Interesting Things to Do In Kraków

An Overview of Kraków

Considered one of the most stunning cities in all of Europe, Kraków is home to the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. The city is best recognized by Wawel Castel,, the ancient seat of Polish kings, which stands atop a risen cliff and series of dragon caverns.

Kraków remains one of the most popular tourist destination in Poland. It has commanding views over the Wisla River, a history extending back into the 7th century, stunning plaza old town spaces and world-class monuments throughout the urban setting.

Interesting Things to do in Kraków

Wawel Royal Castle

Located atop steep bluffs, this castle displays some uniquely Polish architecture, a lush cliffside forest and astounding views overlooking the city and nearby river. The castle is one of Kraków’s top highlights with beautifully preserved spires, renovations, ancient structures and other historic buildings. The complex is free to enter, requiring no tickets to enter the castle grounds. However, due to the site’s enormous popularity, reserve tickets are needed for tours and exhibit visitations.

Kraków’s Rynek Główny Market Square

One of the largest market squares of Europe, this fountain, café and shopping space is surrounded by rows of reconstructed Polish buildings of bright pastels. The Market Square is also home to many of Kraków’s most famous and traditional buildings.

This includes Szara Kamienica (The Grey House), Sukiennice (The Cloth Hall) Renaissance-style Market arcade-converted-museum, Bunkier Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Adam Mickiewicz Monument of Kraków, St. Mary’s Basilica and the Church of St. Wojciech.

Rynek Underground

Located beneath Old Town’s main plaza, there is a hologram-filled vampire-themed cavern combined with a graveyard wonderland. The ruins found within have intact market features from medieval times, relics from 11th century graveyards, traditional Polish cottage reconstructions and various historical excavation sites.

Wawel’s Dragon Den

These natural caverns are infused with various legends about the infamous dragon Smok Wawelski. The underground lair follows the dragon’s cavern route under Wawel Castle. This subterranean lair has served as a brothel, a tavern and most recently, a popular tourist walkthrough.

Bones of the Wawel Dragon

The alleged bones of Kraków’s mythical dragon, hang in a jumble on the grounds of the Wawel Castle.  The dragon Smok Wawelski once lived in under an unsettled hill of Kraków until a hero fed the dragon a lamb laced with sulfur. This caused the dragon to drink prodigiously from a nearby river until exploding.

Kościuszko Mound

Built in honor a famous Polish nationalist (Tadeusz Kościuszko), this is an artificial public hill created from soil brought in from all across Poland.  The mound was eventually fortified into a defensive position and has a fort built around its base.

Wojtek Memorial

This statue stands as a monument of a beloved bear which served actively in the Polish army during WWII by carrying crates alongside the Polish 22nd Transport Artillery Company.  Wojtek served as a fully incorperated Private in the military, as pets were not allowed onto the battlefield.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Originally a functional salt mine which upgraded as the ages progressed, the underground salt caverns are now filled with artwork done by the original miners and later artists. The vast underground chambers are a historical, salt-encrusted art-and-history museum

St. Mary’s Cathedral

This is an enormous, gorgeous church with extremely ornate interior and a famous gothic altarpiece.  The church should be visited at the top of the hour in order to hear the hourly hejnal mariacki, a melody which stops abruptly midsong to honor a bugler who was slain while warning Kraków about a Mongol attack

Liban Quarry

This is an interesting, semi-abandoned site to visit outside of Kraków . This rocky, abandoned holdout is saturated with rusted and decayed buildings, some of which were used in Schindler’s List.  The route also passes by the grim ruins of Kraków’s WWII Polish Concentration Camps.

Zakopane

A nearby mountain resort town, Zakopane is a stunning highlander village with folk music, natural settings and numerous eateries. 

Read more about interesting things to do in Kraków and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

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