Choose from 79 Fun Things to Do in Poland
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Historical Museum of Krakow
With 14 outposts scattered across the city, Krakow’s Historical Museum (Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa) is headquartered at Krzysztofory Palace in the Old Town’s central square of Rynek Główny. This glorious 17th-century Baroque townhouse and its ornate stucco decor has been refurbished, and now houses a permanent exhibition on the urban development of the city. Look out for the portraits of civic leaders and a famous collection of traditional Krakovian Christmas cribs (called szopki in Polish). Another recent addition is the museum store full of beautiful coffee-table books and textiles.
Branches of the museum include the interactive displays of the Rynek Underground (Podziemia Rynku), also in the Rynek Główny; the Oskar Schindler Factory; the Barbican; the Old Synagogue in Ulica Szeroka and the Communist-built suburban town of Nowa Huta. There are several themed cycling trails— bikes can be borrowed from the museums—and walking routes uniting the venues across the city; the most popular of these is the Memory Trail, which incorporates the Schindler Factory, Eagle Pharmacy and the former Gestapo headquarters in Pomorska Street. Together these three permanent exhibitions unfold the story of Krakow during World War II and the subsequent Soviet Occupation.
Explore the museum on a two-hour guided tour of Oskar Schindler's Factory Museum or visit multiple branches at your leisure with a two-day hop on, hop off bus tour including museum admission.
Practical Info
The Historical Museum of Krakow includes 14 outposts around the city. Its main location is in Krzysztofory Palace in Old Town's central square, Rynek Główny. Since Old Town is pedestrianized, the museum is best accessed on foot.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm. Admission is 12 PLN for adults; 8 PLN for students and seniors; and 24 PLN for families. Admission and opening hours to other museum branches vary according to venue.
Entry to all is free with the Krakow Museums and Transport Official Pass.
Address: Krzysztofory Palace: Rynek Główny 35, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Tue–Sun: 10am–5.30pm
Admission: Varies
From $ 12
Great Barbican
In 1499 Krakow was a wealthy city under constant threat of attack, especially from the rampaging Ottomans. So they made themselves into a fortress. The Great Barbican is both the principal entry point to the city and a massive seven turreted point of defense. These days it looks like a fairytale city gate, back then it was either a massive relief to reach it with your wagons intact, or a deterrent to your planned attack on the city.
The actual gate to the city was St Florian's gate, linked to the Barbican by a covered passageway. But the Barbican and the series of moats and walls which lead away from it, ringing the city, were the first point of entry to Krakow in the Middle Ages. Today, you still enter the Old Town of the city through the impressive Barbican.
The actual gate to the city was St Florian's gate, linked to the Barbican by a covered passageway. But the Barbican and the series of moats and walls which lead away from it, ringing the city, were the first point of entry to Krakow in the Middle Ages. Today, you still enter the Old Town of the city through the impressive Barbican.
Practical Info
Entry to the Barbican is included in the ticket for Brama Floriana gate tower and the other medieval fortifications. You can walk the remaining city walls.
Address: Floriańska 55, Krakow 31-041, Poland
From $ 10
Archdiocesan Museum
The Archdiocesan Museum of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was originally founded in 1905, although not opened to the public until 1994. It was created to commemorate and advise the public of the artistic legacy of the Krakow bishopric. The buildings at 19 and 21 Kanonicza street that house the museum date to the late 14th century and today contains more than 600 works of art displayed in 16 rooms. The late Pope John Paul II, formerly known as Karol Wojtyla, resided there once as a young priest and again when he was the Archbishop of Krakow. The museum was named after him in 2005 and visitors are able to see the room where he lived from 1958 to 1967, as well as many of his personal effects, including his skis.
Museum displays showcase a variety of sacral art from the 13th to 18th centuries, including religious artifacts, sculptures and paintings. There is also a treasury of gifts presented to Archbishop from foreign heads-of-state and a set of furniture from 1905. Temporary exhibitions occasionally feature the works of contemporary artists.
Practical Info
The museum is open is located at ulitsa Kanonicza 19-21 and admission for adults is $1.50. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Address: Kanonicza 19, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Tues-Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission: $1.50
From $ 2
Cloth Hall
The focal building of Krakow’s fanciful Main Square (Rynek Główny), the Cloth Hall has stood in the same spot in various forms for about 800 years but was originally built to house the local textile traders. From its humble beginnings as a small open-air market, the Renaissance-style hall is now 354 feet (108 meters) long and hosts Krakow’s biggest and best souvenir market, with stalls on the ground floor selling painted eggs, amber jewelry, wooden puppets and organic goods. The hall is gloriously floodlit by night.
On the first floor of the Cloth Hall is the charming, revamped Gallery of 19-Century Polish Art (Galeria Sztuki Polskiej XIX wieku w Sukiennicach). It reopened in 2010 after an extensive facelift, and its artwork hangs in elegant Renaissance salons. The highlights are the two massive satirical works by Polish nationalist artist Jan Matejko.
Well below ground and actually constructed underneath the Cloth Hall, a fairly new addition to Krakow’s museum scene is the Podziemia Rynku (Rynek Underground). Romping through Krakow’s turbulent backstory from prehistory to modern day, the high-tech museum uses interactive displays, special effects, informative touchscreens and holograms to engage the public. After some five years of construction, during which time the Main Square was partially under cover, the museum finally opened in 2010.
Practical Info
Cloth Hall is located in Krakow’s Main Square. It is open daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., while the Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Admission to the gallery costs 12PLN. Rynek Underground opens at 10 a.m. daily but is closed every first Tuesday of each month. Admission costs 19PLN.
Address: Rynek Główny 1-3, Krakow, Poland
Admission: 19PLN
From $ 6
Family Home of John Paul II
Built around 1870, the tenement house at No 7 Kościelna Street where the Holy Father John Paul II was raised has been operating as a papal museum since 1984. Visitors may take a trip through different stages of the Holy Father’s life by touring the multimedia exhibition that invites reflection and shows what the climate and life was like in pre-war Wadowice. The museum attracts 300,000- 400,000 visitors each year to tour the few rooms in which John Paul was born and raised. The tour begins on the ground level and ascends by ramps to the top of the museum. The two main rooms of the original home are the central focus of the museum, with the multimedia exhibit constructed lovingly around them. The museum includes personal items that were meaningful in John Paul’s life, including the Vatican clock (which was stopped at the moment of his death) and the Polish bible, which was read to him by the sisters in his final moments.
Insider’s Tip: Be sure to try John Paul’s favorite cream cake (Kremowka), which can be found in most of the town’s bakeries and cafes.
Practical Info
Self-touring the museum is not allowed, but guided tours in different languages are included in the price of admission. The guided tour takes a little over an hour. On Tuesdays, entrance to the museum is free. No photography is allowed in the museum.
Address: Kościelna 7, Wadowice 34-100, Poland
Hours: May-September, 9am-7pm daily (last admission at 5:40pm); November-March, 9am-4pm daily (last admission at 2:40pm); April and October, 9am-6pm daily (last admission at 4:40pm)
Admission: 30 PLN includes guided tour
From $ 49
Gdansk Old Town
One of the largest historical centers in Europe, Gdansk’s Old Town will take you back to the Middle Ages. Due to significant damage during World War II, many buildings are reconstructions of their historic counterparts, but a good number of original structures do remain. Almost one third of the streets in the Old Town have had the same names for more than 500 years.
The Old Town doesn’t have a main square; instead, activity centers around the long pedestrian street known as Dlugi Targ, or Long Market. Standing in the middle of Dlugi Targ is the impressive Neptune Fountain, built in 1633. One highlight of any tour around the Old Town include the 14th century Gothic style city hall, which today is home to the Historical Museum of Gdansk. Another must-see is the House of Uphagen, an 18th century town house that offers a glimpse into how the wealthy burghers of that era lived. Also of note are the 12th century Green Gate, the Dlugie Ogrody (Long Gardens), the colorful and cobbled Mariacka Street, St. Mary’s Church and Targ Weglowy (Coal Square).
Practical Info
The Gdansk Old Town is easily walkable and joining a walking tour can be a great way to see the historic center. Flying into Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport, visitors can get to the center of the city by train or bus. Trains from elsewhere in Poland arrive at the main train station, just east of the city center. The main bus station is just behind the train station.
Address: Gdansk, Poland
From $ 93
Hipolit House
The Hipolit House is a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, containing recreations of townhouse interiors from the 17th to early 19th century. The house represents a typical home in Krakow from this time period. The outside of the building has a grand facade with a central entrance hall. A narrow staircase takes visitors to the upper floors of the three story house. Visitors can still see carefully preserved stucco decoration by Baldassare Fontana from the late 17th century on the first floor.
The permanent exhibition, Bourgeois House, shows how the interiors of the homes changed over the centuries. Visitors can see from this exhibition how the former wealthy citizens of Krakow lived. Furniture, paintings, fabrics, decorations, antique clocks and watches, and a variety of other objects show how the inhabitants arranged their homes. Through these details, visitors can get a glimpse of what life was like for the upper class during the 17th to early 19th century.
Practical Info
The Hipolit House is located at Plac Mariacki 3 (St. Mary's Square 3). Opening hours are 10am to 5:30pm Wednesday to Sunday, April to October; 9am to 4pm Wednesday and Friday to Sunday, and 12pm to 7pm Thursday, November to March. Admission is 9 PLN.
Address: Plac Mariacki 3, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Vary
Admission: 9 PLN
From $ 29
Chocholów
Chocolow is a tiny village sitting on the border with Slovakia in southern Poland with a great view of the surrounding Tatras Mountains. Dating back to the 16th century, the village has long been home to the indigenous Goral people and today represents the most complete survival of a traditional Goral village. As such, it has the feeling of an open air museum, with one main street lined with traditional wooden houses. The houses are protected by the Tatra Museum in nearby Zakopane and cannot be altered. They are also kept in pristine condition, with annual cleaning and polishes. The home at #24 is said to have been made entirely from a single tree, and the home at #75 features a small museum about the 1846 uprising in Chocholow against Austrian rule.
The only non-wooden building in town is St. Hyacinth’s Church, a stone Gothic church that was built to replace a wooden one in the 19th century. Next to the church is a monument to the Chocholow insurgents from the 1846 uprising, from where a hiking trail begins leading up to Mount Gubalowka.
Practical Info
Chocholow is a main border crossing point with Slovakia. It can be visited as part of a day tour from Zakopane or Krakow and can be reached by regular bus connections from Krakow.
Address: Chocholów, Poland
From $ 44
CRICOTEKA Museum of Tadeusz Kantor
Krakow's CRICOTEKA Museum is a theater, exhibition space and bookshop dedicated to a bizarre brand of experimental theater and the local man who created it in 1955: avant-garde and controversial playwright, designer, director and artist Tadeusz Kantor. Visitors to the museum will walk through bizarre theater set designs with spooky mannequins, marionettes and costumes on display. There is also a gallery showing Kantor’s work in Ulica Sienna, which housed his theater company Cricot 2, as well as frequent temporary exhibitions of art inspired by his ideas.
A visit to the museum provides a change from the historical monuments and buildings of Krakow, showing a more contemporary side of the city. Visitors will enjoy the modern architecture of the museum—a former power station turned riverfront exhibition space with a rusted metal and black glass exterior—and great views of the city and Vistula River.
Having moved its headquarters to the Podgórze district in 2014, the museum offers a modern piece of Polish cultural history in a clean, new and rarely crowded facility worth at least an hour's visit. Enjoy free admission to the museum and 40 other city attractions with a Krakow Museum and Transport Official Pass, including free, unlimited public transportation.
The CRICOTEKA Museum of Tadeusz Kantor is located at Ulica Nadwiślańska 2–4, in the Podgórze district of Krakowa on the banks of the Vistula River. It is accessible by trams 3, 9, 19, 24 and 50, alighting at Podgórze.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 7pm, and is closed on Monday. Admission is 10 PLN for adults; 5 PLN for seniors & students; and 15 PLN for family tickets. There is free entry on Tuesday. Visitors holding a Krakow Museum and Transport Official Pass are guaranteed free entry.
Address: Ulica Nadwiślańska 2–4, Podgórze, Krakow 30-527, Poland
Hours: Tue–Sun: 11am–7pm
Admission: Varies
From $ 29
Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art Museum
The very aptly named museum, which is located inside Krakow’s famous Cloth Hall, does indeed focus on 19th-century Polish art, with thousands of paintings and sculptures on display – thus making it the largest of its kind in the world. As it mainly consists of donations from local collectors and artists, the exhibit is rather small in size when compared to other national galleries in the world but is nonetheless quite significant in terms of Polish art. The various artworks are scattered across four different “19th-century salon”-themed halls, each named after a prominent Polish artist and defined by a specific historical period.
The Bacciarelli Room is all about Classicist, Rococo and even late Baroque painters such as Bacciarelli himself, Grassi and Krafft, with a strong emphasis on historical and battle scenes. The Michałowski Room is dedicated to Romanticism and Poland’s political scene at the time, with works from Artur Grottger, Piotr Michałowski, and Jan Nepomucen Głowacki, often regarded as the most outstanding landscape painter in Poland. The Siemiradzki Room revolves around nature, history, and mythology, and is dedicated to Henryk Hektor Siemiradzki, famous for his stunning portrayals of the Graeco-Roman world and the New Testament. Lastly, the Chełmoński Room is devoted to genre painting and Realism. It is notably more modern than the other rooms.
Practical Info
The Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art is housed on the upper floor of the Sukiennice Cloth Hall in Krakow’s old market square, Rynek Glowny. It is therefore easily reachable by foot and instantly recognizable. It is not advised to drive into Krakow’s old town center. The gallery is open every day except Monday from 10 AM to 6 PM. Entry is free for children under 7; it costs 1 złoty per child under 16 and students under 26, and 14 złoty per adult. Audioguides are available for hire for 7 złoty per person. A museum pass is available for 35 złoty and entitles its owner to enter all the branches and permanent exhibitions of the National Museum in Krakow.
Address: Rynek Główny 1-3, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Open every day except Monday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Admission: 14 złoty per adult, 1 złoty per child under 16
From $ 29
Galicia Jewish Museum
Entirely dedicated to honoring Holocaust victims and celebrating Jewish culture of the former Austro-Hungarian region of Galicia through photographs, this museum features poignant and contemporary exhibits that will leave no one indifferent. It highlights a time in Poland when the Jewish community flourished, choosing to focus on what was and what remains, rather than on what was annihilated. The main exhibition, called Traces of Memory, presents the work of photojournalist Chris Schwarz and depicts what is left of the Austro-Hungarian’s heritage through photographs of cemeteries, houses, synagogues and other structures that are still visible today, and that once were at the heart of the Galician Jewish community; it also features video testimony of survivors. Additionally, the Museum also hosts two to three temporary exhibitions as well as concerts and other commemorative events. Through its various exhibits, cultural center, and impressive Jewish library, the museum has been aspiring to transform the misconceptions about the Jewish heritage in Poland ever since it’s opening in 2004.
Practical Info
The Galicia Jewish Museum is located at Dajwór 18 in Kazimierz, Krakow’s Jewish quarter. It can be reached by taxi in 20 minutes, or by tramway from the city center via lines 3, 9, 19, 24 or 50. It is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, closed only on Yom Kippur and Christmas Day. Entry costs 15 złoty per adult, 10 złoty per student and 12 złoty per senior.
Address: Dajwór 18, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, closed only on Yom Kippur and Christmas Day.
Admission: 15 złoty per adult, 10 złoty per student and 12 złoty per senior.
From $ 5
Bonerowski Palace
The Bonerowski Palace is a luxury hotel in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town. Dating back to the 13th century, it was then significantly renovated in the 19th century, at which time the entire building was raised up to three floors and a new staircase was added.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the building has many remarkable features, including a 70-foot-long chandelier in the lobby (the longest in Europe), a Gothic pillar on the first floor and a 17th-century polychrome on the second floor. It was opened as a hotel in 2007 and has been named the best luxury hotel in Poland. The palace is perfectly situated to explore Krakow as it is within walking distance of a number of important attractions, including the Czartoryski Museum, the Collegium Maius building of Jagiellion University, the Dominican Church, the Franciscan Church and the Barbakan fortress. The palace windows also provide an exceptional view of St. Mary’s Basilica, Cloth Hall, St Wojciech Church and the Adam Mickiewicz monument.
Practical Info
The Bonerowski Palace is located in the center of Krakow at the corner of Sw. Jana Street and the Old Market Square. It features 15 guest rooms and apartments, and nightly prices range from around $150 for a deluxe room to more than $300 for an apartment.
Address: świętego Jana 4, Kraków, Poland
Admission: Varies
From $ 17
Dunajec River Gorge
The Dunajec River runs through the Pieniny Mountains from the northern part of Slovakia into southern Poland, forming part of the border between the two countries. The Dunajec River Gorge is one of the most scenic areas of the river and is currently on a list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage sites. Located within the Pieniny National Park, the gorge features layers of limestone and dolomite rock, with cliffs rising 300 meters above the river and is understandably one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.
One of the best ways to experience the gorge is undoubtedly by water, traveling along the river from the village of Sromowce Nizne to the town of Szczawnica by wooden canoe, traditional wooden raft or modern pontoon. The trip covers about 11 miles (18 km) and takes about two to three hours. In addition to rafting, there are hiking trails on either side of the gorge, as well as two castles worth visiting: Niedzica Castle and Czorsztyn Castle.
Practical Info
The Dunajec River Gorge is located about 50 kilometers from Zakopane and about 120 kilometers from Krakow. Without your own transportation, your best bet is to join a tour from either city.
Address: Poland
From $ 46
Ghetto Heroes Square
In March 1941, thousands of Krakow’s Jews were forcibly moved and incarcerated within the Podgórze ghetto south of Kazimierz. Plac Zgody, a large square in the heart of the ghetto, was the departure point during World War II for Jews boarding trains to Paszów, Auschwitz and various other camps. It has since been renamed Ghetto Heroes Square in honor of the Jewish deportees.
Today the entire square serves as a memorial to the Krakow Jews. Designed by local architects Piotr Lewicki and Kazimierz Latak, the memorial comprises 70 empty chairs placed at regular intervals throughout the open space — a chilling reminder of the furniture, luggage and other personal belongings that littered the square after the final deportations and razing of the ghetto in 1942 and 1943.
Practical Info
Visit at night, and you might see candles placed by locals as a mark of respect for lives lost.
Address: Plac Bohaterow Getta, Krakow, Poland
From $ 10
Ethnographic Museum of Krakow
Found in buzzing Kazimierz’s former town hall—itself a creamy-hued Renaissance masterpiece—Krakow’s superb Ethnographic Museum (Muzeum Etnograficzne) should be on everyone’s itinerary. The museum covers the history and culture of rustic Poland through the ages, with detailed reconstructions of 19th-century peasant rooms, schoolrooms and rural kitchens. The museum also has a fine collection of traditional musical instruments, colorful folk costumes and day-to-day utensils used in leather making, wood carving and farming. The highlight of a visit, however, is the display of ornately decorated Nativity cribs called szopki, which are traditionally painted red, green and gold and resemble multi-tiered Orthodox churches.
New permanent exhibitions are being curated, including displays on traditional Polish rituals such as the painting of Easter eggs and the delicate folding of paper flowers; another recent addition on the second floor of the museum contain more than 300 pieces of art spanning the last five centuries. A separate gallery for temporary exhibitions is found at Ulica Krakowska 46, which recently hosted an in-depth exploration of the customs and traditions of Polish weddings.
Practical Info
The Ethnographic Museum of Krakow is located a 20-minute walk from the city's Old Town, at Plac Wolnica 1. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 7pm, and is closed Monday.
Admission is 13 PLN for adults; 7 PLN for students and seniors; and 23 PLN for families. Visit the Ethnographic Museum for free with a Krakow museum and transport pass, which includes unlimited public transportation and admission to the city's top museums, like Rynek Underground and Oskar Schindler's Factory.
The museum is accessible by public transport, taking tram 6, 8, 10 or 13 to Ulica Wawrzyńca.
Address: Plac Wolnica 1, Poland
Hours: Tue–Sun: 10am–7pm
Admission: Varies
From $ 29
Home Army Museum (Muzeum Armii Krajowej)
Opened in 2000 in a handsome, red-brick former Austrian barrack dating from 1911, the Home Army Museum is a vital stop for anyone interested in Poland's role in World War II. The museum chronicles the story of the Polish Underground Movement and its armed resistance through to its official disbanding in 1945. While it operated, the Home Army was the most effective underground organization in occupied Europe and contributed significantly to the Allied war effort.
Among nearly 20,000 artifacts on display—mostly donated from veteran resistance fighters or their families and including propaganda posters, weapons, uniforms, memorabilia and documents—the museum displays an enormous collection of personal testaments, graphic images, documentaries and live war footage shot during WWII, all exhibited with the aid of innovative multimedia and interactive displays.
Entrance to the Home Army Museum is free with a Krakow museum and transport pass, which includes unlimited public transportation and admission to the city's top museums.
Practical Info
The Home Army Museum is located a 10-minute walk northeast from Krakow's Old Town at Wita Stwosza 12. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am to 6pm, and is closed Monday.
Admission costs 11 PLN for adults; 6 PLN for students and seniors; and is free on Sunday. Visitors holding a Krakow Museum and Transport Official Pass are guaranteed free entry.
Address: Wita Stwosza 12, Krakow, Poland
Hours: Tue–Sun: 11am–6pm; Closed Mon
From $ 29
Jagiellonian University
Founded in 1364, Jagiellonian University is the second oldest university in Central Europe. While it has survived to celebrate its 650th jubilee in 2014, its history has been turbulent. After briefly collapsing in 1370, it was revived in 1400, and in the early 16th century, it enjoyed a golden age in the midst of the Polish Renaissance. However, the prestige of the university eventually declined as Poland’s position in Europe got worse and the country was partitioned multiple times. After nearly closing in the 19th century, the university then hosted major scientific achievements. It was then targeted by the Nazis, who sent dozens of faculty members to concentration camps and destroyed university libraries and laboratories. Jagiellonian continued to suffer under Communism, and it wasn't until Poland’s Communist government was overthrown that the university once again began to flourish. Today it is considered one of the top universities in all of Europe.
Most notable for visitors to the university is the Collegium Maius building, home to the Jagiellonian University Museum, which boasts an impressive collection of old scientific instruments, university memorabilia and a portrait gallery of professors.
Practical Info
The headquarters of Jagiellonian University are in the Collegium Novum building at 24 Golebia Street near Planty Park. The Collegium Maius building is nearby at 15 Jagiellonska Street and is generally open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Address: Kraków 31-007, Poland
From $ 14
Ghetto Eagle Pharmacy Museum
Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s pharmacy in the heart of Podgórze ran quite smoothly until 1941 when the Nazis closed off the surrounding area and created a ghetto for the Jewish community. And although Pankiewicz was offered to move the Aryan side of the city at the time, he chose to stay in the ghetto, where he was able to supply the residents with medication and various pharmaceutical products that were not only used for health reasons but also to help them mislead the Gestapo; for example, many residents used hair dyes to disguise their identity, or even tranquilizers to keep children quiet during raids. The pharmacy itself was often used as a shelter to Jews who escaped deportation to the camps.
The pharmacy is now part of the Krakow Historical Museum and has been restored to its wartime appearance. Multimedia exhibits and various artifacts, as well as numerous testimonials from Holocaust survivors and Poles, inform visitors about the reality of life in the ghetto and the pharmacy’s role in a very intimate, hands-on way.
Practical Info
The Ghetto Eagle Pharmacy Museum is located at Bohaterów Getta 18, just south of Krakow’s historical center. It is open from 10 AM to 2 PM on Mondays, and from 9 AM to 5 PM on every other day of the week. Last entrance is 30 minutes before closing. The museum is closed every second Tuesday of the month. Admission is 10 złoty per adult, 8 złoty per child or 20 złoty per family. Entry is free of charge on Mondays.
Address: plac Bohaterów Getta 18, Kraków 30-001, Poland
Hours: Mon 10am-2pm, Tue-Sun 9am-5pm
Admission: Adult 10 złoty, Child 8 złoty
From $ 3
Czestochowa
Sitting on the Warta River in southern Poland, Czestochowa is home to the 14th-century Jasna Gora Monastery, which attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world each year. The monastery is home to the Black Madonna painting, a shrine to the Virgin Mary that is credited with many miracles, including saving the monastery from an invasion by the Swedes in the 17th century.
In addition to the monastery, Czestochowa boasts numerous museums, including the Czestochowa Regional Museum and the Museum of Iron Ore Mining. The regional museum consists of several parts: the Town Hall, the Halina Poswiatowska Museum, the Gallery of 19th and 20th-Century Painting and the Archaeological Reserve of Lusatian Culture. The latter is a 2,500-year-old burial ground that also features displays about the Lusatian culture from the Bronze and early Iron Age. Not far from Czestochowa you can also find the ruins of a medieval castle in Olsztyn, a stop along the Trail of Eagles’ Nests tourist route.
Practical Info
Czestochowa sits in between Krakow, Wroclaw and Warsaw, but the nearest airport is at Katowice, from which a shuttle bus runs to Czestochowa a few times a day. The city is also accessible by bus and train from both Warsaw and Krakow, with the bus taking about three hours to each and the train taking about three and a half hours to Warsaw or two hours to Krakow. The bus terminal in Czestochowa is close to the central train station.
Address: Czestochowa, Poland
From $ 35
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is the resting place for some 1.5 million people, as the site once served as a concentration camp and extermination site of the European Jewish community during World War II. Today, Auschwitz-Birkenau is an important historical area, allowing visitors to reflect on the monumental horrors that occurred during the genocide.
The Basics
Auschwitz-Birkenau tours take visitors through some of the 13 surviving prison blocks that now feature museum exhibitions, many dedicated to victims and displaying documentary photographs and historical artifacts. In addition the main camp, a much larger camp called Birkenau (or Auschwitz II) sits about 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) to the west. This site has been left almost exactly as it was when the Nazis abandoned it at the end of the war, complete with gas chamber ruins, and is also considered a part of the UNESCO-listed Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. An official visitor’s center can be found at the entrance to Auschwitz I.
The two sites are often visited together on group or private tours from Krakow Old Town, available in a number of languages and generally including transport between the memorial areas, plus hotel pickup and drop-off or airport transfers. It's recommended that travelers allot about 90 minutes for each of the sites. A visit is also sometimes combined with a trip to the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Cell phones are not allowed in the permanent exhibition buildings.
- The ability to take photos varies by area, although it is not allowed in Room 5 of Block 4 or in the cellars of Block 11. Flash units and tripods are not allowed.
- The maximum size of any baggage carried in is 11.8x8x4 inches (30x20x10 cm).
- The museum discourages visits from children under the age of 14.
- While wheelchairs are available for use at the visitor's center, strollers may only be used outside of the blocks and other structures in Auschwitz I.
- The memorial is closed on January 1, Easter Sunday, and Christmas.
How to Get There
Auschwitz-Birkenau is in Oswiecim, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Krakow, from where most tours depart. A few tours are offered from Warsaw 196 miles (315 kilometers) away, although transport takes four hours. Both memorial sites have paid parking lots, and shuttles run between the two. Zakopane is located 80 miles (130 kilometers) south.
Insider Tip
This is a somber place to visit (to say the least), and appropriate solemnity and respect are required on museum grounds. Although you can arrive independently, guided Auschwitz tours can allow for better education and understanding, plus insight from a tour guide.
Address: ul Wiezniow Oswiecimia, Oswiecim 32-603, Poland
Hours: Daily from 8am; closing hours vary seasonally
Admission: Varies
From $ 4