Things to see and do Poland

Built in 1644 by the rich merchant Isaac Jakubowicz, it is the most beautiful of the Kazimierz synagogues. In 1924, a double staircase was added to the façade to allow women to reach the gallery reserved for them. Today there is also a kosher restaurant. Every Monday, Thursday and Sunday at 6 pm, klezmer music concerts are held here. Tickets can be purchased in the synagogue or in tourist offices (around 60 zl).

In this seventeenth century building, successively a convent and then a prison, there is a presentation of the Little Poland of the Paleolithic at the beginning of the Middle Ages, as well as the archeological excavations of the site of Nowa Huta prior to the installation of the industries. Another unusual object and centerpiece of the museum, the only statue of a pagan god, called «Swiatowid Zbruczanski». This stone phallus sculpted on four faces measures 2.50 meters and was found in the Zbrucz River in Ukraine in 1848. The museum has a beautiful rose garden.

Located between the steel mill and Mogiła, this mound was probably built in the 8th century. It is connected with the legend of Princess Wanda, daughter of King Krak. According to the legend, the German prince Rytgier threatened to attack Kraków if she refused to become his wife. Wanda chose to throw herself into the Vistula River rather than give in, thus becoming a symbol of national independence. At the top of the mound stands a monument designed by the painter Jan Matejko.

The old market square of the city is the heart of the district. Lined with houses dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is dominated by the church of St. Joseph, with its majestic octagonal tower of 74 meters. In the square is also the old town hall dating from the mid-nineteenth century with its richly decorated facade. This square is gradually becoming the trendy heart of Krakow, as residents migrate to this new district.

An interactive and educational park named Stanisław Lem, famous Polish author of science fiction. Several optical illusion games involving the use of the laws of physics. Possibility of guided tours in English for 25 zl, to book three days in advance.

Built between 1556 and 1563, it takes its name from the location of the prayer room, which was high above the street. Destroyed during the Second World War, it was used for a long time as a warehouse. Since 2005, an exhibition on Jewish history and culture and a well-stocked Jewish bookstore can be visited. Its austere façade has been preserved, with three large semicircular windows framed by four large buttresses.

Spread over 422 hectares, the Wolski forest estate is a real forest at the gateway to the city. A number of trails, a bike path and a cross-country ski trail have been laid out among beech, oak and birch trees. A popular destination for Sunday hikers, the Wolski estate is also well known for its Ogród Zoologiczny (Zoological Park) in the heart of nature. The zoo is home to 250 different species and a total of 1,500 animals, including Przewalski horses, wallabies, hippopotamuses and more... (admission: 40 zl).

Opened in 1993 and located in a former house of prayer built in 1880, the center is the headquarters of Fundacja Judaica, a foundation of secular origin whose goal is the preservation of the Jewish heritage of Kazimierz and of Jewish memory in Poland. It seeks to reconnect Polish Jews with their lost history and culture and to create a renewed dialogue between Jews and Poles. To this end, the center regularly organizes exhibitions, concerts and conferences. There is also a very pleasant café inside.

This superb museum, recently opened to the public, offers a very interesting and high quality collection of sacred art with an impressive collection of paintings and objects that belonged to the churches in the region.

However, what attracts the crowds is the pious reconstruction of the rooms in which Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) lived between 1952 and 1963, with his office, his personal belongings, and even a pair of skis: the man, before being Pontiff, was a great fan of this sport. It is a place of pilgrimage for many believers.

A guide to Krakow that offers tours of the historic centre, Wawel Hill or the district of Kazimierz in French.

You will certainly have noticed the building of the theater. Built by the Cracow architect Jan Zawiejski, between 1891 and 1893, it reminds by its shape the Opera Garnier of Paris. Its facade, rather eclectic, combines Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque elements. Its construction caused a lot of controversy at the time, since it led to the demolition of the medieval complex of the monastery and the church of the Holy Spirit. In protest, the painter Jan Matejko renounced his title of honorary citizen of Krakow.

Opened in 1800, this cemetery, much larger than that of Remu'h and ransacked by the Nazis, is completely abandoned. Its overgrown alleys make the visit quite poignant. There are graves dating from the early 19th century, some with epitaphs in Polish or German, a sign of the increasing secularization and cultural assimilation of Krakow's Jews. Among the illustrious graves is that of the photographer Ignacy Krieger (1817-1889), whose photographs are a valuable record of Krakow's past.

The former Krakow ghetto extended between Lwowska Street, Rękawka Street and Podgórski Square, covering 20 hectares. Established by a decree of March 3, 1941, from March 20, 1941 all non-Jews residing in this area were forced to move to the other side of the Vistula River, while nearly 20,000 Jews were crowded here. The liquidation of the ghetto took place on March 13 and 14, 1943. Its population was deported to Auschwitz or the nearby Plaszów labor camp. In the central square, renamed Heroes' Square, was the Eagle Pharmacy. At that time, a streetcar passed through the ghetto without stopping. Passengers were not allowed to look out the window. There are still some fragments of the ghetto wall, one of which is located between Lwowska Street 25 and 29. It has a commemorative plaque and it is easy to recognize the shape of the arches, which are reminiscent of the Torah scrolls and Jewish tombstones.

Józefińska Street : it is in the main artery of the ghetto that the "path of memory" begins. At No. 10, the agency of the German Employment Office, where Jews were given a "job" without pay. At number 12, the orphanage. No. 14 was the hospital, from which all the wounded who were unable to reach the rally in the central square were shot dead one by one in March 1943. No. 18 was the welfare center for Jews, with a school for 6-14 year olds. Again, all the children were killed during the liquidation of the ghetto.

The beautiful 17th-century house of the Szołayski family is home to the works of Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907), a local and also one of the most original artists of the early 20th century. A true jack-of-all-trades, he was a writer, playwright, painter, photographer and cabinetmaker. Among his drawings, canvases or pastels, are portraits, especially of children or peasant women, landscapes or flowers. A true prodigy, he produced numerous stained glass windows, notably for the Church of Our Lady, the Franciscan Church and the Wawel Cathedral.

Located in the southern part of the Jewish Quarter, in the former town hall of Kazimierz built in the 14th century, this museum is the largest of its kind in Poland. The museum exhibits life in the countryside in the past, pieces of Polish folk art, especially wood carvings, and a collection of traditional crafts and costumes. It also features reconstructions of rustic domestic interiors, especially from the southern regions of Poland. The annex located at ul. Krakowska 46 houses temporary exhibitions.

This museum is a branch of the Historical Museum. It takes its name from the merchant family who lived in this 14th century house from 1599. Often called the "bourgeois house", it presents the reconstruction of the interiors of a typical Krakow bourgeois house, from the 17th to the 19th century. The interior is perfectly reconstructed and is worth a visit: you really feel transported to another universe with logic and rules completely different from our world. A large number of period furnishings surprise and fascinate.

Historian training, Zofia is a very good french guide of Krakow.

This small octagonal wooden church dates back to the xvii^e century. It is covered with shingles and topped by a lantern. In his little cemetery, one buried of the plague victims during the epidemics, including that of cholera, in 1707, which decimated residents.

Belonging to the Jordan Group, one of the city's leading tourist agencies, this classic sightseeing bus offers a comprehensive guided tour of the city through the Old Town, Kazimierz and Podgorze, to the Kosciuszko Mound. The 24 or 48 hour ticket option is very convenient as you can get off and then get back on at any of the 11 stops marked by the bus. Using the same ticket, you can also take a 30-minute gondola ride, leaving from Wawel Hill every 30 minutes from 10am to 5pm.

This company offers all kinds of services, from airport transfers, to accommodation reservations, to the organization of all kinds of activities and tours (such as karting, paintball, hiking... ask and you'll find out) to classic excursions to Zakopane, Auschwitz, or further to Warsaw, and everywhere in Malopolska. Very professional service and incredibly rich offer. The main asset of this agency is its national network, which is very useful if you want to venture into the unknown outside Krakow.

This pedestrian avenue was once lined with roses, the symbol of the socialist regime, and served as a showcase and parade ground for the communist authorities. Until 1989, a 7 t statue of Lenin stood in the middle of the avenue. In order to realize the project, the management of the steel plant deprived the employees of the thirteenth month and the quarterly bonus, and the statue became the focal point of the popular revolts. In April 1979, a bomb was even placed under the statue, without success.

In the basement of the theater, the Interactive Theater Museum allows visitors to experience the main techniques of theatrical production. This is arguably the most technological museum in Krakow, with the tour taking place through interactive apps, touch screens, tablets and other digital exhibits. You can compose your own music for a production, change the lighting, sound and music on a stage, explore a "virtual dressing room" to learn about costumes. Amazing.

This street, which runs from the Słowacki theater to the center of the Old Town (Mały Rynek), has an old-fashioned charm. Much quieter and less frequented by tourists, the stores and restaurants here are generally more luxurious. At no. 24, you'll find a former synagogue that was converted to Orthodox worship after the Second World War. The Byzantine-inspired interior decorations are well worth a visit, though only during services.

Beautiful 19th century building is only temporary exhibitions, engravings, paintings, but also of photos, all eras and all countries.

Of its original Renaissance architecture, only the west wing remains. The other three wings surrounding an arcaded courtyard were destroyed by the Swedes in 1656. After the last partition of Poland in 1795, the castle was turned into a prison until 1959. Today it houses the Regional Museum. The exhibition traces the history of the city and the region. Of particular interest is the section devoted to the clothing, fabrics and traditions of the Poles of the early 20th century. From the courtyard there is a beautiful view of the city, the old port and the Vistula River.

The village's main attraction is the small Museum of Ancient Metallurgy (Muzeum Starożytnego Hutnictwa), which is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 3pm and is rather interesting and informative. Here you can learn about the ancient techniques of iron mining and forging, brought to life during the traditional Dymarki Świętokrzyskie festival held every September. Continuing from Nowa Słupia towards Mount Święty Krzyż, you come to a Benedictine abbey (Opacztwo Benedyktyńskie), located on the plateau atop the mountain, from the early ^12th century, perfectly preserved and Gothic in style. Inside, you'll also find a small natural history museum dedicated to the national park. From here, you can follow the red trail down to Swięta Kataryna. Starting from the church in Nowa Słupia and continuing along Świętokrzyska Street you can follow the path of the cross, made of wood and in traditional Polish style, which leads up to the abbey through the beautiful forests of this national park.

Nowa Słupia is 35 km from Kielce, on the E74 towards Lublin. It is linked to Kielce by a bus service. The village is the third and easternmost entrance to the National Park. In Nowa Słupia, you'll find several homestays (under the Agroturystyka label). On the town's website, you'll find some information on points of interest (downloadable in English): www.nowaslupia.pl. Don't hesitate to take a look.

Located north of the Rynek, it is a beautiful building set in a park, built between 1510 and 1526 and then remodeled in the 17th century. It has not been modified since then. The interiors have also remained intact. Today it houses a museum of folk music instruments, whose superb collection is of interest to both the curious and the initiated. Take the opportunity to eat at the Zamek café and restaurant. It serves unpretentious but good Polish cuisine.

Considering the city's history, which is closely linked to the expansion of Judaism in Europe, it is not so surprising to discover that it is one of the largest in Poland. As was often the case during the Holocaust, which also included the destruction of Jewish heritage, the cemetery was vandalized and largely destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. Today, there are approximately 3,000 surviving graves, mostly dating from the 19th century.

This gate is the only remaining remnant of the old fortress built by Casimir the Great in the 14th century. The original system consisted of four gates along the roads leading to the cities of Opatów, Zawichost, Lublin and Kraków. They were integrated into a system of two revolving gates, as well as 21 defensive towers. Today, the Opatówska Gate marks the entrance to the Old Town and the Rynek. You can climb to the top of the tower and enjoy the view.

This now somewhat forgotten church, built in the early 12th century, is probably the oldest Romanesque red brick church in all of Poland, a style that later became very recognizable and symbolic of the countryside. The exterior has retained its original appearance, but the interior has been remodeled in Baroque style. Unfortunately, the decoration was ransacked in the early 1990s to give it a modern appearance. There are still some superb remains, such as a sarcophagus carved from a single block of oak.

While it stands in the center of the Rynek, with its beautifully renovated facade, this beautiful town hall copies the opulent town halls of Krakow's cities founded during the Renaissance, Kazimierz being the first. The similarity between this building, built between 1602 and 1626, and the present-day Museum of Ethnography in Kraków, also rebuilt between the 16th and 17th centuries, is striking: they both share a crenellated attic and a clock tower in the pure Italian tradition popularized by the Polish king Sigismund Iᵉʳ the Old and his wife Bonne Sforza.

Located behind the cathedral, this massive red-brick Gothic house was built under the orders of Jan Długos, the famous author of the first history of Poland, in 1476 who lived most of the time in the capital, Krakow. Today, it this building houses a collection of religious art from the thirteenth to the twentieth century that is not very extensive but complements the visit to the cathedral well. The exhibition also includes beautiful earthenware from the 16th to the 19th century. The garden is populated with beautiful carved wooden figures.

Established in 1979, this museum has a large collection of old and contemporary Polish and foreign toys. Among the collection: wooden horses, model airplanes, cars, sailboats or trains, porcelain dolls and the unmistakable representations of the witch Baba Jaga, a famous character of Slavic folklore. The whole is tasteful and interactive, children (and older children) love it. It is a good place to visit with the family and maybe even a good time to bring back useful souvenirs from Poland.

Built at the end of the 15th century in the Gothic style with the then very famous local sandstone, the so-called "Szydłowiec sandstone", it has retained its original appearance intended by its patron, Jakub Szydłowiecki, sloping towards the sky. During its long history, only a few changes were made to the interior during the 16th century, as well as in the bell tower (renovated in 2006). It too is located on the Rynek and is impossible to miss. Its patron saint, Zygmunt in Polish, is a martyred Frankish king of Burgundy who reigned in the 6th century.