Kraków, a southern Poland city near the border of the Czech Republic, is known for its well-preserved medieval core and Jewish quarter. Famous for its rich history, the city boasts world-class monuments like Wawel Dragon and is visited by more than 8 million tourists annually. Here are 7 must-visit attractions in Krakow.
1. The Wawel Royal Castle
The Wawel Royal Castle, located on a picturesque hill, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Krakow. The castle is a beautiful place to visit and take pictures and is extremely interesting to visit because of their 71 exhibition halls holding thousands of incredible exhibits. The castle was the first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world.
2. The Wawel Cathedral
The Wawel Cathedral is also known as The Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus ad is located on the Wawel hill alongside Wawel Royal castle. You definitely cannot miss this 900 year old beautiful Cathedral while visiting Krakow.
3. The Kraków Cloth Hall
The Kraków Cloth Hall is one of the city’s most recognizable icons. It is the central feature of the main market square in the Kraków Old Town and here you can find lots of great attractions from shops, museums, to restaurant and galleries. Well worth spending some time browsing the area.
4. Saint Mary’s Basilica
Saint Mary’s Basilica is a Brick Gothic church adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, and was built in the 14th century. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful churches in the world and in 1978 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków. The Interior of this Church is really beautiful and incredibly colourful, made by several different artists including Veit Stoss and Jan Alojzy Matejko.
5. Czartoryski Museum
Czartoryski Museum or The Princes Czartoryski Museum is a must visit museum in Krakow. One of the country’s oldest museums, the initial collection was formed in 1796 in Puławy by Princess Izabela Czartoryska and Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece ‘The Lady with an Ermine’ is one of the popular collections in this museum, alongside many other famous artists.
6. St. Florian’s Gate
Another must visit place in Krakow is St.Florian’s Gate. One of the best-known Polish Gothic towers, it is a focal point of Kraków’s Old Town. Inside the gate tower, which is more than 33 meters tall, is an altar with a late-Baroque copy of a classicist painting of the Piaskowa Madonna.
7. Town Hall Tower
While you are visiting the main square in Old Town in Krakow, you will immediately notice this tower, built of stone and brick at the end of the 14th century. The massive Gothic tower of the early Town Hall stands 70 meters tall and leans slightly by 55 centimeters, the result of a storm in 1703. Visitors can go to the top floor of the tower where there is an observation deck which boasts a great view of the city.
