Kraków Old Town: a DIY walking tour

Kraków Old Town is best explored on a DIY walking tour. Here we share our tried-and-tested route for exploring Poland’s glorious former capital

Kraków was Poland’s only major city to escape World War II virtually undamaged. Since then, the assembly of monuments and architecture that makes up its Old Town was quite rightly celebrated by UNESCO as one of the 12 original World Heritage sites first listed in 1978.

The Old Town effortlessly fuses European architectural styles – including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, baroque and art nouveau – with a jumble of narrow cobbled streets, elaborate churches and palaces, and grand medieval sights. Add in delicious food, heavenly gelato and endless cocktails in Europe’s largest medieval town square and the result is simply exquisite.

We spent three days exploring the enchanting city centre. Below, we share a curated DIY walking tour to help you get the most out of Kraków’s Old Town.

MAP of the Old Town

Use the map below to follow our DIY walking tour of Kraków Old Town. The duration of the tour will depend on how many museums and galleries you choose to visit en route.

Kraków Old Town: a DIY walking tour

Start: St. Mary’s Basilica
Finish: Brasserie L`Olympique
Distance: 5.3km (3.3mi)
Time: 5-6 hours

1. St. Mary’s Basilica

Spend your morning at Rynek Główny (Main Square), Europe’s largest medieval town square. Begin at the striking brick church of St. Mary’s Basilica. The first church here was built in the 13th century and following its sacking during a Tatar raid, construction of today’s two-tower basilica began with various façades added over the ensuing centuries.

Every hour, on the hour, a bugle player appears at the windows of the taller tower to play the hejnał (St. Mary’s Trumpet Call) in each cardinal direction. The noon hejnał is broadcast via radio to all of Poland.

The elaborate interior of St. Mary’s Basilica is worth exploring and it’s also possible to climb both towers. If you want to ascend either the Bugle or Bell Tower, pre-book via the church website.

2. Rynek Główny (Main Square)

After leaving St. Mary’s, spend some time wandering the 200m by 200m main square which is the focus of the Old Town. It might be a good time to pause at one of the restaurants or cafés for a coffee and do some people-watching.