The Old Town
The Old Town is ringed by the Planty, a park laid out where the city walls once stood. At its heart is the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, with the Cloth Hall in the middle and St Mary's Basilica on one corner. Every hour a trumpet call is played from the basilica tower and stops abruptly mid-tune.
The historic centre, including the Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Three days in Kraków
Day 1: Old Town and Wawel
- Walk the Royal Road from the Barbican and Florian Gate, through the Main Square, down to Wawel Hill.
- Visit the cathedral and the castle. Wawel has several separate exhibitions with their own tickets, so choose in advance.
- End the day by the Vistula river below the castle walls.
Day 2: Kazimierz and Podgórze
- Explore Kazimierz, for centuries the centre of Jewish life in Kraków, with synagogues, cemeteries and lively squares.
- Cross the river to Podgórze, where the wartime ghetto was located. The museum in the former Schindler factory tells the story of the city under occupation.
- Kazimierz is a good place to eat and drink in the evening.
Day 3: a day trip
Choose one: the Wieliczka Salt Mine, with chambers and chapels carved from salt, or the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Doing both in one day is exhausting and leaves little room for reflection.
Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau
The former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp is about an hour or more from Kraków by bus or road. It is a place of memory, and visits need planning.
- Reserve entry in advance. Entry cards are allocated for set times and popular slots fill early. Use the memorial's official booking site.
- Allow most of a day. Visiting both Auschwitz I and Birkenau, plus travel, takes many hours.
- Check the bag rules. Only small bags are allowed inside. Check the current size limit before you go.
- Plan something quiet afterwards. Many visitors find a calm evening helps.
Money and transport
- Currency: Poland uses the złoty, not the euro. Cards are widely accepted. If a card machine offers to charge you in your home currency, choosing złoty is usually cheaper. See money and phone tips.
- Getting there: fast trains link Kraków with Warsaw in around two and a half hours. The airport has a rail link to the main station.
- In town: the centre is walkable. Trams cover longer hops; buy a ticket before or immediately after boarding and validate it if required.
When to go
Late spring and early autumn are mild and pleasant. Summer is warm and busy. Winter is cold, often below freezing, but the Christmas market on the Main Square and quieter streets have their own appeal.
Check before you go: opening days, ticket types and entry rules for Wawel, the salt mine and museums change by season. Confirm on each official site.