Krakow for the disabled
Tourist attractions of Krakow are mostly situated within
walking distance in the Stare Miasto
(Old Town) medieval district. It has been largely turned
into a pedestrian mall, and generally its streets and
squares are fairly level and rather easy to negotiate.
Conveniently, the historical quarter also remains the core
of today’s city life as Krakow’s administrative center, it’s
chief business hub, and the main shopping and entertainment
precinct. And there is no shortage of
hotels
in the area as well.
As Krakow’s Old Town is peppered with hundreds of
restaurants,
cafes, and
clubs, a good deal of them operates underground, in vast
medieval cellars down steep stairs.
The handicapped living in Krakow.
Over 135,000 residents of Krakow are disabled one way or
another, even if only a fraction of them is bedridden or
wheelchair-bound. Anyway, statistically, the handicapped
comprise roughly 18.2 percent of the city's population,
considerably more than Poland's average of 14.2 percent (the
2000 census).
Facilities for the disabled in Krakow’s buildings.
Since the mid-1990s Poland’s building code has required all
new public buildings, from office blocks and schools to
museums and theaters to shopping centers and housing
developments, and their various on-site facilities, to be
wheelchair accessible. Refurbishment of older buildings also
entails installation of facilities for the disabled. Yet
Krakow is an old city with lots of very old architecture, so
it will take probably decades before it is made entirely
comfortable for the handicapped.
Many
Krakow hotels
have common spaces and some rooms outfitted with the
facilities for the disabled and furnished accordingly.
Public transportation in Krakow and the handicapped.
For years the municipal public transport utility has taken
care to order new buses and streetcars with low floors, wide
doors, and enough free space to accommodate wheelchairs.
Unfortunately, the replacement of older vehicles is not complete, so
sometimes
boarding city buses or streetcars requires
effort from those bound to the wheelchair, and
even some help from fellow passengers. And Krakow has no
subway, i.e. underground rail transportation.
Specialized taxis with lifts for wheelchairs are operated by
Partner corporation, phone 129633. Plus its services
for the handicapped residents of the city
are
subsidized by the Krakow municipality so they pay
only part of the regular fare.
Blind persons in Krakow
Maps of central Krakow for the blind are available in
tourist information centers and tourists offices in Krakow.
Many of the city's pedestrian crossings at traffic lights
are equipped with sound signaling devices.
In modern trams and buses a voice message is heard telling
the name of each stop.
Krakow information services for the disabled
An information center for disabled is situated at 94
Krolewska street, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays
except Mondays. It's phone number is (+48) 126368584.
Also there is a
toll-free information telephone for the handicapped - 0800533335.
Krakow’s landmarks with facilities for the disabled.
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The Wawel Royal Castle overlooks Krakow from the top of the Wawel Hill,
yet with some effort the rather low elevation can be scaled in a wheelchair
by way of both of its ramp-like approach roads (driving a motor vehicle
through requires a pass). Entrance to the castle is at the ground level,
then the disabled can use an elevator.
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The Wieliczka Salt Mines have been recently made
wheelchair accessible after four-year, million-dollar adaptation, complete
with elevators, ramps, and toilets. The disabled may tour most popular parts
of one of Europe’s prime tourist attractions, together with two of its
subterranean lakes, underground churches of St. Kunegunde’s and of the
Cross, and the Dwarfs’ Cave.
Collegium Maius has elevator to its upstairs museum and ramps to
toilets.
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The Krakow National Museum’s main gallery at 1, 3 Maja street is
outfitted with elevators, ramps, and wheelchair hoists.
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Palace of Bishop of Bishop Erazm Ciolek at 17
Kanonicza street – the Krakow National Museum's branch exhibiting its
rich collection of the old Polish art as well as Poland's best collection of
the old Orthodox Church art. The splendid Renaissance palace has been
thoroughly refurbished and turned into the museum as recently as 2007, with
facilities for the disabled added.
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Princes Czartoryski Museum at 15 Pijarska street, another branch of the Krakow National Museum and home to Leonadso da Vinci's famous painting Lady with an Ermine, has been reopened in 2019 after a thorough renovation.
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The Gallery of the 19th Century Polish Art in the Cloth Hall in the central square. The museum has an elevator and ramps for the disabled. The lift is equipped with Braille buttons and voice control. A restroom fully adapted to the needs of people with different disabilities. No doorsteps or other barriers.
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Aviation Museum at 39 Jana Pawla II street has toilets equipped for the
handicapped and there are no stairs whatsoever there.
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Museum of Municipal Engineering at 15 Sw. Wawrzynca street boasts wide
doors (to toilets as well) and no upstairs exhibitions whatsoever.
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Ethnography Museum at 1 Wolnica Pl. has an elevator and a ramp.
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European Culture Centre EUROPEUM
at 6 Plac Sikorskiego square, a branch of the Krakow National Museum, exhibits its
Collection of the western European art from the Middle Ages through
the 19th century. A lift, restrooms, entrance ramp, wide doors, walkways, glass door safeguards, induction loop in educational rooms, extra amenities, raised printing system, atlas of the world with raised relief maps and Braille commentary, magnifying sheets for the visually impaired.
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Gallery of Old Japanese Art in the Manggha Center
at 26 Konopnickiej street has ramps and toilets equipped for the disabled.
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Celestat Museum at 16 Lubicz street is wheelchair accessible – ground
floor, wide doors and no stairs or thresholds.
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Remembrance Museum at 18 Bohaterow Getta Pl. has its exhibition on the
ground floor.
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Young Poland’s Rydlowka Museum at 28 Tetmajera street has entrance ramp
and its exhibitions are on the ground floor.
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Zoology Museum at 6 Ingardena street has ramps and elevators.
Click here for more tips.
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Senior visitors to Krakow
Krakow hotels
Krakow lodging guide
You have 26,000-plus beds to choose from.
Dinning guide to restaurants in Krakow
The city’s central Old Town historic district is crammed with stores of all sorts. And big new
shopping malls are nearby.
Tax-free Shopping in Krakow
Getting around in Krakow
Gift Ideas
Make everybody happy back home with a souvenir from
Krakow.
Krakow Galleries
Enrich yourself with a first-rate work of art at a very
reasonable price.
Krakow Foodstuffs
Tips on getting Krakow's bread and butter as well as
other dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, etc.
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