By air
Kraków John Paul II (KRK), ~15 km
Europe · Poland
Kraków, Poland
A royal old town and the Wawel
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September; December for the markets
Don't miss
The Main Market Square
Wawel Castle
St Mary's Basilica
The Cloth Hall
Things to do
The Main Square
Wawel Castle
The Wieliczka salt mine
A memorial visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: XEvansGambitx · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
The Kazimierz quarter's courtyards
Questions travellers ask
Is December a good time for Kraków?
Yes — for the markets. The other window is May to September. Pack layers either way.
Where should I start in Kraków?
The Main Market Square, St Mary's Basilica and the Cloth Hall, then Wawel Castle.
Is there more to Kraków beyond the main square?
Explore the Kazimierz quarter's courtyards, see the Wieliczka salt mine, and make a memorial visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
What's good to eat in Kraków?
Pierogi, obwarzanek and zapiekanka.
About Kraków
- Riverside
Where it is
Kraków is a city in southern Poland, the capital of the Lesser Poland region, on the Vistula river beneath Wawel Hill, north of the Tatra Mountains.
History
Kraków became the seat of Polish monarchs in 1038 and remained the official capital until 1596, and many Polish kings were crowned and buried in Wawel Cathedral. King Casimir the Great founded its university, today's Jagiellonian University, in 1364, and in 1978 the Old Town became one of the world's first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
People
Kraków's people speak Polish, and the city is one of Poland's great university and cultural centres. Local specialities include the obwarzanek, a ring-shaped bread sold from street carts, and old traditions include the Lajkonik procession and szopki, glittering nativity scenes made each Christmas.
Known for
- The Main Market Square and Cloth Hall
- Wawel Castle and Cathedral
- St Mary's Basilica and its hourly bugle call
- The Kazimierz district
- The Wieliczka Salt Mine nearby
Did you know?
The hejnał bugle call, played every hour from the tower of St Mary's Basilica, breaks off mid-note in memory, legend says, of a trumpeter struck by an arrow during a Tatar raid.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.