Things to do in Krakow to visit. How to spend three ideal days in Krakow? Interesting places in krakow

is an amazing city that you want to return to again and again. And the more other cities you visit, the more you become convinced of the attractiveness of Krakow.

We have compiled for you best itinerary for one day, which will allow you to get the most complete picture of the city and leave a feeling of slight understatement, so that you will be happy to come here again.

Florian Gate and Florian Street

Address: ul. Florianska, Krakow

So through the majestic gate of Florian you enter on the most beautiful street in the city- Florian. She is also called royal road, main a tourist route, which unites all the most valuable sights. It starts at Matejko Square, passes through the entire old town and leads to the Wawel Castle. At the beginning of the street there are many small souvenir or book shops, pharmacies and shops like Douglas, as well as cute cafes and eateries.

: ,

Address: Rynek Glowny, Krakow

As in any old European city, there is one where, like hundreds of years ago, life is in full swing. In the center of the square are located: on the first floor they sell souvenirs, and on the second there is the Gallery of Polish Art of the 19th century.

Opposite the Cloth Rows stands the majestic, beloved church of all city guides, because many legends can be told about it. At the entrance to the cathedral, there are shackles chained to the building, which were previously worn on criminals who were supposed to repent of their misconduct. Entrance to St. Mary's Church free, except for the part where the altar is located.
Every hour from the tallest tower resounds trumpet player, which marks the day when a Polish trumpeter saw a Tatar horde approaching the city and started playing to warn his hometown of the danger. But the Tatar arrow that pierced his throat interrupted his game in mid-sentence. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of the city heard the melody in time and were able to repulse the enemy attack. From that day until today, the trumpeter playing from the tower of the church does not play the melody to the end.

The market square has information Center where can you get free city map, read free booklets and ask questions that interest you.
A little life hack on how to beautifully use advertising booklets or cards: wrap gifts and souvenirs that you will buy for your loved ones in them.

Small Market Square and

Address: Maly Rynek, 8, Krakow

Malaya Rynok Square not as famous as the big one, but very authentic and atmospheric. From her emanates a special comfort. Small Market Square many times more compact than a large area, and besides, the houses on it are much brighter and more elegant from an architectural point of view. Be sure to take a look. The main attraction of the square is, which is beautiful and elegant both inside and out. This place is very rarely mentioned in tourist guides, but in vain - it is literally saturated with originality.

The most interesting excursions in the Old Town of Krakow

• for 48 euros per person
• for 50 euros for a tour for 1-10 people
• for 69 euros for a tour for 1-8 people

Address: ul. sw. Agnieszki 1,Krakow
Web site: http://www.chlopskiejadlo.pl

If you want to have a cheap meal in a soulful institution, then you are here. The restaurant is located in the courtyard near. This place is recommended on many forums and travel sites, and this is exactly the case when you need to heed the advice: it is very tasty, more than inexpensive, the portions are huge, and for some reason there are not very many people - it’s quite possible to find a secluded table in the corner . Try polish soup zurek in a loaf of bread and amazingly delicious knuckle.

Address: ul. Grodzka, 53, Krakow
Web site: http://www.maius.uj.edu.pl/

ancient And largest university and also one of the oldest in Europe. Founded in 1364. It got its name in honor of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello, the husband of Queen Jadwiga. The most famous student of the university was Nicolaus Copernicus.
The museum is located in the oldest building of the university, which is also called or The Greatest College. The museum has a rare collection of exhibits, among which, for example, Jagiellonian globe- the world's first globe, on which the mainland America was plotted.
If you are in the city for only one day, limit your visits to the university picturesque old courtyard which is located near the market square. The main attraction of the courtyard is the clock, which five times a day, at 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 hours, opens to a beautiful melody and figures show a little idea of ​​the history of the university. There are carved arches along the perimeter of the courtyard, and in the middle there is a deep well, where tourists usually rest. But if you come here in the morning, then most likely you will not find tourists.

,

Address: ul. Zamek Wawel 5
Web site: http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/

This castle is main attraction countries and cities. Polish kings lived here before the capital was moved to. The palace was erected at a height of 228 m above the Vistula.
On the territory there are small observation decks, a post office, a souvenir shop, which is called, as well as many museums. The visit to the cathedral is for free On all days except Sundays, divine services are held on Sunday. Entrance to the museum of the cathedral is possible at a separate cost. You can also visit the royal treasury and the exposition called "The Lost Wawel" for free, and the royal chambers and chambers, as well as exhibitions of a historical nature for a modest fee.
Most Mondays Wawel expositions are free, but in order to get a free ticket, you need to stand in line at the box office. The number of tickets is limited, as on any other day, so there may not be enough for everyone.

Erected by the Polish architect Broneslav Khromy in honor of the symbol of the city. According to legend, a huge dragon named Smoke plagued the inhabitants of the city during the reign of King Krak. And no one could cope with it, except for a cunning apprentice shoemaker named Skub. He slaughtered a ram, filled its belly with sulfur and pitch, and left it as a treat for the dragon. The dragon tried to devour the ram, but it caught fire in the dragon's stomach and the dragon rushed to the Vistula to extinguish the flame. He drank and drank and burst. And from dragon skin, the shoemaker's apprentice sewed many beautiful boots. And in gratitude, he received the king's daughter and half the kingdom.
Dragon sculpture erected at the foot of Wawel Castle at the very river. Every five minutes, a puff of fire and smoke erupts from the dragon's mouth.
If you want the dragon to exhale fire at your command, you need to send an SMS to number 7168 with the text "smok".

Address: ul. Szeroka, 24, Krakow
Web site: http://www.krakowski-kazimierz.pl/

lovers shopping or those who want to have a cheap meal can go to Gallery Kazimierz which is literally around the corner. There you will find eateries and cafes like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC or Subway, as well as many shops and entertainment. Also on the territory of the shopping center there are parking, which is open from 10.00 to 21.00, and the first two hours you can park your car on it for free. From the Kazimierz Gallery it is very easy to get to the next point of our route - embankment of the Vistula- you just need to cross the road and go down to the river.

On both banks of the Vistula are the so-called. Previously, embankments on both sides of the Vistula were needed to prevent the river from flooding the city, but today it is an amazing place to relax. There are few places where you can relax so well: many kilometers embankment, slopes overgrown with dense emerald grass, seagulls hovering overhead, cyclists, people walking dogs, couples in love, smiling families. There are a lot of lawns on which you can lie down, exposing your face to the rays of the sun, or have a picnic, benches where you can relax and read a book. You can walk for hours on the Vistula embankment...
We did not mark this point on the route map, because it significantly affects the duration of the walk, but you can easily find the descent to the river (for this you need to cross the road from the Kazimierz Gallery and go down a few steps), and walk along it yourself, and then walk a little to the city center.

Address: ul. Pawia, 5, Krakow
Web site: http://www.galeriakrakowska.pl/ru

At the end of the day, you will certainly want to have a bite to eat or buy something for yourself or your loved ones - the ideal place will be - a huge shopping and entertainment center, which is located right next to the bus station and railway station. In addition to people with suitcases, there are absolutely no signs of the station familiar to us, on the contrary - soft music, pleasant aromas of fresh pastries and coffee, restaurants and cafes, many fashion stores, souvenir shops, pharmacies, places to relax, fountains, latrines, everything that only may be useful to the traveler.
The shopping center has parking. First hour free, for the second one you need to pay 2 zlotys, for each subsequent 4 zlotys. Parking is open from 8.00 to 22.30, on Sunday from 10.00 to 21.30
Regarding parking, it is worth noting that cheapest parking in

Krakow is a unique city, the unspoken capital of Poland. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in subsequent years. The city is built so skillfully that the center of Krakow was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The heart of the city is Rynok Square, where the beautiful St. Mary's Church, a monument to Adam Mickiewicz, luxurious shopping arcades of the Cloth Hall, the city hall and the original sculpture "Bound Eros" or simply "Head" are located - a favorite place for photographs among city guests. We have developed for you an interesting route through the most beautiful sights of Krakow...

Although we visited Krakow on the way back home from Slovenia to St. Petersburg, I decided to write about it now in order to logically complete a series of articles about Poland.

Krakow has been the capital of Poland for over 500 years and houses about 25% of all museums in the country. The Old Town of Krakow and the Jewish district of Kazimierz were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List back in 1978. Then the list included only 12 other places on the planet. Krakow made the list along with the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Now the World Heritage List includes about 900 sites.

The most important sights of Krakow are the Old Town in the Planty ring (a park on the site of the former city walls), if you look at the map, this place is clearly visible, the Wawel Castle adjacent to it, the Jewish district of Kazimierz and the Schindler factory. It is proposed to go around all these places on a special excursion transport for only 140 zlotys (about 32 €), but it is quite possible to get around all this on foot, excluding only Schindler's factory. It is located on the other bank of the Vistula, a little away. If you do not want to visit the museum, now located in the building of the former Schindler's factory, then there is no great need to go there, the building itself is not interesting from the outside.

Sightseeing transport in Krakow

You may want to find yourself guided tours in Russian around Krakow. To do this, I would recommend that you read the article - Four sites specializing in the selection of excursions around the world.

In Krakow, tourists ride on the most beautiful horse teams, but it’s even scary to think how much this pleasure can cost if an excursion on a motorized chaise costs 32 € per person.

Very close to Krakow is the famous Wieliczka salt mine, Stanisław Lem's garden of experiments, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, this is the former Auschwitz. But in one day, alas, it is impossible to grasp the immensity, you can only run along the most significant sights of the city center, look at the huge Polish churches, old streets, enjoy the excellent panorama of the Vistula, which opens from the Wawel walls. At the time when we visited Krakow, there was a festival of Catholic youth, which is probably why there were just a lot of people in the city. It was practically impossible to enter the churches, the crowd began already at the door.

We took the tram to the Kraków Główny stop and walked around the city center all day. There is no metro in Krakow (the population is only 700 thousand), and the tram service is very well developed. The organization of public transport is very similar to what I described in the article. Tickets can be bought directly from the vending machine inside the tram, the language can be Russian. At the Kraków Główny station, the Tourist Information office is located, where you can get a free map of the city center with marked sights and other brochures.

The monumental building of the theater was the first to appear before our eyes.

Market Square in Krakow

Krakow has the largest medieval square in Europe (200x200 m). The square itself was created in 1257, simultaneously with the granting of the Magdeburg Law to Krakow. And until now, the square has retained its commercial significance, although now only food and souvenirs are sold on it, no live goats and chickens, as was the case in the Middle Ages. And as expected in a decent market, of course, artists perform to keep potential buyers longer.

The Church of St. Mary (St. Mary's Church) and the Church of St. Adabelbert were founded earlier than the formation of the Main Market Square, and Cloth Rows (Sukennice) and the town hall later than this date. Until the beginning of the 19th century, there was a cemetery around St. Mary's Church right on the square. And right under the Market Square, the Underground Museum is now working, since the square is so old, a lot has gone underground and right there they have designed a historical exposition.

The Church of St. Adabelbert also went underground. which is not surprising at her age, you can also go down to the dungeon of the church for a fee. St. Adalbert's Church is the oldest in Krakow and one of the smallest. It is believed that it was founded in the X century. The church acquired its modern appearance in the 18th century.

The youngest monument on the Old Market Square is the monument to the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, erected only in 1898, for Poles Mickiewicz is the same as Pushkin for us. By the way, Mickiewicz was well acquainted with Russian writers, including Pushkin, then they lived in the same country.

When you look at the pretty multi-colored houses surrounding the square, you can’t say that they are 500-600 years old. We went into one store, it turned out that behind the old facade there is a modern shopping center, which very harmoniously combines modern commercial equipment and very ancient walls, in places old masonry is visible.

cloth rows

Cloth rows were first built on the market square in the 13th century, during the time of Casemir the Great, but the 108-meter building sunk into oblivion as a result of a fire in 1555. Cloth halls were rebuilt in a much more impressive form with stairs and a loggia, and in the form that we can see now, the cloth halls acquired in the 19th century. Inside, on the ground floor there are numerous souvenir shops, and on the second floor there is a gallery of 19th century art, part of the National Museum of Krakow.

Mary's Church

One of the main decorations of the Main Market Square in Krakow is St. Mary's Church, famous for its medieval wooden altar by Wit Stvosh. The altar was shown in the Eagle and Tails program. Unfortunately, we were not able to see this miracle. The church was packed with people. Photography is prohibited there. The interior makes an indelible impression, the starry sky is depicted on the vault and there is practically not a single unpainted section of the walls or ceiling inside the church. From the inside, St. Mary's Church is almost all multi-colored.

A lot of streets diverge from the market square, but two of them stand out - these are Florianska and Grozdska, they were once part of the Royal Road.

Florian street

Florianska Street is one of the oldest in Krakow, where you can write a book about every house, one of its ends rests on the Florianska Gate. At the moment, these are the only gates preserved in Krakow, previously there were 8 and 47 towers.

Medieval walls adjoin the Florian Gate. The total length of the walls was about 3 km. In the XIX century, most of the city walls were demolished by the Austrian authorities after the partition of Poland, they rightly feared. that the rioters might take cover behind them. In place of the destroyed walls, a park was laid out - Planty.

Restaurant Yama Michalika

Already in the evening we went to the famous Krakow restaurant Yama Michalika, also located on Florianska Street. The institution is over 100 years old and has been awarded a separate article on Wikipedia. The bottom line is that it is written on the Internet that the entrance to the folklore show costs some money, but they didn’t take anything from us, we paid only for food. We didn’t know about the show at all in advance, we just found the address of the restaurant in the guidebook and that’s it.

It’s quite dark inside, so the photos didn’t turn out, but the video turned out. The food is tasty, but it is not enough, the portions could be bigger. Therefore, if you want to eat a lot, you need to choose another place, and if you want to look at Polish folk dances, then Pit Michalika is not even bad.

Barbican

The barbican came to European military architecture from the Arab world. Usually the Barbican was built into the walls of the city. The Krakow barbican stands at a distance of about 100 meters from the walls of the city as a separate structure, just opposite the Florian Gate. The thickness of the walls of the Barbican in some places reaches three meters, and there are about 130 embrasures on the sides.

Grozdskaya street

Then we continued our walk along the former Royal Route, which connects the Florian's Gate and the Wawel Castle. On Grozdskaya Street, we were surprised by the Pod Aniolami restaurant, which decorates its interior with bunches of overgrown dill. In Krakow, in addition to traditional restaurants of Polish and Italian cuisine, which you will not surprise anyone anywhere, there are also restaurants of Georgian and Ukrainian cuisine.

The Church of Peter and Paul stands on Grozdskaya Street. This is one of the first buildings in Krakow, built in the Baroque style, decorated with typical Jesuit pomp. For a short time at the beginning of the 19th century it was an Orthodox church.

The Polish nuns surprised me the most. They organized numerous events on the streets as part of the festival of Catholic youth, sang and simply agitated for faith in God in two languages ​​in turn, first part of the speech is spoken in Polish, then repeated in English, and all this without the help of translators. It seemed that men in Poland do not become monks, only women and all with knowledge of foreign languages.

Wawel

The Wawel Castle is of sacred importance for the history of Poland, Polish statehood was born on this place, all Polish kings were crowned in the Cathedral and many of them are still buried there. Unfortunately, almost nothing remained in the castle from the Middle Ages, first the Swedes during the Swedish Flood (1655-1660) ravaged Wawel, and then the Austrians, who got Krakow after the division of Poland, set up barracks in the castle. The Swedish flood is artistically described in G. Senkevich's novel "The Flood", a film of the same name was made based on the novel. Therefore, everything that can be seen there is the result of careful restoration.

The Bernardine Gate was built already during the years of occupation during the Second World War to protect the German Governor General, who settled on the Wawel ..

In summer, the castle is very beautiful, surrounded by greenery and flowers. And in the building covered with ivy there are ticket offices where you can buy tickets to museums located on Wawel. There were queues at the box office. We did not go to museums, because they say this event should take about 5 hours, which is not realistic in the format of visiting Krakow in one day.

The layout of the castle clearly demonstrates its device.

You can enter the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and Wenceslas for free, you only need to pay for using the audio guide, there is a ticket office in the building opposite. Inside the cathedral there are many sarcophagi of kings and Saints, as well as the graves of famous Polish poets, political figures, even President Lech Kaczynski and his wife are buried there, they died as a result of the Smolensk plane crash in 2010.

John Paul II was born in a village near Krakow and spent many years of his life in the city, studied at the Jagiellonian University, so a monument to him was placed next to the Cathedral. John Paul II became the first Slav in the history of the papacy and the first Pole on the Roman throne, before that only Italians were elevated to a high rank.

The palace houses museum exhibits.

We looked at the Vistula from the cave of the legendary dragon in Krakow, they are allowed into the cave only with tickets, but after the Postojnaya pit, the tiny Krakow cave could hardly surprise us. On the largest boat on the pier is the restaurant "Stefan Batory", this historical figure is very popular in Poland.

Right under the walls of the castle on the banks of the Vistula, at the end of the 20th century, a monument to the legendary Krakow dragon was erected. The dragon spit fire for just one coin, you can even make the dragon spit fire with the help of SMS sent to a specific number. Numerous tourists climb on the pedestal and take pictures with the fire-breathing dragon, the pebble of the pedestal could make it hard to climb on it.

In Krakow, it turns out that they hold a film festival and even have their own Walk of Fame, it is located very close to the dragon monument.

Kazimierz, Jewish city

We honestly walked around the Kazimierz district, a former Jewish city, and did not find anything interesting there, except for, oddly enough, Catholic churches. The Jewish ghetto during the Second World War was located on the other side of the Vistula and has nothing to do with Kazimierz. In addition, during the war, the quarter was almost destroyed and all that can be seen is the result of restoration work. The synagogues there are small and unprepossessing, the appearance of the houses is shabby, and all the architectural monuments look like ordinary houses that are not at all remarkable in appearance. The Jewish quarter of Krakow is much less interesting. And Jewish Square reminded me very much of St. Petersburg Aprashka in its worst version, just a dirty and shabby shopping area, where in unsanitary conditions you will be offered to eat street food.

I think Kazimierz became more popular with tourists thanks to Spielberg's Schindler's List. Lovers of abandoned and artistic ruins will love it there.

But the Catholic churches located in Kazimierz are very impressive, as always huge and very richly decorated.

In the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret, we witnessed the veneration of St. Rita, her day was being celebrated. In the church there were just crowds of people with roses, symbols of the saint. The whole church was filled with people and they began to sell roses already on the approaches to the church. The spectacle of so many believers with roses amazed us. By the way, it is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret that is considered the largest Gothic church in Krakow. It is not possible to photograph it entirely on a narrow, densely built-up street, you will have to take my word for it, the church is really huge.

Very close to the huge church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret is the baroque church of St. Stanislaus on the Skalka, i.e. on the hill. According to legend, the Polish king Bolesław the Bold in 1079 killed, cut into pieces the body of the Archbishop of Krakow Stanisław and threw the remains into a pond.

The body of St. Stanislaus, chopped into pieces, miraculously grew together, like Poland, first divided, and then united again. The pond, into which the remains of the Saint were thrown, was ennobled and now it almost looks like a memorial.

This is where I will finish my story about Krakow, although we still walked around the Planty park.

In contrast to Warsaw, it seemed to us that Krakow is much more popular with tourists, there were much more people on the streets. Of course, a lot of architectural and historical monuments are concentrated in Krakow, and the city was not heavily destroyed during the last war, unlike Warsaw. For a more detailed inspection, you should probably plan at least 5 days in order to have time to go to the salt mine, visit museums, and eat delicious Polish dishes in restaurants.

If you do not know what to see in Krakow and whether it is worth visiting this hospitable city at all, read our review. We have compiled a detailed rating, describing those sights of Krakow that every tourist should see.

What to see in Krakow first of all?

Many experienced guides in Krakow recommend that you include a visit to the following cultural, historical and architectural sites in your excursion trip:

1. Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas

Small basilica built in the Gothic style. As part of this Catholic cathedral complex, there are several Renaissance chapels and a tomb in which national heroes of the country, poets and representatives of the Polish royal family are buried.

2. Market Square and Cloth Hall

What should every vacationer visit in Krakow? The city square, which is the largest in all of Europe. It was built in the Middle Ages, and was able to retain elements of the Baroque and Renaissance. Like many of the best attractions in Krakov, it is adorned with courtyard galleries, portals and attics. Arriving here, you can see many other iconic Polish objects: St. Mary's Church, the Zbaraski Palace Complex, the statue of Adam Mickiewicz, the Town Hall Tower. However, Cloth Rows are usually of the greatest interest to travelers - this is a shopping gallery, equipped during the reign of Boleslav the Fifth.

3. Market Dungeons

If you want to see all the interesting places in Krakow, get ready to go down even underground. The catacombs are located under the square, and serve as a platform for the historical museum. The museum premises house numerous innovative multimedia equipment recreating historical reconstructions. The collections of the museum contain archaeological finds.

4. St. Mary's Church

Reviews of guests and residents of the city indicate that the building of this church is one of the most beautiful not only in Krakow, but throughout the country. It is made in various architectural directions: laconic Gothic, refined Renaissance and luxurious Baroque. The interior decoration is rich and opulent: a carved wooden altar with scenes from the Holy Scriptures, shining gilding and chic vaults.

5. Florianskaya street

Excursions in Krakow in the fresh air can be no less interesting. We recommend that you go to the historical part of the city and take a walk along a small street, looking at the colorful buildings in the style of classicism, baroque and renaissance. Here you can also see the Florian Gate (an ancient defensive structure), which gave the name of the attraction.

Feel the atmosphere of Krakow in this beautiful video!

6. Tower of the Krakow City Hall

Gothic stone-brick building of the 14th century, decorated with a dome with arched windows. If you don't know what to see in Krakow in 1 day, come here. On the spiral ladder you can climb to the observation platform, which offers panoramas of the entire city. In addition, there are several museum expositions in the interior, and in the basement there is a cafe that serves incredibly tasty and aromatic coffee.

7. Jewish Quarter Kazimierz

Your trip should include a visit to this city within a city. Our recommendations are not accidental: there are many religious and cultural objects related to the Jewish community. Such as the temple of the body of the Lord and the monastery of St. Catherine. Note that it was here that the film masterpiece Schindler's List was created, telling about the horrors of the Holocaust.

8. Jewish Museum "Galicia"

The building is located in the Jewish Quartile. Exhibition samples are related to the events of the Holocaust, to the life, traditions and culture of the Jews. In addition, historical and educational lectures, scientific seminars and conferences are organized here.

9. Ghetto Heroes Square

Another place from among those where you should definitely go in Krakow. The square is located on the territory where previously over 20 thousand Nazi prisoners were in appalling conditions and were waiting to be transported to Auschwitz. In memory of them and their suffering, there are memorial chairs made of bronze and cast iron on the paving stones.

10. Wawel Castle

The building is located at an altitude of about 230 m on top of a mountain. For a long time it was the center of the country, and therefore deservedly included in the list of "". In ancient times, members of the royal family were crowned and buried here. In addition to the castle itself, the architectural complex of Wawel includes the Cathedral of St. Stanislav and Wenceslas.

11. Krakow Barbican

A masterpiece of architecture and history, created in 1499. Initially, it was designed to protect the Florian Gate, but today it is used to host historical reconstructions, host sports events and organize museum exhibitions.

12. Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Catholic-Roman temple of the 13th century, the founder of which was Boleslav the Fifth. The façade was only slightly altered during the reconstruction in the 19th century, and for the most part retained its original Gothic design.

13. Basilica of the Body of God

An old building of the 14th-15th centuries in the Renaissance and Baroque styles. In addition to the main building, there is a baroque belfry. The key attraction of the basilica itself is the remains of St. S. Kazimierczyk (the famous Polish commander).

14. Church of Saints Peter and Paul

The first Baroque temple in the country, made of brick and dolomite. The building of 1635 is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence with a sculptural composition of 12 figures of saints. The three-storey facade is decorated with statues, niches, bas-reliefs, pediments and pilasters. The interior is more concise and austere: wooden benches for parishioners, bas-relief paintings depicting the events of the life of the apostles Paul and Peter. When examining the interior decoration, be sure to pay attention to the huge central panel and the pedestal-altar with gilded sculptures.

15. Basilica of the Holy Trinity

Gothic architectural masterpiece, created in the 13th century. The residence of the monks consists of 10 chapels located in 3 naves. The facade made of bricks is decorated with pediments, bas-reliefs and arches, openwork lattices on the lancet windows. Most of all, tourists are surprised by the luxurious interior of the basilica: floral wall painting, cruciform ceiling vault, high arches. Inside there are numerous stained-glass windows, frescoes, sculptural compositions, sculptures made of wood and stone.

16. Church of St. Andrew

The building of the 11th century, which later received baroque features. The church is adjacent to the cloister of monks, which keeps the ancient relics of the church. In addition, there is a library with volumes of theological works.

17. Sanctuary of Divine Mercy

A whole complex of church objects, including a basilica, several chapels and a nunnery. Due to the fact that the famous icon "Jesus, I trust in You" and the remains of St. Kowalski are located here, the sanctuary is a place of pilgrimage for believers from all over the world.

18. Building Collegium Maius

More than 100,000 students live in the city, mostly studying at the Jagiellonian University (Copernicus graduated from it at one time). The main building of the educational institution is called the Great College or Collegium Maius. It is a red brick building of three floors in the Gothic style, with rectangular windows, an octagonal ledge and several stepped gables. In the courtyard there is a well and an arched gallery. In the 20th century, it was decided to turn the building into a museum. Buy a ticket and you will be able to view the picturesque portraits of professors who taught students here in recent centuries, various globes, scientific instruments (including astronomy), wooden furniture, visit the university canteen, ceremonial and lecture halls, personal chambers of teachers.

19. Oskar Schindler Factory

Initially, a factory for the manufacture of metal dishes. During the genocide of the Jews, Schindler helped many prisoners escape death by giving them work in his factory. About eight years ago, a museum in his memory was arranged on the territory of the plant.

20. Museum of Modern Art

An avant-garde building with gabled roofs and a glass façade. The complex is divided into various thematic departments. In the vast rooms you can see original compositions that tell about the current problems of society: photos and performances, sculptures and paintings, conceptual exhibitions. In local cinemas, short films on the theme of being a modern person are shown.

Sights of Krakow: what else to visit in Krakow?

We told you about the main attractions of Krakow briefly. If you have free time, devote it to visiting objects such as:

21. Museum of Polish Aviation

One of the most extensive aviation collections in the country is housed in this 1964 museum. The outdoor complex itself was built on the territory of a former airfield and consists of several open hangars. Exposition items: gliders, helicopters and aircraft of various

states (including Britain, America and the Russian Federation). Various aircraft engines are also exhibited here.

22. Stained Glass Museum

Former stained glass workshop. Collection items tell about Polish stained glass art. In addition to studying samples, guests are invited to look at the production process of beautiful products made of multi-colored glass.

23. Ethnographic Museum

The number of samples in the exposition exceeds 8,000 items, and all of them are related to the culture, life and history of the country. Many items belong to the 19th century, however, there are just as many artifacts - archaeological finds from various early periods.

24. Czartoryski Museum

You should definitely visit the museum, if only for the unique masterpiece of da Vinci "Lady with an Ermine". At present, this is the only painting by the brilliant artist kept on Polish soil. In previous years, the museum was plundered, and his works are now scattered around the world.

25. Juliusz Słowacki Theater

The most significant drama stage of the state, where the most famous actors, actresses and directors of Poland have worked and are working. You will be able to visit theatrical performances that the whole world is talking about. For lovers of architecture, the building of the theater is of great interest.

26. Mound Kosciuszko

Memorial of 1823 in memory of the country's hero - T. Kosciuszko. Around the mound is an old defensive structure. To visit the territory, you must purchase a ticket. You can see the barrow and the chapel-chapel of St. Bronislava. We remind you that the mound is an artificial bulk hill, so wonderful panoramas of the whole city open from it.

27. Krakow Zoo

The old city zoo in Wawel, built by order of Sigismund the Third. After Krakow lost the title of the capital, the menagerie began to collapse. Fortunately, in 1929, its reconstruction began. Now there are over 260 species of various animals, and the total number of pets is more than one and a half thousand. With animals and birds, you can take memorable photos against the backdrop of beautiful nature.

At first, the landscape gardening area occupied no more than 2.5 hectares. It served as a platform for growing decorative flowers and medicinal plants. But later the botanical garden expanded to 9.5 hectares. Outdoor recreation is offered no worse than the best hotels in Krakow can provide guests.

29. Krakow Planty

The name of the park ring that surrounds the Old Town. In the 19th century, the walls of Krakow were destroyed and replaced by trees. In all seasons, this place has its own charm: on hot summer days, a pleasant coolness reigns here, in autumn you will be protected from rain by dense growth of trees, in spring the Plants begin to turn green. The garden is equipped for the rest of the citizens and guests of Krakow: there are benches and alleys.

30. Vistula River

The river stretched for more than one thousand meters (the longest in the country). It starts in the Carpathian mountains and flows into the sea waters of the Baltic. Within the boundaries of the Vistula there are several nature reserves and the most beautiful city parks.

We hope that those sights of Krakow, the photos with the names and descriptions of which you have now seen, aroused your genuine interest. It is recommended to explore them together with an accompanying guide: you will also learn a lot of fascinating facts from him. Read also about and be inspired to travel further in Poland.

Krakow is a large city in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The settlement is over 1000 years old - the first annalistic mention of Krakow dates back to 965. It is located on the Vistula - one of the famous European rivers.

In the XIV-XVII centuries, Krakow was the Polish capital, and the coronations of monarchs were carried out in this city until the XVIII century.

In Krakow, the historical center has been perfectly preserved. The second most popular is the famous Jewish quarter.

When is the best time to plan a trip?

Travelers can find a lot of interesting things in Krakow at any time of the year, but traditionally tourism peaks in summer. This is due to the holiday season, and with more comfortable weather conditions. According to statistics in June - August:

• Daytime air temperature: 22 - 24 degrees.
• Chance of precipitation: 25% - 35%.

In addition, annual events are held in Krakow in the summer:

1. Vyanka holiday- an old Slavic holiday, characterized by beautiful rites, incl. the launch of maiden wreaths in the Vistula. It takes place in June on the summer solstice.
2. Jewish Culture Festival- Held annually in June-July.
3. jazz festival. It also takes place in July.

But, we repeat, you can find an interesting pastime in Krakow at any other time of the year, especially on big holidays:, etc.

What to see in Krakow and surroundings? Photo + description

We will describe exactly a one-day stay, point out the main and unusual sights that you can see during this time. When planning to visit several places, allow more time for it.

Salt mine in Wieliczka

It is no secret that once salt was one of the most strategic products. Therefore, a reverent attitude to the salt itself and to the places of its extraction has still been preserved.

The salt mine of Krakow is one of the most interesting places on a possible tourist route. The mine was opened in the 13th century, and the operation was carried out until the 20th century. It is all the more interesting to observe the change in mining technologies: from manual primitive ore to machine, automated.

The underground mine is located on seven different levels, which are long corridors and / or galleries, with a total length of more than 200 km.

Now the Salt Mine is an exclusively tourist site. There are chapels inside, as well as viewing platforms, souvenir tents and other tourist infrastructure facilities. The most popular are:

• Danilovich's shaft is one of the main galleries built in the 17th century.
• Chamber of Nicolaus Copernicus. A small room where a monument to the hero was erected in the 19th century in honor of his 500th birthday.
• Chapel of Saint Anthony. A cult object, cut in the 17th century in an array of green salt.
• Chamber of Casimir the Great. It was broken in the 18th century, but it got its name only in the second half of the 20th century in honor of the king who issued a decree on the regulation of the extraction and sale of salt. His bust is installed inside the chamber.
• Chapel of Saint Kinga. It is located at a depth of 101 meters underground. The saint was the patroness of salt miners, so she was treated with particular reverence in the mines. The chapel was built in the 19th century.

There are other sights to see inside the mine, however we recommend taking one of the sightseeing tours. It is not only more interesting, but also safer.

Photo scheme of the salt mine:

Panoramic photos:

Wawel Castle

This ancient castle - the former residence of kings - is located in the very center of Krakow. This is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, the architecture of which mixes many different styles inherent in several eras.

The castle was built in the XIII - XIV centuries by order of Casimir III, and since 1978 it has been a UNESCO site.

Today, one of the most famous art museums is inside the castle. In addition, it is interesting to see other sights:

1. Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas - more often this religious building is simply called the Wawel Cathedral. Laid down in 1020, but rebuilt many times. In the lower tier of the temple is the tomb of the Polish kings.
2. The "Vault of the Crown" is a room in which the royal regalia for coronations have been kept since the 15th century.
3. The Armory is a place for storing and displaying personal belongings of kings, incl. weapons.
4. Front hall.
5. Royal garden.

And many other valuable, interesting and instructive objects, visiting which will be interesting for both adults and children.

Panoramic photos:

main market

Rynek Główny is the central square of what is called the "Old Town". This is one of the majestic medieval squares in Europe, which appeared in the XIII century, and occupies 40 thousand square meters. m.

In the center of the composition are the so-called. Cloth Rows is a majestic building in the style of the Italian Renaissance, which received its present appearance in the distant 1555.

On the square are also located:

• Church of St. Wojciech, which is almost a thousand years old.
• Monument to Adam Mickiewicz, erected in 1898.
• City Hall.
• Towers of St. Mary's Church.
• Church of St. Adalbert, with an archaeological museum in the basement.

Also on the Main Market Square there are a large number of cafes, restaurants, cabarets and other tourist and entertainment establishments.

At the same time, some sights of Rynek Główny need a separate story.

Panoramic photos:

cloth rows

It has already been mentioned that this is a beautiful building in the style of the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century in the center of the old city. It was erected as trading rows - the main ones in the royal capital.

At the same time, in 1555 the building was rebuilt, but initially there was an older building in its place - stone trading rows, created in 1257 by Borislav V. Less large-scale reconstruction work took place in the following years.

Today, on the top floor of the Cloth Hall is the Gallery of Polish Art (mainly works of the 19th century), which is a branch of the National. Museum of Krakow.

Panoramic photos:

St. Mary's Church

Another architectural monument of the Main Market Square. This majestic building reaches a height of 81 meters. The temple was created gradually from the XIII century, rebuilt, destroyed by raids and earthquakes and recreated again. The current appearance of the church acquired by the 19th century.

Inside you can see a large number of works of art, incl. the world-famous Crucifixion and the Altar of Swit Stvosh.

Krakow Planty

This is the famous city park of Krakow. The huge array is interesting both in itself and because it is a natural boundary, within which the Old Town is located.

The park was laid out in the 19th century on the site of fortifications that strengthened old Krakow in the Middle Ages. Now these are 8 sites connected with each other, each of which is interesting for review.

The park has a huge number of attractions and monuments, among which are the following:

• Chapel of St. Gertrude (1710).
• Wyspiansky's painting "Plants in the Light" (1894).
• Monument to Grazhina and Litavor (1884).
• Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Loving (1771).
• Monument to Nicolaus Copernicus (1953).
• Monument to Frederic Chopin (1890).
• Monument to Lilla Veneda (1885).
• Monument to Jadwiga and Jagiello (1886).
• Monument to Boyan (1886).
• Monument to Florian Strashevsky (1874).

As well as a huge number of other equally interesting places for excursions and walks.

Other sights and places of interest to see

We talked about the most popular places for tourists, but there are much more attractions in Krakow. These are historical places, and entertaining, and, conversely, shrouded in a tragic, but instructive past:

1. Kazimierz and the Jewish Quarter.
2. Barbican.
3. Florian Gate.
4. National Museum.

Not far (60 km) from Krakow is the tragically famous Auschwitz-Birken Museum.

There is also a water park in Krakow. You can read more about it in .

Look at the map where to eat cheaply

After long and interesting walks, you will definitely want to have a bite to eat. It is not difficult to do this - cafes, especially in the historical center, are located at every step.

We will present approximate prices in various establishments, the prices in which are current at the time of writing. Of course, they may change over time, but they will give a general idea of ​​​​the cost of a meal.

A full meal in a good restaurant will cost from 20 euros, but there are enough other places in Krakow where you can have a tasty and inexpensive meal. Here are some of those where you can eat a full meal for about 4 - 5 euros, and located in places popular with tourists:

More catering establishments can be viewed on the map:

What to try? Local menu

In addition to traditional European or exotic dishes, in Poland, and in Krakow in particular, a regional me, with its own characteristics, has formed. We think it's worth a try:

• żurek po krakowsku - the first meat dish with bran and flour;
• barszcz czerwony krakowski - Krakow-style borscht;
• pierogi łomniczańskie - dumplings or dumplings;
• kapuśniak z grzybami - soup with mushrooms and cabbage;
• strojcowskie zawijoki z ziemniaków - cabbage rolls stuffed with potatoes and mushrooms;
• obwarzanek Krakowski - bagels baked using the original method;
• bryndza podhalańska - local bryndza (cheese).

Bon appetit, but be careful with unusual dishes so as not to spoil the rest.

Where to stay for the night?

If you decide to visit Krakow for more than 1 day, or if you change plans, you can always spend the night in the city. There is no shortage of such services, and prices depend on the level of comfort.

It is better to look at the prices for presidential suites directly on the websites of hotels, but we will present a small overview of budget establishments in Krakow. Prices are per room for two or more people and may vary depending on the season.

home » Ukraine » Things to do in Krakow to visit. How to spend three ideal days in Krakow? Interesting places in krakow