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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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Museums in Krakow with facilities for the disabled.

  • The Krakow National Museum’s main gallery at 1, 3 Maja street is outfitted with elevators, ramps, and wheelchair hoists. 

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Aviation Museum at 39 Jana Pawla II street has toilets equipped for the handicapped and there are no stairs whatsoever there.

  • Museum of Municipal Engineering at 15 Sw. Wawrzynca street boasts wide doors (to toilets as well) and no upstairs exhibitions whatsoever.

  • Ethnography Museum at 1 Wolnica Pl. has an elevator and a ramp.

  • 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.

  • Gallery of Old Japanese Art in the Manggha Center at 26 Konopnickiej street has ramps and toilets equipped for the disabled.

  • Celestat Museum at 16 Lubicz street is wheelchair accessible – ground floor, wide doors and no stairs or thresholds.

  • Remembrance Museum at 18 Bohaterow Getta Pl. has its exhibition on the ground floor.

  • Young Poland’s Rydlowka Museum at 28 Tetmajera street has entrance ramp and its exhibitions are on the ground floor.

  • Zoology Museum at 6 Ingardena street has ramps and elevators.

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Basic Krakow info for visitors

Senior visitors to Krakow

Krakow hotels 

Krakow lodging guide

You have 26,000-plus beds to choose from.

Dinning guide to restaurants in Krakow

Shopping 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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