Kazimierz is a historic district in southern Kraków, founded as a separate royal town in 1335 by King Kazimierz III the Great and incorporated into the city in 1791. For centuries it served as the center of Jewish life in the region, and today its synagogues, cemeteries, galleries, and independent restaurants make it one of the most visited neighborhoods in Poland. The area sits roughly one kilometer south of the Main Market Square, bordered by the Wisła River to the south and Stradom to the north.
What is Kazimierz known for?
Kazimierz is best known as Kraków’s historic Jewish quarter, containing seven functioning or preserved synagogues including the 16th-century Stara Synagoga (Old Synagogue) on Szeroka Street—the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland—alongside the Renaissance Remuh Synagogue and its adjacent walled cemetery dating to 1551. The district gained international recognition after serving as a filming location for Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List in 1993, and it remains a living center of Jewish cultural revival through annual festivals and museum programming.
Best things to do in Kazimierz
The single most important cultural stop is the Galicia Jewish Museum on Dajwór Street, which documents the history and present of Polish Jewish life through large-format photography. Other essential experiences include:
- Touring the Old Synagogue, now a branch of the Historical Museum of Kraków on Szeroka Street
- Walking through the Remuh Cemetery to see Renaissance-era matzevot (tombstones)
- Browsing the Sunday antiques and crafts flea market at Plac Nowy
- Visiting the Ethnographic Museum in the former town hall on Plac Wolnica
- Attending a klezmer concert at one of the restaurants on Szeroka Street
Where to eat and drink in Kazimierz
Kazimierz offers some of Kraków’s most diverse dining, ranging from Jewish-influenced cuisine on Szeroka Street to specialty coffee shops and natural wine bars on Ulica Józefa and Ulica Estery. Zapiekanka—a toasted open-faced baguette with toppings—is the quintessential street food sold from the circular kiosks at Plac Nowy, eaten standing on the square. The neighborhood also concentrates many of the city’s independent cocktail bars and craft beer venues, particularly along Ulica Meiselsa.
Where to walk in Kazimierz
The core walking route runs from Plac Wolnica north along Ulica Krakowska, then east along Ulica Józefa through the former Jewish commercial district to Szeroka Street, the historic heart of the Jewish quarter, covering roughly one kilometer of continuously interesting streetscape. A second walk heads south from Szeroka Street along the riverbank Bulwar Czerwieński toward the Pauline Church on the Skałka (Church on the Rock) on Skałeczna Street, a Baroque pilgrimage site and crypt of distinguished Poles.
How to get to Kazimierz
Kazimierz is reachable from Kraków’s Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) in about 15 minutes on foot south along Ulica Starowiślna or Ulica Stradomska, or in under five minutes by tram. Tram lines 3, 9, 19, and 24 stop at Miodowa or Plac Wolnica stops within the district, and Kraków Główny railway station is approximately 2.5 kilometers north, accessible by tram.
Best time to visit Kazimierz
Late June is the optimal time to visit Kazimierz due to the Festival of Jewish Culture (Festiwal Kultury Żydowskiej), a ten-day international event held annually since 1988, featuring concerts, workshops, and outdoor performances that fill the streets and courtyards. The Sunday Plac Nowy flea market operates year-round from early morning and is best before noon; summer evenings bring outdoor café seating to nearly every courtyard and street corner in the district.
