Krakow Poland Travel Guide - 10 Amazing Places

This is Krakow, the most beautiful city in Poland and it's also somewhere I've been very lucky to visit many times as it's also the birthplace of my grandfather. In this video I'm going to show you the 10 best things to see including the epic castle, historic churches, great museums, some tasty food and of course a look at some of the locations associated with The first location is the iconic Krakow Main Market Square. This huge open space dates back to the 13th century and is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe. It is epic! The square is surrounded by many historic townhouses. Here you can find all sorts of shops, bars and restaurants, basically anything you like. And from here you can also take a tour on one of the ornate horse-drawn carriages to see the city in a more relaxing way. In the centre of the square is the famous Klofor which is a large and ornate renaissance era building. The interior is still used today as a market only now it's full of local stores selling souvenirs and other interesting things so make sure you check it out. There are also two museums here, one above and one below. The upper museum is the Suka Museum which houses a large permanent exhibition of 19th century Polish painting and sculpture. This is absolutely worth visiting as some of the paintings are incredible, not only for the sheer size of them but also the abundant details and colours. As a bonus you can visit the cafe on the roof of the Klofor for some nice views over the market square. Underneath the Klofor is the Rynek Underground Museum. This modern museum shows the history of medieval Krakow through a series of displays and historic artefacts. It also includes the foundations of much older buildings that were discovered beneath the market square. This is a very popular museum so I highly recommend booking in advance if you want to go inside. Also not to be missed in the market square is the tower of the former town hall which can now be visited. It contains a small exhibition about the history of the city and on the top floor you can look out the windows to see some more views of the famous market square. Our next location is also on the market square and is perhaps the most iconic and famous church in Krakow, it is St Mary's Basilica. The current building was built in the 14th century and is a great example of Polish Gothic architecture. The main facade faces the historic market square and has two tall towers. If you stand around here long enough you will hear a trumpet playing from the top of the tallest tower. This happens every hour, 24 hours a day and is played four times, once from each side. The tune cuts off midway through and this commemorates a 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat by an arrow as they were sounding a warning of an impending Mongol attack. The tower can be visited but it's currently closed so check before you go. Here are some images I took from there on a previous visit to Krakow to give you an idea of the great views in case it's open when you visit. The interior can be visited for a small fee and it's worth it as it's one of the most lavishly decorated churches in the world and it's really stunning. You need to buy a ticket from the building opposite and then enter by the side door. You can go in via the front door to a space reserved for praying for free but don't do that because a it's going to annoy the people in there and b you won't be able to properly explore this amazing building. Once inside take your time to make your neck ache by simply looking at the glory of it all. The most famous artifact inside is the Wierchstoss altarpiece. This was carved in 1477 to 1489 and it's incredibly detailed and lifelike. It was famously stolen by the Nazis and hidden in the basement of Nuremberg's castle but was luckily found and then returned in 1946. It gets opened on weekdays and Saturdays at 11.50 a.m and also at 10 past two on Sundays and a special ceremony to try and time your visit for that. If for some reason you decide not to go inside this church then there are plenty of other amazing mostly free to enter churches in Krakow to explore which I will show you later in this video. No trip to Krakow is complete without visiting the famous Wawel Royal Castle. This location more than any other summarizes the history of Poland as it is from here that country was ruled for many centuries. For much of that time it was a home of the Polish kings before they moved the capital to Warsaw. During the time when Poland lost its independence it was used as a barracks by the Austrians and then even later it was a home to the infamous Nazi Hans Frank during World War II. So it's had a turbulent and varied history and luckily today it is a fascinating location to explore. You'll need at least half a day to get the most from this site. The exterior part of the castle is free to enter and roam around. From here you can look at the ornate exterior of the cathedral or wander into the extravagant main courtyard. The site is split into numerous separate parts all of which require separate tickets so I'm only going to show you some of the highlights here because this place is big. First up is the historic cathedral. The current building dates from the 14th century but as you can see from all the towers and domes has been extended over the years. One particular highlight is a golden dome which is dazzling to see on a sunny day. Filming is not allowed inside the main nave so I can't show you that but I can tell you it's very ornate and filled with tombs and monuments to Polish royalty and definitely not to be missed. However some parts do allow filming such as the bell tower which can be visited where you can see the famous Sigismund bell which is a 13 ton bell cast in about 1520. You can also visit the crypt and admire the many ornate tombs of various kings, queens and other famous people. Next is the interiors of the castle itself. We've got a combined ticket allowing entry into two parts of the main castle which contain various staterooms and temporary exhibitions. These include some very impressive and ornate rooms such as this grand hall. Here are some highlights from the interiors to give you an idea of what there is to see. And finally although not actually in the castle don't forget to check out the Wawel Dragon which is just below the castle and on the banks of the Vistula river. Legend has it that a dragon once lived here and terrorized the people of the city. These days there is an impressive looking statue that even breathes fire and it's pretty cool. A short walk from the main market square is a Collegium Mias which is the oldest building of the Jagolian University. Dating back to the 14th century it is now a museum. The main building is built around a large courtyard that can be entered for free. If you stick around in the courtyard then every two hours you can watch and hear the famous musical clock. For a small fee you can enter the historic interiors of the university building. This is definitely worth it as the building contains many impressive and ornate rooms to explore which is especially interesting as Nicholas Copernicus the famed renaissance scientist studied here. Next up is the Princess Czartoryska Museum which is all things considered probably the best museum in Krakow. The collection was originally formed in 1796 by the princess Isabella Czartoryska. The collection consists of many paintings, sculptures, weapons, clothes, ceramics, coins and other artifacts from all over the world. There's a lot of stuff here. The collection has moved around during its history due to war and other events including many works being stolen during World War II some of which were never recovered. The collection is now housed in two linked historic buildings in the north of Krakow's old town which was modernized and refurbished in 2019 to include this impressive entry atrium. The most famous piece is Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine which is housed in a very dark room making it a little hard to record video. There are many other fascinating paintings spread over a few different rooms including works by famous artists such as Rembrandt. Other interesting rooms contain fascinating collections of historical clothes and uniforms some of which are very ornate and elaborate such as this decorated saddle. Another room contains many weapons and uniforms the highlight being this winged armour as worn by the famous Polish winged Hussars who were the elite troops of Poland from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The museum also houses an extensive archaeology collection with many objects from ancient times including this cool room full of ancient monuments and tombs with interesting sarcophagi from ancient Egypt as well as lots of interesting items from Rome and Greece. There's a lot more to see than I can show in this video so make sure you set aside a good few hours to explore it. Our next location is Krakow's Barbican which is a medieval fortified gate. The Barbican is one of the few remaining parts of the extensive fortifications that once encircled the old town. I picked this one as many of the other locations are big and require a lot of time to see so it's good to mix it up with a smaller attraction. It was built in about 1498 and is one of the best preserved examples of its type left in Europe. For a small fee you can go inside and explore the ramparts and cramped passageways. It's really fascinating. The Barbican was originally connected to the city walls and St Florian's gate which still stand nearby. Originally the walls surrounded the old town but these were torn down and replaced with nice relaxing parks of trees and paths called the Planty. Next up is a collection of churches that I recommend exploring as and when you are near them. Krakow is a really great city for architecture lovers and nowhere is this better emphasized than in the amazing variety of stunning churches. There are too many to list so I'm going to show you a few of my favourites and I'm going to shut up as well and let the architecture do the talking. So far nearly everything has been in the historic old town of Krakow but the city has another very famous district known as Kazimierz. The district dates back to the 14th century and for many centuries it was where Polish and Jewish people and cultures coexisted together and that history is everywhere. That was until the Nazis arrived and forced the Jewish people into a separate ghetto across the river. Despite the best efforts of the Nazis to eradicate the existence of the Jews the district of Kazimierz is still full of notable sites connected to the history of its people and is today a vibrant and happy place and is especially good for eating and going out in evenings. Some notable locations include the old synagogue which is the oldest of its kind still standing in Poland and was one of the most important places for the Jewish people of Krakow. The current building dates from the 16th century and replaced an even older building. It was ransacked and looted by the Nazis in World War II and used as a warehouse. It was then renovated in the 1950s and now serves as a museum showing many artifacts showing the history of the Jewish people in Krakow. Not too far from the old synagogue is the old Jewish Rima cemetery which is a burial location for many important Polish Jews. This location was also destroyed by the Nazis who tore up the tombstones to use as paving stones in the camps. It has since been restored and with many of the tombs returned. It was closed on the day I visited but if you walk around the back there is a little window in the wall that allows you to look inside to get an idea of what it's like. If you've been in let me know what it's like in the comments below. Also in Kazimierz is an alleyway and courtyard now known as Shinles List Passage due to it being used as a filming location for the famous Hollywood film. The district is also a great place to hang out in the evenings as it's lively and full of interesting bars and places to eat. Some highlights include Plac Nowy popularly known as Jewish Square. In the evenings you can find some great food stores selling lots of tasty food but it seems especially popular for which is a Polish speciality and is a kind of toasted bread with cheese and other toppings on. Also in Kazimierz are some small outdoor food markets with lots of different food stores. We tried the one on Jakuba Street where we got some traditional Polish dumplings known as pierogi which were very tasty. Actually so good we went back twice. A few minutes walk from there is a judo food market which again has lots of food vans to try. This time we tried a Polish hot dog which was also really yummy. A short way from the Kazimierz district and on the other side of the Vistula River is one of the more somber locations in Krakow. Oskar Schindler's enamel factory is the site of the former factory as seen in the movie Schindler's List. This is a very popular attraction and you will need to book in advance as it gets very very busy. The administration building of the factory is now a museum telling the story of the Nazi occupation of Krakow and in particular the brutal treatment of the Jewish people. This is told through a series of exhibitions including photos, video and audio. There are not many original artifacts or features in the museum so keep that in mind but I think overall this museum was worth it as it does a great job of exploring some very dark times in Krakow's history. The exhibits include corridors of photos and posters as well as large Nazi flags. You can also see German uniforms and weapons. Other parts of give a glimpse of what life must have been like back then. One of the rooms contains the desk that was used as Schindler's desk in the film as well as a giant glass cube full of enamelware made in the factory. If you don't manage to get inside the factory then just behind is the Krakow Museum of Contemporary Art. This large building is built on the site of the original factory workshops and contains a large collection of modern art as well as a really pleasant cafe. Our next location is a 20-minute walk from Schindler's factory and is the Krakow Mound. This is a free-to-enter park and the main attraction is the large grass mound which is said to be the resting place of Krakow's mythical founder King Krakus. This is a fantastic spot to come for sunset as it has great views over the historic skyline of the city so make sure you bring your camera. And that's the top 10 but we have a bonus location for you which is a short ride from the city centre and is the famous UNESCO World Heritage site the Wieliczka salt mines. Although not technically in Krakow it's close enough and easy to reach by getting a train from Krakow's main train station to the station written below because if I try to pronounce that I'm going to get in trouble. The salt mines can only be visited by guided tour and you must book in advance as this place seems to be very busy. We went on a weekday in winter and it seemed to be almost fully booked so I do not recommend trying to just turn up on the day. There are different tours you can take but the main one is known as the tourist route so this is the one we took. You can take the tour in a variety of languages and you will be escorted through the mines by a knowledgeable guide. It lasts about two to three hours and involves a lot of stairs and a lot of walking. Once you get down underground you can see the wonders of this site that date from Neolithic times until it ceased mining in 1996. It reaches depths of about 327 meters and the tunnels stretch for many miles. Inside you will see some amazing rooms and structures showing the history of the mine. The tour takes you through the most important parts where you can see the many famous carvings made by miners over the years. The main highlight is the vast St Kinga's Chapel where it's hard to imagine that you're about 100 meters underground. The room has many amazing carvings such as this version of the Last Supper. And that's it for my top 10 places to see in Krakow. Let me know in the comments below if I badly mispronounced anything and also let me know if I didn't include something I should have. Thank you for watching and cheerio!