Saint Mary's Basilica is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, rising over the Main Market Square with its distinctive pair of uneven towers. Its history stretches back to the early 13th century, when the original church was built on the foundations of an even earlier Romanesque structure. After the Mongol invasion of 1241 left much of Kraków in ruins, the church was rebuilt in Gothic style, taking on its recognizable form. Over the following centuries, it became one of the most important religious and artistic centers in the city.

Once you find yourself in front of the church, you can clearly see that the left tower is the taller one. In terms of design, it is more intricate than the right one, and its helmet has sharper spires. As you step inside, you will notice the soaring vaulted ceiling painted a deep blue and dotted with gold stars, creating a cosmic effect that draws the eye upward. However, the church’s most celebrated treasure is the monumental wooden altarpiece carved by German sculptor Veit Stoss in the late 15th century. Even though it is visible as soon as you enter the church, its beauty is best admired up close. The famous altarpiece can be found under the chancel opening, which is marked by a huge cross. Considered one of the greatest Gothic sculptures in Europe, the altarpiece depicts scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary in extraordinary detail, with dozens of figures carved from linden wood and highlighted with bold colors and gold leaf.

Another highlight is the basilica’s stained-glass windows, including some of Poland’s finest examples of medieval and 19th-century glasswork. The most impressive windows can be observed behind and beside the Veit Stoss masterpiece. Moreover, richly decorated chapels line the nave, showcasing centuries of donations by wealthy patrons, guilds, and noble families.

Outside, the basilica’s taller tower reveals its more distinct function. From this tower, every hour, a trumpeter plays a brief melody that ends abruptly, commemorating a legendary trumpeter who was shot while warning the city of a Mongol attack. The live performance of this bugle call remains one of Kraków’s most beloved traditions. Don’t miss it.

The Underground Main Square Museum spans almost 4,000 square meters and offers a rare chance to walk beneath the city’s medieval heart and explore centuries of buried history. Opened in 2010 after an extensive archaeological excavation, the museum was created when researchers discovered remarkably well-preserved layers of Kraków’s early marketplace beneath the current Main Square. These findings included foundations of medieval buildings, merchant stalls, workshop areas, and even the remnants of an earlier square that existed before the one laid out after the Mongol invasion of 1241.

The museum is designed as an immersive archaeological park that reveals how life in Kraków unfolded between the 11th and 18th centuries. Interactive exhibits, holograms, and multimedia reconstructions help visitors visualize the medieval trading hub that once thrived above. Among the most significant discoveries are the remains of wooden roads, stone market stalls, and traces of blacksmiths’ and goldsmiths’ workshops. One of the museum’s highlights is the preserved section of ancient city walls and a defensive walkway used by guards who protected the bustling market.

As you walk around the museum, you can also see artifacts uncovered during the excavation—coins, tools, jewelry, toys, and everyday objects that illuminate the daily routines of medieval townspeople. The museum cleverly places these items within archaeological layers, giving a sense of walking through history rather than simply observing it. Glass walkways let you peer directly down onto excavated structures, creating a dynamic connection to the past.

Another notable feature is the reconstructed medieval cemetery and the remains of a merchant’s house, offering insight into how people lived, traded, and moved through the city centuries ago.

Throughout the exhibits, atmospheric lighting, soundscapes, and historical maps reinforce the feeling of descending into Kraków’s buried world.

The Cloth Hall is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture standing at the heart of the Main Square. Its origins go back to the 13th century, when a long, narrow market hall was built to house textile merchants who traded cloth, leather, and luxury fabrics from across Europe and the East. After a devastating fire in 1555, the building was rebuilt in the elegant Renaissance style that defines it today, complete with arcaded loggias, decorative attic parapets, and richly sculpted ornamentation designed by Italian architects working in Poland.

For centuries, the Cloth Hall was the commercial engine of Kraków. Merchants gathered here to exchange textiles, spices, wax, salt from the nearby mines, and exotic goods brought along the Silk Road routes. The ground floor remained a bustling trading space well into modern times, featuring the same rows of wooden merchant stalls seen centuries ago. Today, these stalls sell traditional crafts, handmade jewelry, carved wooden items, amber products, and local souvenirs. There is no shortage of things to browse.

Above the market hall, the upper floor houses a branch of the National Museum known as the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art. Its beautifully restored exhibition halls display works by celebrated painters such as Jan Matejko and Józef Mehoffer, giving visitors a chance to explore Poland’s Romantic and realist movements in a suitably grand setting. The gallery’s windows also offer charming views across the Main Square.

Kraków’s Main Square is the largest medieval square in Europe, serving as the vibrant heart of the city for more than 750 years. Covering nearly 40,000 square meters, it was laid out in 1257 after the Mongol invasion, when Kraków was rebuilt according to a new urban plan that emphasized order, trade, and civic life. The square quickly became the centre of commerce and public events, surrounded by merchant houses, noble residences, and key municipal buildings. Over the centuries, it has witnessed royal ceremonies, markets, festivals, uprisings—everything under the sun.

At the center of the square stands the Cloth Hall, a Renaissance trading hall that once formed part of the city’s major commercial network. Today, it houses craft stalls on the ground floor and an art gallery upstairs, continuing its tradition as a marketplace. Nearby rises the iconic St. Mary’s Basilica, distinguished by its two asymmetrical towers.

Elegant palaces line the perimeter, many now home to museums, cafés, and restaurants. Beneath the square, the Rynek Underground Museum reveals archaeological traces of medieval market stalls, roads, and merchant activity, immersing visitors in the city’s early urban history.

The Town Hall Tower is one of the most distinctive landmarks on Kraków’s Main Market Square. Built in the late 13th century and reconstructed several times over the centuries, it originally formed part of Kraków’s grand Town Hall complex, which once dominated the eastern side of the square. While the rest of the Town Hall was demolished in the early 19th century during a wave of urban modernization, the tower survived and became an enduring symbol of the city’s historic heart.

Constructed from stone and brick, the tower leans slightly—about 55 centimeters—due to a powerful storm in 1703 that shifted its foundations. Its Gothic architecture is softened by later Baroque additions, including an ornate entrance portal and decorative interior details. One of its most prominent features is its elegant spire, which has been replaced more than once throughout history. Despite its refined appearance, the tower also housed a prison with torture chambers, reflecting the dual civic and judicial roles of medieval town halls.

Today, visitors can climb the tower’s narrow staircase to reach an upper viewing platform. The effort is rewarded with sweeping views over the Main Market Square, St. Mary’s Basilica, the Cloth Hall, and the tight medieval street grid that radiates from the city center. Along the ascent, small displays recount the tower’s history and offer insight into Kraków’s system of urban governance.

At the base of the tower, a stone lion and lioness flank the entrance—neo-Gothic sculptures added in the 19th century—symbolizing civic pride and strength.

The Great College is the oldest building of Jagiellonian University and one of the oldest university structures in Poland.

Its story begins in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. In 1400, after the university had been re-established, the reigning king donated a corner townhouse to the academy. From this modest start, over the course of the 15th century, adjacent buildings were acquired and merged. Fires in 1462 and 1492 damaged parts of the complex, but reconstruction and expansion after these events gave the building its late-Gothic appearance: a quadrangle around a courtyard with arcaded galleries.

For hundreds of years, Collegium Maius was the heart of academic life in Kraków. Lectures took place on the ground floor, while professors lived and worked on the upper floors. During the early modern period, and especially the Renaissance, the university became a renowned center for law, medicine, theology, mathematics, and astronomy, drawing students from across Europe. Among the students who passed through these halls was Nicolaus Copernicus, who studied here in the 1490s before going on to lay the foundations for modern astronomy.

In the 19th century, the building’s role shifted. After 1840, it was repurposed as the university library. Later, following World War II and restoration work, the Great College found new life as a museum: the Jagiellonian University Museum.

Today, the building is valuable for several reasons. Its peaceful inner courtyard can be accessed directly from the main gateway. Like many courtyards from the same period, its appeal lies in the elegant brick arcades that line the perimeter of the space. Highlights inside the college include the Common Room and the Great Hall. They can be reached via a broad stone staircase visible along the northern side of the courtyard. A wooden door awaits on the left once you reach the top of the staircase. The Common Room used to serve as the main gathering spot for scholars and it is filled with Gothic furnishings and portraits of university rectors. Meanwhile, the Great Hall is an atmospheric room, as it was used to host lectures and ceremonies. It features carved wooden benches, vaulted ceilings and portraits of notable professors.

Another side of the museum showcases a remarkable collection of old scientific instruments: astrolabes, globes (including an early 16th-century globe on which the newly discovered Americas appear), and astronomical, cartographic, chemical, and physical instruments used by scholars.

A charming modern touch is the clock mounted above the northwest arcade of the courtyard. Every two hours between 9 AM and 5 PM, it triggers a small mechanical procession of historical figures tied to the university’s past along with medieval music — a whimsical nod to centuries of academic tradition.

Presiding over the vicinity in its Gothic grandeur is the large Dominican temple, known as the Basilica of Holy Trinity. Ever since established in the mid-13th century, this church has been the stronghold of the Black Friar brotherhood in Krakow. In 1850 the building suffered severe damage from fire that had claimed one-tenth of the city. Sadly, the ensued reconstruction didn't do a particularly good job on the original, leaving behind traces visible today, albeit not to an untrained eye.

The Dominican friary adjoining the Basilica was founded by Saint Jacek Odrowaz, who is widely known internationally as San Jacinto. He died in Krakow in 1257 and his relics are enshrined in an upstairs sanctuary-chapel.

In 1289 Duke Leszek II the Black, the then ruler of Poland, was also interred in the temple, next to the high altar. Over the next few centuries, the Holy Trinity church had served as a resting place for many of Polish aristocrats. Among the notable mausoleums found here is the Chapel of Saint Dominic (Kaplica sw. Dominika), otherwise known as the Chapel of the Myszkowskis (Kaplica Myszkowskich), the second last in the right-hand aisle, dating back to 1614 and adorned with bas-reliefs of the 16 members of the Gonzaga-Myszkowski family buried inside. At some point, the image of Saint Dominic placed in the chapel’s altar in 1642 became famous for miracles.

In 1957, Pope Pius XII bestowed on Krakow’s Holy Trinity church the title of a minor basilica.

Today, the Basilica is open from 7 am to 8 pm or longer, but tourists are advised against visiting when there is a service. On Sundays and major Catholic holidays, the Holy Mass takes place at 8 am, 9 am, 10.30 am, noon, 1.30 pm, 3.30 pm (except for July and August), 5 pm, 7 pm, 8.20 pm, and 9.30 pm. On weekdays and Saturdays it is held at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, noon, 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7.30 pm.

Florianska Street is one of Kraków’s most famous thoroughfares, forming a key part of the historic Royal Route that once guided Polish kings from the city walls to Wawel Castle. Its origins go back to the city’s 13th-century reconstruction, when Kraków was rebuilt on a grid plan after the Mongol invasion of 1241. The street takes its name from St. Florian’s Church, located just outside the northern gate, and it quickly became one of the city’s busiest commercial arteries. By the late Middle Ages, the street was lined with the homes and workshops of merchants, craftsmen, and wealthy burghers whose fortunes were tied to the bustling Main Square nearby.

Over the centuries, Florianska Street developed into a showcase of Kraków’s architectural evolution. Many of the townhouses still standing today preserve Gothic foundations beneath Renaissance or Baroque façades, while several buildings feature ornate portals, painted ceilings, and preserved courtyards hidden behind unassuming entrances. Among its most notable sites is the famed Jama Michalika Cafe, a meeting place for early 20th-century artists and writers of the Young Poland movement. The street is also home to the Pharmacy Museum, displaying centuries of medical history within an authentic 14th-century building.

Florianska Street is above all an atmospheric passageway that leads straight from the medieval Barbican and St. Florian’s Gate into the Main Market Square. Shops, cafes, bookshops, amber boutiques, and bakeries line the route, making it one of the liveliest pedestrian streets in the Old Town. Street musicians often perform beneath the historic arches, and the view from the gate toward the twin towers of St. Mary’s Basilica is one of the most photographed perspectives in Kraków.

St. Florian's Gate Tower is one of the city's most historic and iconic structures. Originally built in the 14th century as part of the city’s defensive fortifications, it was named after St. Florian, the patron saint of Kraków. The tower is the northernmost point of the Royal Route, which was once used by Polish kings traveling from the city walls to Wawel Castle.

St. Florian's Gate served as a crucial point of entry into the medieval city, marking the transition from the outer defense wall to the heart of Kraków. The structure is a prime example of Gothic architecture, with its imposing stone walls, tall windows, and a battlemented roof. The tower's south face is adorned with a bas-relief of Saint Florian, while the north face is embellished with a stone eagle, carved in 1882.

Over the centuries, the gate underwent several modifications, including the addition of a watchtower. The most notable feature of St. Florian's Gate today is its charming, decorative tower. The tower’s stonework, a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles, is particularly admired for its detailed carvings.

The gate leads directly to Florianska Street, creating a seamless transition between ancient and modern Kraków.

The Wawel Royal Castle stands as one of Poland’s most important historical landmarks, a castle hill complex that oversaw centuries of national, royal, and artistic history.
The hill on which Wawel sits has been inhabited since ancient times, but Wawel began taking shape as a seat of power in the early Middle Ages, with the earliest stone buildings appearing around the 11th–12th centuries. Over the following centuries, successive rulers transformed the residence. In the 14th century, under Casimir III the Great, the castle was fortified and rebuilt in a Gothic style, establishing the core structure that would survive in part to this day.

The 16th century brought a major transformation under Sigismund I the Old. He commissioned Italian architects to rebuild and expand the castle, turning it into a Renaissance-style palace — a shift that reshaped Wawel from a medieval fortress into a grand royal residence. Over time, Baroque and later architectural layers were added, so today the castle exhibits a blend of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.

Wawel Royal Castle functions partly as a museum complex — the Wawel Royal Castle National Art Collection — offering access to royal apartments, state rooms, historic art, armor, furniture, tapestries, and a rich collection of paintings and decorative arts. Strolling through the arcade courtyard gives a sense of the Renaissance grandeur that reshaped the castle, while the various rooms and exhibitions reveal the lives of kings and the history of Polish statehood.

Among the standout attractions are the historic royal apartments and state chambers, furnishings, and art. For those interested in arms and military history, the museum’s collection of armor, weapons, and historic artifacts provides a vivid window into past conflicts and noble life. The castle’s collections also include fine tapestries, period furniture, ceramics, and decorative art — including items from across Europe and the Near East — showing Poland’s historical ties and international influences.

Beyond indoor treasures, the castle’s position on the hill beside the river, its layered architecture, and its atmosphere provide a strong sense of place — a fitting way to describe one of the earliest UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Wawel Cathedral in Kraków carries nearly a millennium of Polish history under its roof.

The earliest sacred building on the hill where the cathedral stands dates back to around the year 1000, when the local bishopric was established. That first church was replaced in the 12th century by a Romanesque basilica, consecrated in 1142. After that structure was destroyed by fire in 1305, a new cathedral was built — the building whose core survives today. Construction of the present Gothic-style nave and chancel began in the early 14th century and the church was consecrated in 1364.

Over the centuries, successive rulers and church dignitaries added chapels, tombs, and artistic touches. This gradual layering resulted in a rich mix of architectural styles: you’ll see Gothic foundations alongside Renaissance and Baroque chapels, Renaissance-era domes and neoclassical details reflecting later modifications. As soon as the cathedral enters your view, you will notice the varied exterior. There is a golden dome, a black dome, a traditional brick tower and two other brick towers topped by jade-green helmets.

Wawel Cathedral offers many points of interest. Among the highlights is Sigismund's Chapel — a Renaissance masterpiece sometimes hailed as “the most beautiful example of Tuscan Renaissance architecture north of the Alps.” Once you step inside the cathedral, the chapel can be reached by turning right into the south aisle. After passing a series of chapels marked by plaques, you will notice a wooden-like fence with a door at its center. That is the entrance to Sigismund's Chapel. Inside, ornate sculptures and the royal tombs of Sigismund I and his son Sigismund II Augustus reflect the wealth and power of the era when Poland was a leading European kingdom. From outside, Sigismund's Chapel is located under the aforementioned golden dome.

It is recommended that you also visit the crypts and tombs beneath the cathedral as this is where many of Poland’s kings, national heroes, and cultural icons rest.

Another compelling attraction of the cathedral is the Sigismund Bell — one of Poland’s most famous bells. It can be reached by turning left from the main altar and then right. A black crucifix is placed on the left wall and to its left there is a door which is the entrance to the bell tower. The massive bell is found at the top of the tower. Cast in the 16th century, its deep toll has echoed across generations and the bell remains an important symbol of national history.

Krakow is the perfect place to get lost in rich history and ancient lore. With castles, museums, traditional concert halls and mystical folklore, Krakow is the perfect blend that offers every visitor a reason to spend time here. The Dragon’s Lair is one such destination. Located on the foot of the Wawel Hill on the banks of the River Vistula, the Dragon’s Lair is a must visit in Krakow.

According to legend, in the time of King Krak, a dragon terrorized the city named after him. It demanded livestock or young maidens from the town. The king's daughter, Wanda, was almost sacrificed. None could defeat the dragon until a clever shoemaker named Dratewka used a sulphur-filled ram to make the dragon drink excessively. The dragon exploded, saving the town. Experience this tale at the Dragon's Lair.

Nowadays, the Dragon's Lair has become accessible to the general public during the summer season. Explorers will enter the cavern by means of an aged well, descending a distance of 21 meters to experience this exceptional location. The cave extends until it reaches the shores of the Vistula River. Emerging from the cave's entrance is a sizable statue resembling a dragon, meticulously crafted in the year 1971. This particular spot stands as a highly favored destination for tourists, particularly among children, as the dragon vividly exhales bursts of fire from its mouth at five-minute intervals.

For many centuries, Kazimierz thrived as a realm where Polish and Jewish cultures coexisted and blended harmoniously. The northeastern sector of the district held a rich Jewish history, with its Jewish residents being forcibly uprooted in 1941 by the occupying German forces to the Krakow ghetto just on the opposite side of the river in Podgórze. In the present day, Kazimierz stands as one of Krakow's foremost tourist destinations, playing a pivotal role in the city's cultural tapestry.

The genesis of Kazimierz owes itself to the efforts of King Casimir the Great, the namesake of the town. Yet, it was the decision of King Jan Olbracht that prompted the migration of Krakow's Jewish population to Kazimierz. Following this migration, instances of violence and clashes between these two predominant communities notably decreased. These communities coexisted relatively seamlessly until the early 19th century, when the distinct Jewish township was incorporated into Krakow. The intellectual and societal elite largely departed from Kazimierz during this period, gravitating toward other parts of Krakow. Nonetheless, within the old town, those who remained were primarily impoverished and orthodox Jews, and their presence is responsible for the enduring appreciation of the area's architecture and structures.

The upheaval of the Second World War further exacerbated the community's decline and desolation. By the conflict's conclusion, the once-vibrant Jewish enclave had been reduced to ruins, erasing a melting pot of unique and diverse Jewish heritage.

It wasn't until the year 2000, quite recently, that the most economically disadvantaged district of Krakow began to attract the attention of the burgeoning hospitality sector. Before long, the buildings became havens for some of the city's most charming cafes and restaurants. Additionally, each year at the close of June, Kazimierz hosts the Jewish Culture Festival, the largest of its kind in Europe, drawing in visitors from across the globe. The festival boasts an array of music from various regions, played by ensembles hailing from the Middle East, the USA, Africa, and beyond.

Why You Should Visit:
If you're looking for a place to wander pretty streets and dip in and out of nice places, then this is the area for you.

Tip:
If you head toward the corner of Ulica Józefa and Ulica Nowa, the walkways in that area are the perfect mix of local shops and atmospheric alleyways. You'll see lots of cute shops with fun graffiti and artwork painted on the side of them.