My wife and I recently traveled to my home country of Poland. One of our many stops there was the well-known town of Krakow with its’ well-preserved medieval core, Old Town and the Jewish quarter. Krakow is the second largest city in Poland and dates back to the seventh century. Krakow was spared from a lot of the destruction of World War II that affected other major metropolitan areas such as Warsaw (the capital of Poland). As a result, there is countless historic places to explore and see. Read below to find out just some of what to see in Krakow and why we picked these places.
Krakow Sights
Stare Miasto – Old Town
Stare Miasto, meaning Old town in Polish is packed with fascinating landmarks. It is one of the most mesmerizing parts of Krakow with majestic squares, elegant buildings and historical churches.
The Main Square is located here and is just one of the many places that answers the ‘What to see in Krakow’ question. The Main Market Square was designed in 1257 and is considering the center of Krakow. This square has witnessed several events, ceremonies and even public executions. During the German occupation it was actually renamed to Adolf Hitler Platz. You will find the market enclosed by townhouses and medieval palaces and find that it is truly never free of people or events.
Notable landmarks to see while exploring Old Town is the St. Mary’s Basilica, Town Hall Tower and the Church of St. Adalbert. In the center of the square you will also find Cloth Hall, known as Sukiennice in Polish. Cloth Hall was opened as a type of shopping center during the thirteenth century and was later rebuilt in the Renaissance style.
St. Mary’s Basilica pictured above was founded in the fourteenth century and constructed in the Gothic style. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions. The bells used to ring when the city doors opened and closed every day, or at any time the city was under attack. During the summer, visitors can climb to the observation deck of the tallest tower. For additional information and history, you can visit the Official Website of St. Mary’s Basilica.
Town Hall Tower is a Gothic styled red brick tower which was also built in the fourteenth century. Walking through the main entrance, you will notice two lions made of stone that guard the entrance. Going up the stairs, one can see the old clock tower machinery as well as historic photographs of Krakow. The basement of the tower used to house the dungeons, once used as a Medieval torture chamber. The pricing for entering the tower was around 14 zloty per person (around 3.40 USD at the time of writing).
The Church of St. Adalbert (Kosciol sw. Wojciecha in Polish) is a small church on the Main Square. This church was built in the 11th century and is one of the oldest stone churches in Poland. The church was built before the Main Square was even established. St. Adalbert is one of the tree major Catholic Polish patrons and the church was built in the exact spot that the missionary used to give his sermons. The basement of the church houses an exhibition related to the history of the Main Square.
One of the things on your to-do list should be exploring the Rynek Underground while in Krakow’s Old Town. The Rynek Underground is a subterranean route between several medievial market stalls directly below the Market Square. Please ensure you book your tickets ahead of time on the website of the Krakow Musem as tickets generally book up pretty fast and are rarely available in-person.
St. Florian’s Gate and Krakow Barbican
Still want to know what to see in Krakow? We recommend checking out St. Florian’s Gate in Krakow alongside the Krakow Barbican, which lies just past the gate. The admission to St. Florian’s Gate is free and the Krakow Barbican is right around $4 per person at the current exchange rate. St. Florian’s Gate is a Gothic tower built around the fourteenth century and was part of the city fortifications against Tatar attacks. The tower is 33.5 meters tall (110 feet) and is the only remaining city gate that was not dismantled during the Krakow modernization that occurred in the 19th century. Krakow’s famous Royal Road begins at the gate and this used to be the route that kings, princes and foreign envoys used to enter the city. The Krakow Barbican (Barbakan Krakowski in Polish) is a fortified outpost that was once connected to the Krakow city walls. The Barbican is the only one of three fortified outposts still around in Europe and is the best preserved one. This barbican was built fearing an attack by the Ottoman Empire.
Wawel Royal Castle
You cannot miss the Wawel Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski na Wawelu in Polish) if you’re going to be exploring Krakow. Wawel Royal Castle is a fortified residency sitting directly next to the Vistula River. It represents Medievial, Renaissance and Baroque periods of the European architecture. For centuries, this castle was the official residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood. Now, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 22nd most visited art museum in the world, it is a sight you cannot skip in Krakow. Below you will find three photos we took while exploring the Wawel Royal Castle. If you’d like to explore the castle and some of the Visula river, we recommend taking one of the many boats that go up and down the Vistula river. That’s how we got our picture of the castle from the River.
Hotel Stary
My wife and I stayed at a really nice hotel in Krakow called Hotel Stary which is actually located right in the heart of the old town. This is a 5-star hotel only 150 feet from the main square and with great prices for the quality of stay and accommodations. We were especially surprised by how nice the underground pools are, and are including a picture of those below.
Overall, Krakow has a lot of sights to see and visit and we hope you decide to follow everything on our short list of what to see in Krakow for an amazing time in this old Polish city.