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Krakow · Mixed

The Royal Road: from the Barbican to Wawel Castle

For centuries, kings, ambassadors and funeral processions entered Kraków through St Florian's Gate and climbed up to Wawel. This route follows the same path and gathers the Old Town's highlights: the walls, the great market square, Gothic and Baroque churches, the canons' street and the castle.

  • 6 stops
  • 1.8 km
  • 1 h 40 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Kraków Barbican, a circular brick bastion with turrets

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Barbican and St Florian's GateA round brick bastion from 1499 and the Gothic gate through which kings and ambassadors entered: this is where the Royal Road begins.
  2. 2 St Mary's BasilicaThe burghers' church of Kraków holds one of the largest Gothic altarpieces in the world, carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489.
  3. 3 Rynek Główny and the Cloth HallOne of Europe's largest medieval squares, laid out in 1257, where a duke paid homage to the king and Kościuszko swore to lead an uprising.
  4. 4 Church of Saints Peter and PaulKraków's first great Baroque church, with twelve stone apostles standing guard over Grodzka Street.
  5. 5 Kanonicza StreetThe street of the cathedral canons: Gothic and Renaissance houses, the chronicler Długosz and a young priest called Karol Wojtyła.
  6. 6 Wawel Hill: castle and cathedralFor centuries the centre of Polish power: kings were crowned and buried here, and the nation's heroes rest here too.

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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

The Royal Road: from the Barbican to Wawel Castle

The must-sees in one walk

Barbican, Rynek Główny, St Mary's, Kanonicza and Wawel in under two kilometres.

Centuries of Polish history

From the 1257 charter to Kościuszko's oath and the coronations on Wawel.

Gently downhill, no rush

A linear, almost entirely pedestrian route from north to south.

Keep exploring

More routes in Krakow

Back to Krakow
HistoryKazimierz and Podgórze: the Jewish town and its destruction Mysteries & legendsKraków of dragons and sorcerers

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