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The Old City of Krakow, referred to in Polish as Stare Miasto, forms the historical kernel of this vibrant Polish city and is the first target for most travellers to the city, with regard to accommodation, eating out, entertainment and attractions.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 Orientation 2 See 2.1 Best known sights 2.2 Squares 2.3 Beautifull Streets 2.4 Palaces 2.5 Churches 2.6 Monastries 2.7 University Buildings 2.8 Fine Bourgeois Houses 2.9 Monuments 2.10 Parks 2.11 Theatres 2.12 Museums and Galleries 2.13 Ten best known pieces of Art in the Old City 2.14 Ten best Pubs and Clubs 3 Buy 4 Eat 5 Drink 5.1 Cafes 6 Sleep 7 Contact

Understand

Orientation

The area of the Old City is bounded by the ring of lightly-forested parkland, known as the Planty, that used to mark the Old City walls and moat. The Wawel, the long-fortified hill at the southern end of the Old City, overlooks the River Vistula, and forms an integral part of this district. The centre of the Old City (and of Krakow itself) is the Rynek Glowny (the Main Marketplace) from which all the main streets radiate.

See

Best known sights

• Wawel - [1] is the name of a lime hillock situated on the left bank of the Vistula at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level. This is a symbolic place of great significance for Polish people. The Royal Castle and the Cathedral are situated on the Hill. Polish Royalty and many distinguished Poles are interred in the Cathedral and royal coronations took place there. It´s considered to be the most beautiful castle in Central Europe besides the Hradcany in Prague.
• Cloth Hall [2] was built in the early 14th century in the middle of the Main Market as a trading hall in gothic style. It got its present Renaissance look in 1555. In the 19th century it was turned into a museum. The first floor was used for great banquets. Nowadays souvenir shops are there.
• Town Hall Tower remained of the big gothic-Renaissance Town Hall on the Main Marketplace. The other parts were destroyed by the Austrians in the 19th century after they took control of Krakow. Nowadays a museum is in the tower. You have nice view of the city from upstairs.
• Barbakan [3] was built in the 15th century as the biggest European defense building of this kind. The gothic Barbakan should defend the Florian Gate from attacs of the Osman, which were thought to attack Central Europe, after they had conquered Constantinopol and the Balkans in the late Middle Age.
• Florian Gate is the only part of the town walls that has survived. It consists of four towers and the arsenal and gives one a good idea, how the five kilometers of walls around the Old City looked like in the Middle Ages.

Squares

• Rynek Glowny (Main Marketplace) [4] - a fine mediaeval square at the heart of the Old City, currently being repaved and beautified, festooned with churches, restaurants and bars. It is the biggest mediaeval marketplace worldwide with more than four ha area and twelve streets beginning here.
• Maly Rynek (Little Marketplace) - a fine mediaeval square east of the Main Marketplace, currently being changed from a parking to a beautiful place.
• Plac Mariacki (Mary´s Square) - a fine mediaeval place east of the Main Marketplace, connecting it with the Little Marketplace. A cemetery in the Middle Ages, now a charming and quiet place with the Sculptur of a mediaeval Cracovian Student.
• Plac Wszystkich Swietych (All Saints´ Square) - the name referes to the gothic All Saints' Church that stood there until the 19th century. Actress Helena Modrzejewska and writer Joseph Conrad lived in houses at this square. There are two beautiful gothic churches, the St. Francis and the Dominicanus, at its west and east end.
• Plac sw. Marii Magdaleny (St. Mary Madeleine Square) - a fine square in the center of Okol, the oldest part of the Old Town just under the Wawel. The early baroque St. Peter and Paul Church and the Roman St. Andrew Church are there. In the middle stands the column of Piotr Skarga.
• Plac Szczepanski (Stefanus Square) - the name referes to the gothic Stefanus Church that stood there until the 19th century. The secession Palace of Art and Old Theatre are there. Currently there is a parking on the square that should disappear in the future.
• Plac sw. Ducha (Square of the Holy Spirit) - the name referes to the gothic Holy Spirit Church that is located on the square. Also the beautiful 19th century Slowacki Theatre is situated there.

Beautifull Streets

• Bracka (Brotherhood Street)
• Kanonicza (Kanoniker Street)
• Florianska (Florian Street)
• Grodzka (Castle Street)
• Jagiellonska (Jagiellonian Street)
• Mikolajska (St. Clause Street)
• Sienna
• Slawkowska (Slawkow Street)
• Stolarska (Carpenter Street)
• Szewska (Cobbler Street)
• Szpitalna (Hospital Street)
• Sw. Anny (St. Anna´s Street)
• Sw. Jana (St. John´s Street)
• Wislna (Vistula Street)

Palaces

• Palac Biskupow Krakowskich (Palace of the Bishops of Krakow) is a Renaissance palace at the Franciszkanska Street 3. It has a beautiful yard. It get world famous as the home of pope John Paul II. He lived there since 1963 as bishop/cardinal of Krakow. After he became pope he always stayed there, when he was in Krakow. His small talks from the window with the Krakowians are very famous. Often one can find a candle in the window and many candles and flowers under it.
• Palac Erazma Ciolka (Palace of Erazm Ciolek)
• Palac Sztuki (Palace of Art)
• Palac Wielkopolskich (Palace of the Wielkopolski)
• Palac Zabarskich (Palace of the Zabarski)
• Palac Pod Baranami (Palace Under the Lambs)
• Palac Pod Krzysztofory (Palace under the Krzysztofory)

Churches

• Wawel Cathedral was built in ca. 1000 in preromanesque style and destroyed several times. It is now the third cathedral since 1322. Through more than 1000 years of its existence the cathedral was surrounded by chapels, founded by members of the ruling dynasties, bishops and some magnate families. In the 17th century the cathedral was fenced with a wall with three baroque gates. As a result, the original Gothic cathedral has been largely overshadowed. The façade is hidden behind two Late Gothic burial chapels. The Sigismund Chapel capped with a goldleaf dome designed in 1517 by Bartolomeo Berecci, the Vasa Chapel its replica and the more modest chapels of the bishops Padniewski, Zadzik and Zaluski are the most famous. The interior of the cathedral was changed in the 17th century, when a series of triumphal arches was built along the main axis and the St Stanislaus confession was built by Jan Trevano in 1620 in the crossing. It has a form of a dome based on four pillars, spanning over an altar with a silver coffin of St. Stanislaus.
• St. Mary´s Church [5] The first St. Mary´s Church was built in 1220. The facade consists of two unequal towers. The tune (hejnal) is played from this tower every hour and on Polish Radio at noon. Inside the church the east wall of the church is taken up by the altar of Veit Stoss (1477-89). It is the largest piece of mediaeval art of its kind. There is also a altar with a stone crucifix by Veit Stoss. The wall paintings are by Matejko, Wyspianski and Mehoffer.
• St. Albert´s Church - is one of the oldest churches in Central Europe. History of the first wooden church on this site dates from 10th century. It is said to have been built at a pagan cult place and holy Adalbert preached before his missionary expedition to Prussia in the late 10th century. It was rebuilt in the 11th century in romanesque style and enlarged in the 17th century in baroque shape.
• St. Peter and Paul Church - is the oldest baroque building in Poland. It was built in 1597 by Jozef Britius for the Jesuit Order and completed by Jan Trevano. The stone facade is based on the Roman church Il Gesu.
• St. Anna Church - was built in the 14th century and rebuilt in 1407 in gothic style. It served as the University Church. It was rebuilt in baroque style in 1689 by Tylman from Gameren modeled on S. Andrea della Valle in Rome. The corpus of the church was composed of a wide main nave with three pairs of side chapels. The holy profesor of theology Jan Kanty is buried there. His baroque grave is one of the most beautiful in Central Europe.
• St. Andrew Church - is the best example of the romanesque style in Poland. This church was built in the 11th century by Sieciech, palatine of duke Wladyslaw Herman. The fortifying character of the church is visible and the church was the only place the Krakowians cold fleed successfully when the Tatars conquered Krakow in 1241. Two beautiful slim romanesque towers are covered with baroque helmets and the interior is baroque, too.
• St. Gile Church - was founded in the 11th century by duke Wladyslaw Herman as a votive offering for the birth of their son and later rebuilt in gothic style at the end of the 13th century. In this church the Holy Mass in English is offered on Sundays at 10:30 AM.
• St. Trinity Church (Dominicans) - was built in 1222 in romanesque style, like the refectory still is. It was rebuilt as a three-aisled basilica in the second half of 14th century and the 15th century. It is filled with a countless number of tombs, and the set of burial chapels of the 16th and 17th centuries was second only to the Wawel Cathedral necropolis. The great fire of 1850 brought destroyed much of the church. There's an amazing late 14th century stone portal richly ornamented with carved floral motifs.
• St. Marc Church - was founded in the second half of the 13th century by duke Boleslaw Wstydliwy. On the wall of the apse stands the sculpted group Golgotha. Inside the church is a rococo pulpit with a worth seeing cross.
• St. Thomas Church - was biult in 1618 in early baroque style for the Carmelichans. Later it was used by the nunes of the hospital of the Holy Goast.
• Holy Cross Church - was built in 1186. The oldest part of the church is a stone presbytery, while a brick part of the construction dates from the 15th century. The interior is very beautiful with coloured wall paintings dating back to 1420, like 'The Agony in the Garden' in the chapel and a wonderful gothic palm vault which is based on only one very high pillar.
• St. Martin Church - was raised in 1637 in baroque style for the Discalced Carmelite nuns - now protestant church. The gothic crucifix above the altar is one of the oldest in Poland.
• Pijary Church - was built in 1718 by Kasper Bazanka. The late baroque shape of the facade was made by Franciszek Placidi in 1759 based on the Il Gesu church in Rome, but aiming to enhance the frontal effect, the architect added a decorative top storey and flattened the divisions of the elevation.
• St. John's the Baptist and St. John's the Evangelist Church - built by Piotr Wlast from Skrzynno in the 12th century in romanique style. In the 17th century the church was altered in baroque style. The high altar contains a Renaissance painting The Mother of God redeeming the Slaves.
• St. Francis Church (Franciscans) - was founded in the first half of the 13th. century in romanique style. In the 15th century the church recieved its final gothic form. In 1850 the grand fire of Krakow destroyed much of the church. The reconstruction and redecoration took several dozen years. The present secession interior was made by Stanislaw Wyspianski. The most authentic part of the church is the northern elevation of the transept, surviving almost intact in its 13th century form. A place of special beauty are the Gothic cloisters surrounding the rectangular viridarium, dating mostly from the first half of the 15th. century.
• St. Barbara Church - was founded in the 14th century by Mikolaj Wierzynek as a gothic grave chapel. It was remodelled in the early baroque style in 1583 and housed a famous Jesuit college which competed with the Krakow Jagiellonian University. Next to the main entrance is the Gethsemane - a complex of stone sculptures by Veit Stoss.
• Reformatory Church of St. Casimir was built in 1666 together with the monastry in baroque style. In the crypta are graves of the brothers with mumified bodies, due to a special microclimate.
• St. Joseph Church - was built in 1694 at the place of the Tęczyński Palace in baroque style. It was damaged in the big fire of 1850 but the interior was safed.
• Church Of Our Lady Of Snows - was constructed in 1632 founded by Anna Lubomirska as a vote to commemorate the victorious battle in 1621 in Chocim against the Osmans. It was destroyed during the Swedish invasion in 1655 and rebuilt in 1671. The main altar has the painting of the "Our Lady Of Snows", the gift from the Pope Urban the VIII. Next to the church stands a cloister with some fragments of the defensive medieval architecture, like a brick tower from the 13th century.

Monastries

• Dominicans - the Dominicans came in 1222 to Krakow. After the destructions by the Tatars they rebiult the monastry. Duke Leszek the Black of Krakow and Bishop Iwo Odrowaz were burried inside the church in the 13th century. Also the great Italian Humanist Fillipo Callimachus was burried there in the 15th century. His grave was made by Veit Stoss and Peter Vischer. There are thirteen chapels inside the church, the Sobieski Chapel with graves of the family of king Jan III Sobieski, the golden Myszkowski Chapel full of pretty baroque and gold, the manierist Dominacan Chapel by Santi Gucci are the most beautiful. The Renaissance cross ways are full of etitaphes and baroque paitings by Tomasz Dolabella. A beautiful romanique Crypta is under the cross ways.
• Franciscans - the Franciscans came in 1237 to Krakow. Their first monastry was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241 and 1259. But already in 1249 the second and in 1260 the present building was finished and in 1269 the saint Salomea was burried inside the St. Francis Church. In 1462, 1655 and 1850 parts of the monastry burned. The inside is gothic and secession. The famous window Good Father the Creator by Stanislaw Wyspianski is there. The crossways are very worth seeing with their gothic frescos. It is a basilica since 1920.
• Klarysek is a small monastry near the Wawel.
• Dominikanek is a small monastry east of the Little Market.

University Buildings

• Collegium Maius - is the oldest of the university biuldings of the 1364 errected University of Krakow. It has been completed until 1400 and has preserved its gothic scape. It has a beautifull court yard and chambers, of which the stuba communis is considered to be the most important. Niclaus Copernicus, Jan III Sobieski and John Paul II studied here. Nowerdays there is a university museum in the building with the instruments of Copernicus, the first globe with America, and many other mediviael instruments. The first liquefaction of oxygen was there in the 19th century.
• Collegium Novum - is one of Central Europe most beautifull neogothic buildings. It has been biult in the 19th century and is the headquaters of the Jagiellonian University since than. The big neogothis stairway inside the building are very worth seeing.
• Collegium Juridicum - a gothic building in the oldest part of the Old City "Okol" oposit to the Peter and Paul Church. It has a very nice Renaissance Yard with Arcades and Sculptors of Igor Mitoraj
• Collegium Medicum - a Renaissance building academic part of the Old City oposit to the St. Anna Church, which is the university church since 1409 - now baroque. It has a very nice Renaissance Yard with Arcades.
• Pope John Paul II Akademia - big neogothic building under the Wawel Castle and Cathedrale at the beginning of the Planty Park.

Fine Bourgeois Houses

• Kamienica Jana Dlugosza (Jan Dlugosz House)
• Kamienica Hippolitow (Hippolitow House)
• Kamienica Pralatow (Pralatow House)
• Kamienica Bonerowska (Boner House)
• Kamienica Czynciela (Czynciel House)
• Kamienica Dziekanska (Rektors House)
• Kamienica Hetmanska (Hetman House)
• Kamienica Margrabska (Dukes House)
• Kamienica Montelupich (Montelupi House)
• Kamienica Pecherza (Pecherz House)
• Kamienica Pod Jaszczurami (House under the Lizards)
• Kamienica Szara (Grey House)
• Kamienica Szolajskich (Szolajski House)

Monuments

• Mickiewicz Monument - on the Main Marketplace to honor the greatest Polish poet of the Romantism, errected in the late 19th century
• Krakow Student Monument - on the St. Mary´s Square a small scuptor of the Veit Stoß Altar, errected in the 20th century
• Copernicus Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the greatest Polish astronom, errected in 1823
• Kosciuszko Monument - on the Wawel to honor the Polish and American General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, errected in the early 20th century
• John Paul II Monument - on the yard of the Bishops Palace to honor the Polish pope John Paul II, errected in the late 20th century
• Cardinal Sapieha Monument - in front of the Bishos Palace to honor the Krakow cardinal Sapieha who served as cardinal during both World Wars, errected in the middle 20th century
• Dragon Monument - in front of the Wawel a scuptor of the legendary dragon besides the Dragon Cave, errected in the 20th century
• Skarga Monument - - on the St. Mary Magdalena´s Square to honor the Polish bishop and early baroque writer Piotr Skarga, errected in the early 20th century
• Dietl Monument - on the All Saints Square to honor the great Krakow Town Chief and Rector of the University Prof. Dr med. Jozef Dietl, errected in the 19th century
• Fredro Monument - in front of the Slowacki Theatre to honor the great Polish poet and play writer Aleksander Fredro, errected in the late 19th century
• Jagiello and Jadwiga Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the Polish king and queen Wladislaw Jagiello and Jadwiga, errected in the late 19th century
• Balucki Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the Polish poet Balucki, errected in the late 19th century
• Zaleski Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the Polish poet Zaleski, errected in the late 19th century
• Grottger Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the Polish painter Balucki, errected in the late 19th century
• Boy-Zielinski Monument - in the Planty Park to honor the Polish poet Boy-Zielinski, errected in the early 20th century
• Grazyna Monument - in the Planty Park to remember the fictive Grazyna from a play of Slowacki, errected in the late 19th century
• Weneda Monument - in the Planty Park to remember the fictive Grazyna from a play of Slowacki, errected in the late 19th century
• Grunwald Memorial - in front of the Barbakan to remember the battle of Grunwald 1310, errected in the late 19th century
• Katyn Memorial - in the Planty Park to remember the victimes of Katyn 1941, errected in the 20th century
• Strzenecki Monument - on the Main Marketplace in front of the Celler under the lambs to honor the Polish writer and cabaretist, errected in the late 20th century

Parks

• Planty
• Wawel Gardens
• Franciscus Gardens

Theatres

• Teatr Slowackiego (Slowacki Theatre)
• Stary Teatr (Old Theatre)
• Teatr Kameralny
• Scena pod Ratuszem (Scene under the Town Hall)
• Cricot

Museums and Galleries

• Museum of the Wawel Castle
• Museum of the Wawel Cathedrale
• Royal Graves in the Wawel Cathedrale
• Czartoryski Museum
• Veit Stoss Altar in the St. Mary´s Church
• Museum in the Cloth Hall
• University Museum
• Museum of the Town of Krakow
• Museum in the Town Hall
• Museum in mediviael art
• Museum of the Main Marketplace
• Jan Matejko Museum
• Stanislaw Wyspianski Museum
• Tadeusz Kantor Museum Cricot
• Pharmasie Museum
• Archeological Museum
• Bunkier Sztuki

Ten best known pieces of Art in the Old City

• Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci - Renaissance painting considered to be one of the best portraits ever painted, also called the Polish Mona Lisa, in the Czartoryski Museum
• Sarmater by Rembrandt van Rijn - Baroque Painting of the Bible Scene, in the Czartoryski Museum
• St. Mary´s Altar by Veit Stoss - biggest and most beautiful gothic altar worldwide, in the St. Mary´s Church
• Grave of king Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk by Veit Stoss - gothic grave cut in marmor in the Wawel Cathedral
• Grave of the kings Sigismund I and Sigismund II by Bartolomeo Berrecci - Renaissance graves cut in marmor in the Sigismund Chappel in the Wawel Cathedral
• Grave of king Stefan Batory by Santi Gucci - Manierist grave cut in marmor in the Wawel Cathedral
• Holy Family Bonifacio Veronese - Renaissance painting in the Wawel Castle
• Angel Simone Martini - early gothic painting in the Wawel Castle
• Szal (Madness) by Wladyslaw Podkowinski - Secession painting in Cloth Hall Museum
• Potocki Statue by Bertel Thorvaldsen - Classical grave cut in marmor in the Wawel Cathedral

Ten best Pubs and Clubs

There are dozens of good pubs and clubs around the Main Market Square and many more in the surrounding streets. It is not easy to choose the ten best.

• Nowy Kuzyn (Maly Rynek), typical underground Polish bar with good darts machine and nice people.
• Pauza, (Florianska 18/3 - pauza.pl), a long-time trendy bar in the centre of Krakow, popular with cool students!
• Still Bar (ul Golebia), Tiny bar full of odd people. Cheap beer, great to pick up an older man.
• Jazz Club u Muniaka (ul. Florianska 3), real good Polish jazz played by Trio Muniaka.
• Pod Jaszczurami, (Main Marketplace 8), legendary student club with live music!
• Pod Jemiola (ul. Florianska 20) very goog music in an old monastry.
• Nowy Kuzyn (Little Market 4), jazz and rock music, very beautiful rooms.
• Climatic, (ul. Slawkowska 13/15), dancing music.
• Frantic (ul. Szewska), house music.
• Harris Piano Jazz Club, Rynek Główny, next to the police station; jazz and blues music.

Buy

Eat

• Wierzynek, (Main Marketplace 15), traditional Polish cuisine, according to the legends, the oldest restaurant in Poland. Mikolaj Wierzynek invited several kings and the German Emperor in 1364 to a feast there and gave them the golden dishes they ate from.
• C.K. Dezerter, (ul. Bracka 6), tel 012-422 79 31, fax 012-422 42 51 - very warm and friendly, the posh side of rustic in atmosphere and decor. The food is a great blend of traditional Polish and mainly central European cuisine, large portions and exceedingly good value. A good meal with a glass of wine should set you back about 50-60 zl.
• Cechowa, (ul. Jagiellonska 11), traditional Polish cuisine, not expensive. A TAM exhibition in the pub in the celler.
• Chimera, (ul. sw. Anny 3), traditional Polish cuisine, not expensive. Beer garden and wine cellar. A big variety of salats. In the yard of a Renaissance house and a fireplace.
• Cyrano de Bergerac, (ul. Slawkowska 26), very good wine and French cuisine. Expensive.
• Da Pietro, (Main Marketplace 17), Italian cuisine, very good pizzas.
• Jadlodajnia u Stasi, (ul. Mikolajska 16), traditional Polish cuisine, not expensive. You can meet Polish artists there.
• Paese, (ul. Poselska 24), cuisine from Corse, a lot of fish dishes.
• Poezja Smaku, (ul. Jagiellonska 5), traditional Krakow cuisine.
• U Szkota, (ul. Mikolajska 4), traditional Scottish cuisine, garcons with Scottish skits.
• Babcia Malina, (ul. Slawkowska; and at the northern side of AGH Main Building at Mickiewicza Avenue), very good and very cheap students´ restaurant with Polish cuisine. Self service but very nice interior. Big dishes for 2 Euro !!!! Not easy to find in a celler of the PAN. Ask students for Babcia Malinka. No alcohol, no smoking.

Drink

Cafes

The cafe tradition of Krakow reaches the Battle of Vienna in 1683, when the Polish husars returned with a lot of conquered Osman Coffee. Some of the most famous cafees are:

• Camelot (ul. sw. Tomasza 17) with naive art pictures and good szarlotka (cream cake). Klezmer music and cabaret Loch Camelot.
• Cafe Larousse (ul. sw. Tomasza 22) very good coffee with The Great French Encyclopedia on the walls.
• Jama Michalika (ul. Florianska 45) the most famous cafe in Krakow, with seccession interior. The legendary cabaret Zielony Balonik (Green Balloon) was there in the 19th century. Most Polish artists of Young Poland met here and left some pieces of art.
• Maska (ul. Jagiellonska 1) in the seccession Old Theatre with very extravagant drinks.
• Mozaika (ul. Golebia 5), artistic interior.
• U Literatow (ul. Kanonicza 7) very cultural cafe, meeting point of poets and writers.

Sleep

• Hotel Pod Roza; [6] (Florianska 14), the oldest and by many considered to be one of the best hotels in Poland. Very good restaurant and wine cellar. Tsar Alexander I and Franz Liszt stayed there. A Renaissance building with a beautiful gate. Read the latin writing above the entrance :).
• Hotel Grand; [7] (Slawkowska 5/7) traditional luxury seccession palace belonging once to the Czartoryski Family - who founded the Czartoryski Museum in the 18th century not far away.
• Hotel Copernicus; [8] (Kanonicza 16) is tucked away on one of Krakow's most beautiful streets, Kanonicza. If you're looking for an authentic european feel, while maintaining a five-star experience, this is the place. Expensive.
• Hotel Wentzl; [9] (Main Marketplace 19) is one of the best known high class hotels in Krakow, and the only one located right on Rynek Główny. Set in a 15th century house, John Wentzl opened the Wentzl restaurant in this building in 1792.
• Hostel Rynek7; [10] (Main Marketplace 7) The best location in Krakow - the Main Square. View on the market from every window!
• The Stranger Hostel; [11] The only hostel with an entertainment and media den that's built a reputation as a social hub. The hostel offers broadband internet connections, Wi-Fi, fast computers, DVD movies and X-Box games projected onto a 3-meter screen!

Contact

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