Weekend in Krakow. I think everyone has, have or will have it planned. And then the question will appear: What to see in Krakow? Of course, you cannot visit all of Krakow in two days, but you can see quite a bit and most importantly – you can experience the unique atmosphere of this city. So come on, I invite you for a walk around Krakow.

What to see in Krakow? Weekend guide

How to get to Krakow?

Before I will move to what is worth seeing in Krakow, I will start with a few directions on how to get there. If I can, I travel to Krakow by train. Traveling by car from Warsaw is absurdly long (it can drag up to 5 hours), so compared to 3 hours on the train spent over coffee and the press, the car is really a poor choice. There is also an airport in Krakow, which is a good option for those of you who live abroad. The city is well communicated, and its historical part can be visited on foot.

That is for the introduction, now let’s try to answer the question: What to see in Krakow?

Krakow – what to see?

St. Mary’s Church

Visiting Krakow can be started here. St. Mary’s Church is one of the most outstanding monuments of Krakow and Poland. There is one of the most beautiful gothic altars – the Great Altar by Wit Stwosz. There is a legend associated with two characteristic towers of different heights. It claims that the construction of the church was done by two brothers – the tower of the elder was growing very quickly, in contrast to the younger brother’s tower. He, in the act of jealousy, decided to stab his brother. When he realized how horrible deed he had done, he jumped from the tower out of despair. The dagger was placed at the gate of the cloth hall, as a warning to the residents of Krakow. A characteristic melody of the bugle call played on the trumpet comes every hour from St. Mary’s Church. If you want to see Krakow from a different perspective, head to the top of the tower, where you can see the panorama of the city.

Cloth Hall

Its name comes from the cloth sold here back in the day. Today, in this characteristic building with arcades, there is a shopping arcade where various souvenirs are being sold. On the first floor there is the Gallery of 19th-century Polish Art, and right next to the Cloth Hall there is an entrance to the underground museum of the Market Square, which is definitely worth going to.

Underground Museum of the Market Square in Krakow

Under the surface of the Market Square in Krakow, there is a unique archaeological park in terms of its exposition and cognition. Eight meters underground, in the space of six thousand square meters you will see an unparalleled cross-section of the medieval city in Europe. Underground Museum in Krakow makes a huge impression – hundreds of monuments coexist with a modern multimedia exhibition. Very interesting place, save time and visit necessarily. It is good to book tickets in advance.

Historical Museum of the City of Krakow and Krakow’s nativity scenes

If you plan to visit Krakow in the winter, especially after January 6th, be sure to visit the Krzysztofory Palace on the Main Square, where the Historical Museum is located . This is where you will have the opportunity to see beautiful nativity scenes. Miniature, precisely made mechanisms that refer to the history, tradition and architecture of Krakow invariably make a great impression. While walking around the city you will be able to notice that nativity scenes are also being arranged in various places around the city, e.g. in restaurants, bookstores, streets or squares.

Small Market Square

Less known and attended square, where you will be able to admire centuries-old tenement houses. Best with good coffee in the hand.

Collegium Maius

The oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, hiding a unique beauty of its yard with arcades. Gem.

Wawel Royal Castle

What to see in Krakow? Wawel Royal Castle! The historic seat of Polish rulers is definitely an important point when visiting Krakow. The Wawel Royal Castle has over 7,000 square meters of space, has been destroyed and expanded many times over the years. Accurate sightseeing of the castle and exhibitions will take many hours, but you can approach the topic selectively and choose only the most interesting exhibitions. The courtyard of the castle is available free of charge, if you plan other Krakow sights and do not have too much time, come here to admire the buildings from the outside. The courtyard looks particularly beautiful in late spring, when it is beautifully flowered.

Planty

That is the most popular park in Krakow. It was founded in 1822 in the place of the former castle fortification, including the moat channel. Planty are divided into 8 gardens, they are approx. 4 km long and extend over an area of 21 hectares. The alley leading from ul. Franciszkańska towards the Wawel Hill is especially beautyfull . If you are on the Planty at the height of ul. Wiślna, pay attention to the 130-year old Platanus, which grows here. A pleasant place to walk, when you want to rest and be closer to nature.

Kazimierz

What to see in Krakow? Kazimierz of course, an old Jewish district. Kazimierz is a special place not only on the map of Krakow, but on the map of whole Poland. There is a specific climate here, there are a lot of interesting restaurants, cafes, shops and handicraft enterprises.. The following signs are still visible on the streets: „Aron Weinberg Fancy Products”, „Stanisław Nowak Grocery store”, „Holcer Carpenter”. Kazimierz is very trendy, tourists from around the world have fun here, from spring to autumn the district is teeming with life even late in the night, and on weekend mornings people appear on the streets no earlier than around 9 o’clock. I do not recommend Kazimierz as a place to stay, because the noise in the night definitely exceeds the norm. When you walk around Kazimierz, do not forget to take a walk along the ul.Józefa and visit the „Stajnia” pub, there is an amazing garden!

District of Podgórze and colorful stairs

Podgórze is located on the opposite side of the Vistula River than Kazimierz. A very nice neighborhood with pleasant streets. If you come to Podgórze, at ul. Tatrzańska you will find an unusual, colorful stairs on which various quotes from poets to cartoon characters are placed 😊 Such a curiosity.

I hope that thanks to this guide, you will easily be able to answer the question „What to see in Krakow over the weekend?”. Of course, it is worth spending a lot more time on visiting Krakow, because there are a lot of interesting places here, but if you’re going for a weekend, then seeing those listed places will surely fill all your time. I hope that thanks to this guide your weekend in Krakow will be very successful! Let me know which places in Krakow are worth seeing. In your opinion, I am curious about your tips.

Greetings,
Ewa

What to see in Krakow over the weekend?