Things to Do in Krakow in 2 Days

A historic centre listed as a World Heritage Site, a Jewish quarter steeped in centuries of history, and an increasingly vibrant atmosphere are just some of the many reasons to visit Kraków. Two days is the minimum amount of time you should spend in the city to see most of its attractions.

The medieval historic centre of Kraków is undoubtedly the most visited area by tourists. Within the old walled city lie many of the must-see monuments, churches and buildings, as well as a large number of shops and restaurants.

Its cobbled streets, lined with beautiful pastel-coloured houses, are perfect for strolling through and discovering something new at every turn.

The best way to explore this area is to book a guided tour, though you can also do it on your own.

Enter the historic centre through Florian’s Gate and discover the Barbican and the walls

To enter Stare Miasto, head towards Matejko Square, where a equestrian statue of Władysław II, one of Poland’s kings, stands. The complex is known as the Grunwald Monument.

For centuries, the old town was enclosed by walls, of which only a few hundred metres remain. The entrance to the town was the Florian Gate, built in the 13th century. Today, it is the only remaining gate and is the perfect place to start your visit to the historic centre.

In this area, before venturing deeper into the medieval centre, you can also see the Carpenters’ Tower, the Joiners’ Tower and part of the old city wall.

Stroll down Florianska Street

To continue the tour, head down Florianska Street, which leads from the Barbican (a late 15th-century fortification that now hosts exhibitions) to the heart of the medieval city.

This street is not only the best known in Kraków, but is also famous throughout Poland, and every metre of it is full of charm. Although it is now lined with shops, cafés and restaurants, these are housed in historic buildings that are a delight to behold:

• Matejko House, at number 41 on the street. This house was the residence of a famous painter of the same name, and today it houses a museum featuring his works, as well as some military artefacts and historical costumes that he himself collected.
• The Jama Michalika café, a place that served as a meeting point for the city’s artists and journalists in the 19th century. Its interior is decorated in Art Nouveau style and is well worth a look.
• The Pod Hotel Roza, with its 16th-century Renaissance portal, and other historic houses lining the street are further sights to look out for as you stroll.

The Market Square, the heart of the Old Town

At the end of Florianska Street lies Kraków’s Market Square, undoubtedly the most famous spot in the whole of Kraków. The buildings in the square, both those you can visit and those you cannot, are well worth spending a good while exploring.

This square, which hosts a fabulous Christmas market at Christmas and stalls selling crafts from various neighbouring countries at Easter, has a number of attractions that are well worth exploring in more depth:

• St Mary’s Basilica: this is one of Kraków’s most important churches. You can climb its towers to take in the views.
• Cloth Hall: this former market houses two different museums and souvenir stalls.
• Old Town Hall Tower: built in the 16th century, you can climb up to the viewing platform it houses, though you should be prepared for a narrow staircase with over 100 steps.

Joaquín’s Traveller Tip:

Every hour, a small door opens in one of the towers of St Mary’s Basilica and a trumpeter emerges to play a short tune. If you’re in the area, it’s a fun moment to spend in the square.

Grab a bite to eat in the area

This might be a good time to recharge your batteries. So you don’t have to stray too far from the route, I suggest you eat at one of these restaurants near the square:

• Milkbar Tomasza: this place is a sort of modern take on traditional Polish milk bars. Prices are very low and service is very quick. Another advantage is that it has an English menu. It’s on Świętego Tomasza Street.
• Chlopskie Jadlo: although the price is high by Polish standards (around €15 per person), this traditional restaurant is well worth a visit, particularly as it’s right in the city centre. You can order everything from traditional pierogis to zurek soup. It’s at number 9 Grodzka Street.

Joaquín’s Traveller Tip:

Mealtimes in Poland are earlier than in Spain. Lunch is usually served around 1 pm, although in most places you won’t have any problems if you arrive up to an hour later.

Follow in Copernicus’s footsteps at the Collegium Maius

Still within the historic centre lies the Collegium Maius. The building, which has been renovated several times, was built in the 15th century and has seen such important figures as Nicolaus Copernicus pass through its classrooms.

A tour of the interior, which is only available as a guided tour, is truly fascinating. In its rooms, you’ll be able to see a large number of objects related to almost every field of knowledge: physics, chemistry, meteorology, cartography and, of course, astronomy.

The building’s courtyard, with its fountain, is another must-see. On one side stands an old clock which, every two hours, opens to reveal several wooden figurines parading whilst music plays.

Lose track of time at Wawel Castle

The next stop on the tour is at the top of a small hill. This is Wawel Castle, a fortification over 1,000 years old that served as the seat of the Polish monarchy until the 17th century.

My recommendation is that you book a guided tour of Wawel Castle to explore the rooms open to the public in depth:

• Lost Wawel: an exhibition on the history of the hill, located in the palace basement.
• State Rooms: a number of rooms featuring furniture, paintings, tapestries and other original objects from the palace.
• Royal Apartments: the rooms where the royal family lived.
• Treasury and Armoury: as the name suggests, here you can see jewels, weapons and armour.

In addition to these indoor visits, the castle also has an outdoor garden that is well worth a leisurely stroll.

Don’t miss Wawel Cathedral

Still within the castle complex is the impressive cathedral dedicated to St Stanislaus, which you can enter free of charge. However, if you want to explore it in depth and learn about its history, you can do so by choosing the option to book a guided tour of Wawel Castle that includes entry to the Cathedral.

Inside, you can see the Sigismund Chapel, which does require a ticket, built in a beautiful Renaissance style and featuring a stunning dome. It is also essential to take a look at the Mausoleum of St Stanislaus and the crypt where several of the country’s kings are buried.

If you wish, it is also worth climbing the Sigismund Tower to see the impressive 16th-century bell that was installed in the complex’s defensive towers.

Walk along Grodzka Street until you reach the Market Square again

As you walk down the hill, look for the start of Grodzka Street, one of the busiest in the city centre. As well as shops and beautiful buildings, this street is home to the Church of St Peter and St Paul, one of the most beautiful in the whole country, particularly for its exterior decoration. My advice is to take your time strolling down this street and, now and then, take a detour onto its parallel street, Kanonicza Street, to admire some Renaissance houses and other churches.

At the end of the day’s tour, you’ll return to the Market Square. Stay there to see the night-time illuminations and find somewhere to have dinner.

If you’ve still got energy to spare and want to enjoy the best atmosphere in the city, don’t miss the Krakow pub crawl. Five hours of non-stop partying!

Many tourists choose the morning of their second day to take a trip to Auschwitz or visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines. However, there are still plenty of things to see in Kraków, especially if you want to get to know the city in depth, so the decision is yours.

If you decide to finish exploring the city, for this second day I have set aside the Jewish Quarter and the remains of the city’s infamous ghetto.

Explore Kazimierz, the thriving Jewish quarter

After a leisurely breakfast, the tour will begin in this beautiful neighbourhood situated south of Wawel Castle. The area is easily accessible on foot from the city centre, but if your hotel is too far away or you simply don’t feel like walking, you can always take a tram that drops you off at the entrance to Kazimierz, Kraków’s Jewish quarter.

Kazimierz began as an independent town founded in the 14th century, but by the 19th century it had become part of Kraków. From its foundation until the Second World War, it was home to the Jewish community. Today, the district is home to the second-largest collection of Jewish monuments on the continent, second only to Prague.

To get to know the area well, you can book a tour of the Jewish quarter or simply wander the streets discovering its charming corners. If you go on a Sunday, don’t miss the antiques market held in Nowy Square

Step inside the Old Synagogue to learn about Jewish culture in Kraków

No tour of the Jewish Quarter would be complete without a visit to the Old Synagogue, located on Szeroka Street, the oldest Jewish temple in the country.

As well as admiring its exterior, it’s well worth going inside to visit the Museum of Jewish Culture. Once you’ve paid the entrance fee, you’ll be able to witness the history of the Jewish community in Kraków through the exhibits on display. You will thus learn about their culture, their dress, their celebrations and, perhaps most strikingly, the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

Apart from the artefacts and photographs in the museum, the highlight of the synagogue’s interior is the prayer hall, featuring an altar where the Torah was read and a niche where the sacred texts were kept.

Discover the cemetery of the Remuh Synagogue

Another synagogue in Kazimierz that you must visit is Remuh (also subject to an admission fee), built in the 16th century. Despite being the smallest in the quarter, it is the only one that still retains its religious function.

Behind the main building lies a very interesting cemetery. Unfortunately, some of the oldest graves were destroyed by the Germans and their remains used as paving stones for the streets.

Stroll through the quarter and admire the Isaac Synagogue and the Tempel Synagogue

As you stroll through the neighbourhood’s streets, be sure to look out for two other synagogues. Although you can enter both, it may actually be enough just to view them from the outside.

The first is Isaac’s Synagogue, at 18 Kupa Street. The building, with its fairly simple architecture, was built in the 17th century on the commission of a Jewish banker and merchant.

The other synagogue you should visit is the Tempel Synagogue, the last to be built in Kazimierz in the late 19th century. The highlight of the building is its stained-glass windows.

Eat in the Jewish Quarter

There’s no doubt that as you strolled through the quarter, you’ll have noticed the large number of restaurants lining its streets. Those near the Old Synagogue are slightly more expensive, but they offer a good selection of kosher dishes, which you’ll discover if you book a food tour of Kraków.

If you prefer something less touristy, there’s no shortage of options in the quarter, such as the simple Polakowski Restauracja (on Miodowa Street) or Kuchnia Domowa Sąsiedzi (on the same street).

A visit straight out of a film: Oscar Schindler’s factory

To reach the next stop on the itinerary, you’ll need to leave the Jewish Quarter and cross the Vistula River via the Powstańców Śląskich Bridge. Then, look for Lipowa Street, where you’ll find what is known as Schindler’s Factory.

Schindler was a German businessman who managed to save the lives of over 1,000 Jews by using his kitchenware factory for this purpose. Today, the factory houses the permanent exhibition “Kraków under Nazi Occupation”.

On the tour of Schindler’s Factory, you’ll learn about the city’s history during the Second World War, as well as see some of the props used in the filming of the movie that brought it worldwide fame.

The remnants of horror in Podgórze, the Jewish ghetto

Surrounding Schindler’s Factory are the remains of one of the most horrific places that existed in Kraków during the Second World War: the Jewish ghetto. The Nazis sent more than 15,000 people there to, in their own words, “cleanse the city of Jews”. To isolate them, they erected a wall surrounding the 30 streets where the deportees lived in overcrowded conditions.

Podgórze, the name of the district that housed the ghetto, has its centre in Bohaterów Square. A monument consisting of 60 chairs has been erected there to commemorate the Jews who were moved to the area.

On Lwowska Street and Limanowskiego Street, you can see the few remaining sections of the wall that surrounded the Jewish ghetto.

Step inside a hero’s business: the Eagle Pharmacy

On one corner of Bohaterów Square stands the Eagle Pharmacy (Apteka pod Orlem), known for its owner’s refusal to leave when the ghetto was established.

Unlike other shopkeepers in the area, the pharmacist chose to stay there and is believed to have helped save several of the Jews who were moved there. Inside, you can now see an exhibition on the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

Don’t miss the façade of the Catholic Church of St Joseph

Continuing along the riverbank, I recommend you stroll through the streets leading from the old ghetto until you reach the Catholic Church of St Joseph. Although its interior is quite simple, you mustn’t miss the chance to admire its splendid façade.

From here, continue walking towards the river until you cross it again, this time via the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Bridge.

Another highly recommended option is to hop on the Kraków sightseeing bus to round off your day by revisiting the city’s most interesting spots and, perhaps, discovering new ones that will leave you wanting to return.

Dinner at Plac Nowy

To round off the itinerary, head back into Kazimierz until you reach New Square, known as Plac Nowy in Polish. There you’ll see a circular building in the centre that was originally built to house a slaughterhouse. Today it’s packed with small stalls selling food, particularly zapiekanka, a sort of baguette topped with mushrooms and other ingredients.

Around the square, you’ll also find other stalls offering everything from grilled meats to homemade sausages. For dinner, there’s no better place than this, whether you sit on one of the few chairs provided in the area or on one of the benches in the square.