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Browse the stalls of the Sukiennice and Unitarg, or stroll round Planty Park and the Vistulan Boulevards with Culture Trip's guide to Krakow's best attractions.

Poland

Krakow

20 Must-Visit Attractions in Krakow

Headed to Krakow? Don't miss a visit to Kazimierz, the historic Jewish Quarter that's now a trendy and creative neighbourhood.

The Top Things to Do and See in Krakow's Kazimierz

We go in search of the top 10 things to do and see in Krakow's iconic Old Town area, where Gothic churches and Baroque homes keep watch.

The Top 10 Things To Do And See In Krakow Old Town

Explore the region around Krakow with these top 10 day trips on offer from the Polish city of kings, complete with salt mines, mountains and more

The Top 10 Day Trips from Krakow

The historic city of Krakow is packed to the brim with sights and activities. Here's a look at 10 that really stand out.

The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Krakow

Insider Travel Guides

The old city centre of Kraków was placed on the first-ever Unesco World Heritage Site list in 1978, so it’s guaranteed you’ll find the former Polish capital a historical marvel. However, as stunning as the medieval architecture is, you’ll miss out if you overlook the lively clubs and chattering markets.

The Insider Guide to Kraków

At almost every cobblestoned corner in this Unesco World Heritage city, you’ll find a captivating vignette of local history. Make your first stop the Main Square; at 200sqm (40,000sqft), it’s Europe's largest medieval market square. The shopping scene there is dominated by the grand Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall: a Renaissance-era trade centre where vendors still sell authentic souvenirs and handicrafts. 

At every hour, cast your eyes to the towering church of St Mary's Basilica. Hear the famous “hejnał” trumpet bugle call; it dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was played to warn the city of any invaders. The tune may end abruptly, mid-melody, but that’s by design. It’s a nod to the legend that, during Tartar raids in the 13th century, the bugler raised the alarm only to be pierced through the throat by an arrow. If you're keen on learning more about the medieval defences, head north to the Barbican, a grand bastion built to safeguard the city from Turk and Tartar attacks.

Take a 15-minute stroll south of the Main Square to find Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter that’s home to the hippest bars and jazz clubs around. Immerse yourself in the Jewish history of the city in the Old Synagogue and Galicia Museum. 

From here, cross the Vistula River and head to Schindler's Factory. Now a museum, it was formerly an enamel factory run by Oskar Schindler during the Nazis’ ascendancy; by employing Jews as workers there, he saved more than 1,000 lives.

It’s steeped in history, but Kraków today is also exuberant. It’s a student city, with almost a dozen higher-level institutions welcoming a total of 200,000 arrivals each year. Founded in 1364, the Jagiellonian University is the most famous teaching establishment; Collegium Maius, the oldest surviving faculty building, is a fine example of 15th-century gothic architecture. 

No trip to Kraków would be complete without a visit to Wawel Castle. It’s a spectacular Renaissance palace, where Polish kings once ruled while overlooking the city. Part of the grand complex is Wawel Cathedral, where numerous monarchs and poets are buried.

Make sure you have time for day trips in your Kraków itinerary. For a deeper understanding of World War II, head 70km (40mi) west. There you’ll find Auschwitz-Birkenau: the most notorious concentration camp in the world. Despite now being a tourist attraction, it remains a harrowing reminder of Nazi atrocities and is not for the faint of heart.

More jovially, the Wieliczka salt mine is a must-see only 15km (9mi) away; the labyrinthine passageways and 327m-deep (1,000ft) chambers there feel like Moria from The Lord of the Rings.

Zaczynamy! The main attractions

Oran

Setif

Algeria

Luanda

Angola

Cotonou

Porto-novo

Benin

Botswana

Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Tonga

Yaounde

Bamenda

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Kinshasa

Lubumbashi

Congo

Abidjan

Cote Divoire

Florentin

Dijibouti

Djibouti

Cairo

Alexandria

Sharm El-sheikh

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Asmara

Eritrea

Addis Ababa

Lalibela

Ethiopia

Gambia

Accra

Kumasi

Cape Coast

Ghana

Guinea-bissau

Nairobi

Mombasa

Malindi

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Antananarivo

Antsirabe

Madagascar

Blantyre

Malawi

Bamako

Timbuktu

Mali

Mauritania

Port Louis

Mauritius

Casablanca

Marrakech

Sale

Morocco

Maputo

Mozambique

Swakopmund

Windhoek

Namibia

Lagos

Abuja

Ibadan

Nigeria

Pointe-noire

Republic Of The Congo

Kigali

Musanze

Butare

Rwanda

Dakar

Touba

Senegal

Seychelles

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Cape Town

Durban

Johannesburg

South Africa

South Sudan

Khartoum

Sudan

Mbabane

Manzini

Swaziland

Zanzibar

Arusha

Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Tunis

Hammamet

Tozeur

Tunisia

Kampala

Gombe

Uganda

Western Sahara

Lusaka

Zambia

Harare

Bulawayo

Zimbabwe

Africa

Antarctica

Kabul

Afghanistan

Dhaka

Bangladesh

Thimphu

Bhutan

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei Darussalam

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Sihanoukville

Cambodia

Shanghai

Beijing

Guangzhou

China

East Timor

Wan Chai

Hong Kong

Mumbai

Delhi

India

Bali

Penang

Jakarta

Indonesia

Israel

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka

Japan

Almaty

Astana

Kazakhstan

Pyongyang

Korea

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Luang Prabang

Vientiane

Pakse

Laos

Macau

Kuala Lumpur

Ipoh

Malaysia

Maldives

Mongolia

Yangon

Mandalay

Nay Pyi Taw

Myanmar

Kathmandu

Darchula

Nepal

Hyderabad

Islamabad

Lahore

Pakistan

Manila

Philippines

Asia

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