Krakow like a local
Krakow like a local
Aleksandra Pękala
If you're wondering where people living in Krakow usually go while craving food experiences, a good drink, or some rest, look no further. This comprehensive list of places contains wha I could recommend to anyone visiting Krakow.
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Hey there, wanderers!
Welcome to the magical city of Krakow, where history intertwines with modern vibes, and every corner tells a story. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned explorer, I've got the inside scoop on the best local-recommended spots to make your Krakow experience unforgettable.
You may notice that I don't list many places near the Market Square. While you shouldn't completely avoid it and I wouldn't say your visit would be complete without seeing the Mariacki Church or Sukiennice, I would avoid dining there. Unless you're going for some specific fine-dining places (which I will write more about in a different guide), you will find that food and drinks are overpriced in this area. It's one of the reasons the locals usually decide to visit districts like Kazimierz (Jewish Quarter) or Podgorze while going out. Depending on the weather, you might want to choose places with outdoor sitting or staying inside cosy ones:
🍷 Bars
HEVRE
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A place that pays homage to its history - placed in an Old Synagogue, the atmospheric bar is well-known for the frescoes on its wall. Besides drinks and food during the evening, it's also serving breakfast in the morning.
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Forum Przestrzenie
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Were you really in Krakow if you didn't go to Hala Forum? Especially crowded in summer, when people are basking in deck chairs, sipping on another carafe of prosecco while enjoying the view of Wawel Castle.
There's a vast choice of drinks and food.
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Nowy Kraftowy
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Lots of kraft beer taps in the heart of Kazimierz. Large selection whether you're a fan of sours or porters.
In the venue, which is divided into two rooms (one allows smoking of e-cigarettes), you will not only drink a good number of kraft brews, cocktails, or liquors but also have something to snack on. Burgers and pizzas are quite good.
Orders are placed at the bar and picked up at the same place after visual information from a vibrating device.
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Eszeweria
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One of the magical bars in Krakow's Kazimierz district, where every chair is different, and after sunset the dark interiors are filled only with conversation and candlelight. A place smelling of fresh lilies, incense and cigarettes (in the smoking room part). There are always fresh flowers on the tables, and the windows are closed by unhewn shutters. Their garden is especially atmospheric.
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MashRoom
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Halicka Eatery & Bar
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One of the 10 most beautiful bars according to VOGUE Poland. A hotel bar with very good cocktails and interesting cuisine, often served with an accompaniment of live jazz music.
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Trzy Cztery Wine | Naturalne Wino i Kuchnia
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BARaWINO | Kraków - winebar
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SPOKO
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Busz
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The entrance to this bar doubling as a cafe is through a heavy gate guarded by an intercom. From the street alone it's rather hard to get here without knowing about the place beforehand. And maybe that's what makes it so pleasant here.
Outside, there is a green garden, soft armchairs, industrial sofas made of metal barrels and a pleasant note oozes from the speakers.
Inside, soft velour armchairs and sofas in bottle green, walls decorated with art of all kinds, windows, and bookcases strewed with greenery in pots. And the art and greenery in pots can be bought and taken with you.
You can come to Busz with your dog or other animals.
The menu is hidden in the form of a QR code, to be read from each table. It includes coffee, tea, cocktails, wine and cakes.
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☕ Cafés
Cytat Café
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The interior is filled with books and games.
In addition to delicious coffee or tea, we will eat a variety of tasty pastries here. We can also order smoothies, lemonade, beer or wine. We'll also have breakfast here until 1pm. The selection may not be mind-blowing, but the menu includes both something sweet and something savory. A nice accoutrement is a small card with a quote, which you get with each order.
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Kawiarnia Literacka
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As the name suggests, this place is home to a literature cafe in Krakow. There is also a bookstore on site with lots of nooks and crannies and decorations that give the place an amazing atmosphere. All this with good coffee in the background, including Turkish coffee, which stands out against the classic coffees. The only downside of the place is self-service.
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Karma Coffee Roastery
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Coffee lovers will be attracted to Karma, which boasts two locations: closer to the Market on Krupnicza Street and in the heart of Kazimierz - on Wawrzyniec Street, where the roasting plant is also located. I can recommend the latter because of the opportunity to preview the entire process and to buy high-quality coffee.
In summer or warm autumn, the large terrace is also tempting. Here they serve great coffees with rich aromas, brewed mainly by alternative methods. The coffees are served in raw ceramics, which further emphasizes the Berlin atmosphere of the interiors.
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Cheder
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Cheder is a cafe where you can drink good coffee, including our specialty - coffee brewed in a findjan, the original Israeli pot; tea with mint; eat one of the best hummuses in town and dishes inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, but also participate in many cultural and educational events.
It's a place rich in history - since 1890, a Jewish house of prayer, Chevra Ner Tamid (Brotherhood of Eternal Light), existed in an apartment building at 36 Józefa Street, exactly where the Cheder is today. Desecrated during the war, it never again returned to its original role. Cheder in Yiddish means Jewish elementary school.
Referring to the original meaning of our name, we enable encounters with contemporary Jewish culture, both from the Diaspora and from Israel. The Cheder implements a year-round program of events: concerts, lectures, workshops, meetings, events for children, where one can learn about and personally experience various aspects of Jewish culture.
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Wesoła Cafe
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Catching a train from Krakow's Central Station and want to have a good breakfast before doing so? At Wesola Cafe you'll have delicious breakfasts all day long, and you'll also drink great coffee here, one of the best specialty coffees in Krakow.
It's worth being tempted by delicious bagels with egg paste, for example, or toast made from Japanese bread with avocado. Lovers of the sweets will enjoy croissants with sweet pastes or pumpkin roll with chocolate and caramelized plum.
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Café Lisboa
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This cafe and patisserie located on Dolne Młyny is the fastest way to be transported to Portugal, if only for a moment. Here you must enjoy an espresso coffee accompanied by pasteis de nata (sold here as a set). This is because Cafe Lisboa specializes in these small Portuguese muffins with pudding filling. So many of them go down that there's a good chance you'll eat one still warm, straight from the tin and served with powdered sugar and cinnamon, served with a strong espresso.
In the evenings you can also settle in for a glass of Portuguese wine, while in the summer you can sit in the expansive garden at the back of the cafe.
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Dynia Resto Bar
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Cafe Tektura
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Bonbon Boutique
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Kawiarnia Fornir
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Fornir takes a leading place among the most interesting cafes with atmospheric gardens.
Hidden among the tenements on Dluga Street, Fornir serves a variety of coffees: above all, specialty pour-over coffee. Of course, coffee comes first here, but you should also be tempted by the excellent sandwiches on their own bread and delicious baked goods.
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Tociekawa- Specialty Coffee
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A very interesting place on the coffee map of Cracow can also be found in the Piasek Północ district. Tociekawa Café - Specialty Coffee is a place where you can taste coffee from the very morning. After all, during the week and on Saturdays the place opens as early as 6:30 a.m. This way you can start your day with a cup of specialty coffee.
This café has a good, stable wi-fi connection so it's a great spot for remote workers.
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Massolit Books
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Massolit is a unique place not only on the map of Krakow but also all over Poland. It is a cafe combined with an English-language bookstore.
It's worth mentioning that it's not just one place, but almost a Krakow chain, as it's located in as many as three different locations, including: 17 Smoleńsk Street, 4 Felicjanek Street, and 3 Targowa Street.
Each of these establishments specializes in something different: the first is mainly focused on coffee, the second on books, and the third on sandwiches and snacks. Massolit is worth a visit, if only for its uniqueness. This place is reminiscent of a movie setting - while drinking coffee we can successfully indulge in the ritual of reading. Not to mention that it will be perfect as a spot for Instagram photos.
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KAFFE BAGERI Stockholm
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This is another place that tempts with baked goods. The charming red townhouse brings this café straight from Krakow to the streets of Stockholm. Inside you'll find delicious Swedish baked goods, often served still warm: cinnamon and cardamom buns (loads of butter, mmm!) and classic coffees. Finding a table in the tiny establishment borders on the miraculous, but in summer you can find a seat by an outdoor table or on the nicely arranged indoor terrace.
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Hrabina Bistro
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Public Order
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A bit off the beaten track, squeezed in between post-soviet apartment buildings, it's a go-to place for the biggest foodies and coffee lovers in town. You'll quickly notice how hip the regulars are.
Public Order is a place for gastronomic entrepreneurs to execute their own projects through popups, residencies, and classes. On the weekends, they often serve breakfasts.
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Smacznej Kawusi
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Szklarnia | kawa książki kwiaty
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TWORZYWO
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kawa - Zwierzyniecka
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Located just near the Wawel Castle, Kawa cafe on Zwierzyniecka Street is a small, but very cozy place. Especially for coffee lovers, who can count on a really good selection of drinks here. In addition to a dozen different teas, customers of this place can order classic flat white, espresso machiato, cappuciono, latte and alternative coffees - aeropress, kalita and batch brew, i.e. coffee from a pour-over machine.
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Umeblowana Cafe
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Café Umeblowana has a few features that I appreciate: delicious lemon tart and elderflower-flavored pastries, quite a lot of space, and an interesting design reminiscent of the 50s, 60s and 70s. On top of that, it's located across the street from the National Museum in Krakow, making it an ideal cafe for relaxing after seeing the exhibitions. It's also a great place for a small meal. On top of that, in addition to breakfast and French pastries, you can also have a light lunch at this Krakow café.
It's in the same building as Forum Designu.
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Public Order
@aleksandrapekala
A bit off the beaten track, squeezed in between post-soviet apartment buildings, it's a go-to place for the biggest foodies and coffee lovers in town. You'll quickly notice how hip the regulars are.
Public Order is a place for gastronomic entrepreneurs to execute their own projects through popups, residencies, and classes. On the weekends, they often serve breakfasts.
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🥯 Breakfast
Charlotte
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Charlotte is a French bistro with fresh artisan breads. A place where it girls go for their catch-ups over coffee. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, bread, coffee, and wine, all Parisian style. You can also buy their jams.
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Ranny Ptaszek
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Lastriko
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serving very good breakfast (try waffles with mushrooms!) and doubling as a bar during the night
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Las Kraków Breakfast & Prosecco
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Poranki - Breakfast, coffee & cake
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Another great place for delicious breakfasts in Krakow's Kazimierz district. Located at the small 4 Bawoła Square, the place serves breakfasts until 3 p.m.
The tasty breakfast selection is complemented by numerous vegetarian breakfasts. I especially recommend salty breakfasts, such as kimchi toast with tuna or chimichurri waffles.
There is also a special breakfast offering for children.
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MO-JA cafe & bistro
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Zaczyn
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Zaczyn is a bakery-cafe with an extensive breakfast menu. Remarkably, the entire menu is plant-based.
The flavor combinations here encourage you to convert to veganism and are based on delicious bread and well-seasoned vegetables. I'd recommend trying the brioche toast with bell pepper jam and almond ricotta or the labneh with roasted pumpkin.
Be tempted to try the specialty coffees here. You can sip them while watching the bread-baking process.
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Restaurants
Targowa2
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The new cool place to be. Right by the Ghetto Heroes Square, in the heart of Old Pogorze district.
This is one of the newer breakfast places in Krakow, but one that has already won many fans. Breakfasts at Targowa 2 are served until 1pm and amaze with creative combinations. Lovers of sweet flavors will be tempted by the fermented oatmeal pancakes with cherries with amaretto and almonds, while lovers of unusual flavors will be interested in eggs stewed in beet quiches with horseradish and scones and cottage cheese.
Stylish interiors with huge windows will accommodate many seekers of authentic urban experiences. Targowa2 will accommodate you from morning to evening - in the later hours they serve equally creative dishes and snacks to go with wine or drinks. Large selection of natural wines!
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Luktung Southeast Asian Sharing Plates
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Rich in flavour, fantastic food to share - Asian cuisine with a spin
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Wschód Bar
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Olio | Pizza Napoletana
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Molám Thai Canteen & Bar
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VELO Food&Bar
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Konopnickiej 11 Brick Oven Pizza
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Hana Sushi
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Kinki Ramen
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Akita Ramen
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Bar Uniwersytecki
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Very cheap, huge portions, communist interior style. Authentic local feel - the staff is super nice but might not speak English
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METRUM Restobistro
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TIP: It might be closed during holidays and vacation times (July-August)! Go to the top floor of the Musical Academy to get amazing view of Main square - it's dedicated to students so lunch and coffee prices are very affordable
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Boscaiola
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🛍️ Shopping
Looking for a cool souvenir from Kraków? Want to be up to date with local design scene? These are the places you should pay a visit.
RZECZY SAME
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Rzeczy Same is the place where you will meet carefully selected Polish design and craftsmanship - ceramics, home accessories, stationery, candles, posters, cosmetics, jewelry, and more. All the things are designed and made in Poland.
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Forum Designu
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At the Design Forum, you can both furnish your apartment from scratch and buy unconventional accessories or gifts. From candles and candle holders to blankets, pillows, porcelain, lamps, carpets, and furniture.
Recently, on their large covered terrace, there is also a cafe with a view of Błonia and the Cracovia stadium. Here you can sit down quietly, have a cup of coffee, and decide without rushing to buy new items for your home.
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Pan tu nie stał
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Pan tu nie stał - a Polish company specializing in the design and sale of clothing and various clothing and home accessories. Its characteristic feature is the funny references in its designs to the stylistics of the period of the Polish People's Republic.
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Art Factory
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KABAK Kraków
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Are you looking for quality design and responsible materials? Would you like to support brands that manufacture locally? At KABAK they match colours, funny patterns and care about the details. They offer cool socks, beanies, scarves, belts, blankets, towels, graphics, pins and candles.
All KABAK products are made in Poland. They control the local production and make sure it remains on the highest quality level - they are said to use certified combed cotton and dyes that won’t irritate sensitive skin.
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PaperConcept | sklep plastyczny
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PaperConcept is a store with fine art materials of top brands. You can stock up on stationery, art supplies, and cute envelopes.
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Unitarg - plac targowy k/ Hali targowej
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flea market, best times to go is in the morning (before 14) - especially weekends
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Odzież na wagę. Sklepy po smoku
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🌳 Places to relax - parks & view points
Punkt widokowy na Zakrzówek
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Zakrzówek Reservoir was created after the flooding of a limestone quarry in 1990. In the vicinity of the reservoir are rock groups and a vast forest - the park "Twardowski's Rockies" with charming meadows and a beautiful viewpoint on Krakow, a bend of the Vistula River and the Wolski Forest.
Walking paths, jogging paths and a bathing area, consisting of five pools from 40 cm to 2 m deep, are the biggest attraction on Zakrzówek.
The beautiful turquoise lake, surrounded by rocky bluffs and greenery, has become a publicly accessible, safe bathing area. The floating pools in the reservoir can accommodate 600 people, guaranteeing them safe bathing. The bathing area is open seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., as that's when the safety of bathers will be guarded by lifeguards. Admission to the bathing area is free.
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Kopiec Kraka
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A mound with a beautiful panorama, a fantastic picnic spot cherished by many locals.
How to get there:
To get there, you can get to the stop "Podgórze Cemetery" or "Podgórze SKA". Later, already on your feet, you will have only 10 minutes to walk. Numerous streetcars and buses reach the area. Even in the immediate vicinity there is a railroad station "Krakow Podgórze", so you can get to the place from the main railroad station in less than 15 minutes. And even at dark night the area is crisscrossed by night bus lines. On the other hand, if we had to point out our favorite way to find ourselves near Kopiec Kraka, then it would be an unhurried walk. From the heart of Kazimierz you will get here after 30 minutes. First through the charming Father Bernatek Footbridge, which has been thrown over the Vistula River, then through the Podgórski Market Square, right near Bednarski Park, and siu, straight through the pedestrian and bicycle footbridge over Powstańców Śląskich Avenue (both footbridges are adapted for strollers and bicycles).
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Park przy Grottgera
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Ogród Botaniczny Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
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🏛️ Museums
Tip: Many of these open their doors for free on Tuesdays, offering you an opportunity to soak in the artistic and historical wonders without reaching for your wallet.
However, keep in mind that this local tradition may vary for some museums, so it's always a good idea to double-check.
Additionally, be aware that Mondays might not be the best day for your museum-hopping adventure, as some institutions remain closed on that day.
Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie | Gmach Główny
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This museums displays works of famous Polish masters, mainly from 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
The Main Gallery displays the works of all the most outstanding artists, from Stanislaw Wyspianski, Jacek Malczewski, Jozef Mehoffer, Wojciech Weiss, through the works of Zbigniew Pronaszko, Zofia Stryjeńska, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Leon Chwistek, Jan Cybis, to Tadeusz Kantor, Maria Jarema, Jerzy Nowosielski, Roman Opalka, Ryszard Winiarski, Andrzej Wróblewski, Wojciech Fangor, Łukasz Korolkiewicz, Ewa Kuryluk and many others. Sculpture is represented by, among others: Xawery Dunikowski, Konstanty Laszczka, Alina Szapocznikow, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Maria Pinińska-Bereś, Władysław Hasior.
It's a rather spacious museum, reserve 2-3 hours for a visit.
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Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha
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Admission is free on Tuesdays!
At the Manggha Museum the mutual cultural relations between Poland and Japan, East and West are presented. They consistently popularize knowledge about Japan.
Besides interesting exhibitions, you might want to visit this place to eat a fantastic breakfast or lunch, have a cup of tea, or grab a Japanese sweet treat. During warmer months, you may enjoy the view of the Wawel castle from their terrace. It's the most enchanting during spring, when the cherry trees below it are in full bloom.
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Muzeum Książąt Czartoryskich
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Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej w Krakowie MOCAK | MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow
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MOCAK is the first museum in Poland built from the ground up entirely devoted to contemporary art. MOCAK's exhibition activities focus mainly on art of the last two decades.
The collection exhibition is located on level -1, while temporary exhibitions are made available on the second level. The smaller Building B houses a gallery with temporary solo, design, sound and text exhibitions. The museum also houses a library, a bookstore, a café and a contemporary art conservation studio.
The museum is located on the site of the defunct Schindler's Factory.
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Pawilon Józefa Czapskiego
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Pracownia i Muzeum Witrażu
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Muzeum Fotografii w Krakowie - MuFo Rakowicka
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From the hippest cafes to the historic nooks, you've now got the inside track on where the locals go to eat, drink, and soak up the vibrant atmosphere.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aleksandra Pękala
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