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Krakow · History

Kazimierz and Podgórze: the Jewish town and its destruction

This route crosses Kazimierz, once an independent town and for centuries one of the great centres of European Jewry, then follows the bridge to Podgórze, where the German occupiers confined Kraków's Jews in 1941. It is a route of documented history that asks for careful, respectful listening.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.5 km
  • 2 h
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Brick façade of the Old Synagogue at the end of Szeroka Street

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Wolnica Square and Kazimierz Town HallThe main square of a town that once rivalled Kraków: this is where the story of Kazimierz begins, founded by a king in 1335.
  2. 2 Plac Nowy and the OkrąglakA brick rotunda from 1900 where poultry was once slaughtered according to Jewish ritual, and where people now queue for zapiekanka.
  3. 3 Remuh Synagogue and CemeteryA small 16th-century synagogue still in use and, beside it, the grave of one of the great sages of Ashkenazi Judaism.
  4. 4 Old SynagoguePoland's oldest surviving synagogue: a fortress-like building that heard Kościuszko speak and was used as a warehouse under the occupation.
  5. 5 Ghetto Heroes SquareSeventy empty chairs mark the square where the Jews of the Kraków Ghetto were gathered before deportation.
  6. 6 Oskar Schindler's FactoryThe enamelware factory where a German businessman and Nazi Party member ended up protecting more than a thousand Jews.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Kazimierz and Podgórze: the Jewish town and its destruction

Two towns in one

Christian and Jewish Kazimierz, with its town hall, markets and 15th- and 16th-century synagogues.

Memory backed by facts

Verifiable dates, figures and names about the ghetto, without dramatising or simplifying.

Traces in the street

Gravestones, bronze chairs, a stretch of wall and a pharmacy that you can still see.

Keep exploring

More routes in Krakow

Back to Krakow
Mysteries & legendsKraków of dragons and sorcerers MixedThe Royal Road: from the Barbican to Wawel Castle

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Krakow?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Krakow in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Krakow in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Krakow in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary