Tourist Attractions in Krakow

The most interesting and beautiful tourist sites in Krakow

Photos, reviews, descriptions, and links to maps

About Krakow

Krakow is the recognised cultural capital of Poland. The richness of the historical heritage and the beauty of the architecture of the old neighbourhoods attract thousands of tourists to the city every year. The locals are very proud of the city, as the history of the formation of Polish statehood is inextricably linked to it.

During the Middle Ages the city became an important spiritual, cultural and educational centre. Since the XI century churches and monasteries were built here, including the magnificent Mariatic Church and the Romanesque Church of St Andrew, and in 1364 the Jagiellonian University, one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe, was founded.

Krakow’s museums are no less interesting, where you can learn about Poland’s history and get a closer look at its culture. Oskar Schindler’s Factory and the Museum of Modern Art will certainly interest tourists who are interested in the history and heritage of the XX-XXI centuries.

Top-30 Tourist Attractions in Krakow

Wawel Royal Castle

 4.7/5

143563 reviews

The residence of Polish kings of the 13th century, located on the bank of the Vistula River. It was begun under Wenceslas II and continued under Casimir III the Great. During the Great Northern War the castle was burnt down by Swedish troops, after which it was reconstructed in 1724-28. For a long time Wawel Castle belonged to the Austrian Empire, and only at the beginning of the 20th century Poles managed to buy it back.

Open time

Monday: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Wawel Cathedral

 4.8/5

30902 reviews

A Catholic cathedral with the status of a minor basilica. Previously, the site of the church was occupied by the churches of St Wenceslas from the 11th century (destroyed by military action) and St Stanislaus from the 12th century (burnt down). The new church was built instead of the lost ones. The facade of the building is in the Gothic style. In later times Renaissance chapels were added to it. The church contains a tomb where kings, poets and national heroes of Poland are buried.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Sunday: 12:30 – 3:30 PM

Rynek Główny

 4.8/5

155383 reviews

The Market Square is located in the historical centre of Krakow. It is home to many iconic landmarks. One of the most notable buildings is the “Cloth Hall”, a shopping arcade that was built under King Bolesław V. Over the following centuries, the complex was repeatedly rebuilt, adding decorative elements, loggias, arches and columns. The building acquired its modern appearance at the end of the 19th century.

Open time

St. Mary's Basilica

 4.7/5

15275 reviews

A Catholic church located near the Main Market of Krakow. The first wooden church on the site of the Mariatic Church appeared in the 13th century. The modern building was erected at the beginning of the XIV century. The building is made of red brick in Early Gothic style and is decorated with magnificent coloured stained glass windows. Baroque and late Gothic features prevail in the interior.

Open time

Town Hall Tower

 4.5/5

2038 reviews

Until the beginning of the 19th century there was a full-fledged town hall on the Market Square, which was built in the 14th century. All the buildings were demolished due to dilapidation, but the tower survived. In the 1960s, the building was reconstructed and then it was taken over by the city museum. The height of the tower reaches 70 metres. At a height of 50 metres, there is a viewing platform from where you can admire the magnificent architecture of the old quarters.

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Kazimierz

 0/5

A quarter in the historical part of Krakow, which was home to the Jewish community from the 16th century until the occupation of Poland in World War II. Between 1335 and 1818, Kazimierz was an independent city. Kazimierz was an independent city, from 1800 it became part of Krakow. The Jewish Quarter is one of the main tourist centres. Many historical monuments located on its territory are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Floriańska

 4.8/5

299 reviews

It is a small street just over 330 metres long, located in the historic part of the city. It is built up with picturesque Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist mansions, most of which served as homes for the Kraków aristocracy. The street takes its name from the ancient defence tower that was once the entrance to the city – the Florian Gate.

Kraków Barbican

 4.6/5

4864 reviews

An architectural monument of the 15th century, the northernmost part of the defence wall around Krakow, which was demolished in the 19th century. The barbican served as a fortification protecting the entrance to the city through the Florian Gate. It is equipped with seven watch towers and 130 loopholes. The walls are up to 3 metres thick. Nowadays, the barbican houses a branch of the Kraków History Museum.

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Muzeum Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Collegium Maius

 4.7/5

724 reviews

Collegium Maius (“the greatest college” in Latin) is the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University. The building itself was incorporated into the institution by the will of Władysław II Jagajłło. It housed classrooms, professors’ rooms and a library. In the 19th century, the Collegium Maius was renovated in neo-Gothic style. Nowadays it houses the University Museum.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Sunday: Closed

Plac Bohaterów Getta

 4.5/5

10768 reviews

In May 1942, a ghetto was formed in one of the town squares, where more than 4,000 Jews were rounded up for further transport to concentration camps. In 2005, a memorial monument was erected here in the form of rows of chairs, which symbolise the furniture thrown out of flats during the Nazi pogroms. Unlike other squares in Krakow, there are usually few tourists here.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory

 4.5/5

20706 reviews

A factory for the production of metal utensils, founded in 1937 by Jewish industrialists M. Gutman, W. Gleitman and I. Kon. In 1939 it went bankrupt and was taken over by O. Schindler, who modernised and revived the production. During World War II, Jews from the Krakow ghetto worked here. Thanks to Schindler’s efforts, many workers managed to avoid death in a concentration camp. In 2010, a memorial museum with the same name was opened on the territory of the factory.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow MOCAK

 4.5/5

5473 reviews

The exhibition is housed in one of the buildings of the Schindler factory, modernised in 2010. The museum specialises in organising exhibitions of art objects created in the last decades of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century. It has its own permanent exhibition, which is displayed on the first floor. The gallery has a library, a bookshop and a restoration workshop.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Muzeum Gier Wideo - Krakow Arcade Museum

 4.8/5

2642 reviews

The catacombs are located under the Market Square. They were created to house a branch of the Kraków History Museum in 2010. In the Market Dungeons there is an exhibition consisting of findings from archaeological excavations carried out in 2005 as part of the reconstruction of the Market Square. The dungeons are equipped with modern multimedia equipment, with the help of which historical reconstructions are created.

Open time

Monday: 2:00 – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 2:00 – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 2:00 – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 2:00 – 9:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Polish Aviation Museum

 4.7/5

13470 reviews

One of the largest aviation expositions in Poland. The museum was established on the site of a former aerodrome in 1964. It exhibits aeroplanes, helicopters and gliders manufactured in the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, the USA, Great Britain and other countries. There is also a large collection of aircraft engines. The exposition is located in three hangars as well as in a wide open-air field.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Galicia Jewish Museum

 4.4/5

1536 reviews

The museum is located in the Kazimierz neighbourhood. It was established in 2004 on the initiative of journalist K. Schwartz and Professor D. Webber. The exposition is devoted to Jewish culture, traditions and everyday life, as well as to the events of the Holocaust (mostly the suffering of the prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp). Meetings, seminars and lectures on various aspects are regularly organised in “Galicia”.

Open time

Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Stained Glass Workshop and Museum

 4.8/5

867 reviews

The museum is located in the building of the stained glass workshop, which was erected in 1907 in the then fashionable Art Nouveau style, designed by L. Wojtyczko. The exhibition was founded in 2000 for the purpose of studying, preserving and developing Polish stained glass art. In addition to viewing the exhibits themselves, you can watch the process of making picturesque compositions from coloured glass.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Friday: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Krakow

 4.7/5

914 reviews

The exposition is located on the grounds of the former Kazimierz Town Hall. The museum became an independent institution from the ethnographic department of the National Museum of Krakow in 1910. The collection contains more than 8 thousand exhibits related to the history and culture of Poland. Most of the items date back to the 19th century, but there are also artefacts from earlier historical periods.

Open time

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

The Princes Czartoryski Museum

 4.8/5

5647 reviews

The museum was opened in 1796 on the initiative of Princess Izabella Czartoryski. In 1801, as a result of the November Uprising, the exposition was looted and the surviving remnants were taken to France. In 1970 the collection returned to Poland. The most valuable exhibit of the museum is Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Lady with the Ermine” – the only work of the master to be found on Polish territory.

Open time

Juliusz Słowacki Theatre

 4.8/5

4876 reviews

One of the best drama stages in Poland, founded in 1893, which already at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries gained wide popularity and importance among the theatre public. Famous Polish directors and many talented actors worked here, and plays by internationally renowned authors were staged. The building was designed by architect J. Zawiejski.

Open time

Bazylika Franciszkanów św. Franciszka z Asyżu

 4.8/5

4665 reviews

Roman Catholic cathedral from the first half of the 13th century, located in the historical part of Krakow. It is believed that the founders of the temple could have been Princes Henry II the Pious or Bolesław V the Shameful. Researchers have no unanimous opinion on this issue. The Gothic facade of the building has been preserved in its original form, having undergone minor changes during the reconstruction of the 19th century.

Open time

Monday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Corpus Christi Basilica

 4.7/5

3255 reviews

The church was built in the Gothic style at the turn of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Baroque and Renaissance features can be traced in the exterior facade and interior design, which were brought here during later reconstructions. A Baroque belfry was added to the main building between 1566 and 1582. Inside the basilica there is an important relic – the relic of the Polish preacher St Stanislaw Kazimierczyk.

Open time

Monday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Saints Peter and Paul Church

 4.7/5

6493 reviews

The church is the first building in Krakow erected in the Baroque style. It was built by the Italian architect D. de Rossi at the end of the 16th century for the Catholic Jesuit Order. After the disbanding of the brotherhood in the 18th century, the church changed owners several times and was finally handed over to the Cistercian Abbey. Since 1820 it has been part of the parish of All Saints in Krakow.

Open time

St. Andrew's Church, Kraków

 4.7/5

524 reviews

The building was erected in the 11th century in Romanesque architectural style. The appearance of the cathedral was changed in the 18th century during the reconstruction. It acquired some baroque features, although the general architectural concept remained the same. There is a monastic monastery adjoining the cathedral, where ancient church relics are kept. There is also a library with a large collection of theological literature.

Open time

Holy Trinity Church

 4.8/5

2696 reviews

A 13th century Dominican church built in the Gothic style. After a devastating fire in 1850, the building was almost completely destroyed. The entire interior was burnt out and the walls of the facade partially collapsed. The temple was rebuilt in the period of 1853-1872. During the construction works, the surviving part of the facade had to be dismantled, as it was very fragile due to the damage. As a result of the restoration work, the original appearance of the basilica was significantly changed.

Open time

The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy

 4.7/5

390 reviews

Since 1992, the sanctuary has been a complex of religious buildings, including the Chapel of St. Joseph, the Monastery of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, the Basilica of Divine Mercy and other facilities. This place was declared a pilgrimage centre because it houses the relics of St. Faustina Kowalska and the famous icon “Jesus, I Trust in You”.

Open time

Monday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Kościuszko Mound

 4.6/5

20008 reviews

A memorial mound dedicated to the Polish national hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko. It is located in the west of Krakow on the natural Sikornik Hill. The monument was erected in 1823. In 1854, a fortress was built around it to house the Austrian garrison. During the battles for the liberation of Kraków in 1944, the hill played the role of an important observation point for Soviet soldiers.

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Kraków Zoo

 4.6/5

23528 reviews

The very first zoo appeared in Krakow on the Wawel grounds under King Sigismund III, when the city was the capital of the Polish state. After Kraków lost its capital status, the zoo gradually fell into disrepair. The modern menagerie was founded in 1929. At that time there were only about 200 mammals and birds. Today, the Krakow Zoo is home to more than 1500 thousand animals (260 species).

Open time

Monday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University

 4.7/5

11326 reviews

In the 18th century, the Czartoryski family park was laid out on the site where the Botanical Garden is now located, which was sold to the Jesuit Order in 1752. In 1783 the University Department of Chemistry and Natural History received it at its disposal after the dissolution of this monastic brotherhood. At first the garden occupied a small area of 2.4 hectares. Medicinal and ornamental plants were grown here. Gradually, its area increased to the present 9.6 hectares.

Open time

Planty

 4.7/5

20578 reviews

City Park, located on the border of the historical part of Krakow on the site of former fortifications (fortification walls and moats). It was laid out in the 19th century. After the Second World War and until 1989, the park was in disrepair, until it was decided to start restoration works. Today Krakowskie Planty is a beautiful place for nature walks, decorated with numerous sculptures and monuments.

Open time

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours

Kraków

 0/5

The longest river in Poland, with a length of 1,047 kilometres. It originates in the Western Carpathian Mountains and flows into the Baltic Sea. The Vistula flows through several major Polish cities, including Krakow and the capital city of Warsaw. Within Krakow, there are picturesque public parks along the banks of the river and several protected nature areas have been created.