim, dive, walk and cycle, or sit in contemplation with a fishing rod.