Krakow’s Thematic Routes

The walk commemorating Krakow’s 11th-cetury bishop-martyr and one of the city’s patron saints links the impressive landmarks of the Christian part of the Kazimierz historic district.

Starting point – the Wawel Cathedral on the Wawel Hill.

Itinerary: the Wawel Cathedral, St. Bernard's Church at Stradomska street, Bernardynska street, Wisla embankment, Skalka sanctuary, Skaleczna street, St Catherine's church, Augustianska street, Skawinska street, Krakowska street, Trynitarska street, Bonifraterska street, Plac Wolnica square.

The walk through Krakow’s former Jewish quarter in the Kazimierz historic district runs by its all seven synagogues.

Starting point at the corner of Krakowska and Meiselsa streets.

Itinerary: Meiselsa street, Center for Jewish Culture, back to Bozego Ciala street, Miodowa street, Estery street, Warszauera street, Kupa street, Izaaka street, Jakuba street, Jozefa street, Szeroka street, New Jewish Cemetery at 55 Miodowa street. 

The itinerary that links Krakow places connected with St. Faustyna, the Polish visionary nun of the early 20th century who originated the world-wide Catholic movement of Divine Mercy. Its stops are scattered in various areas of the city so in practice one needs to rely on public transport in order to visit them. 

Itinerary: from John Paul II Hospital (Szpital im. Jana Pawla II) at 80 Pradnicka street where St. Faustina was treated for tuberculosis and other illnesses via churches of the Virgin Mary (Kosciol Mariacki) at Rynek Glowny central square, God’s Heart (Kosciol Serca Bozego) at Kopernika street, and St. Joseph (Kosciol Sw. Jozefa) at Zamoyskiego street in Podgorze district, to the sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Lagiewnnik with the convent where St. Faustyna lived and died. 

More a list of places with relation to the many Krakow saints than a viable sightseeing route. It takes at least two days to see them all.

Starting point – the Wawel Cathedral on the Wawel Hill.

Itinerary: the Wawel Cathedral, church of the convent of the Sisters of St Felix of Cantalice at Smolensk street, St. Anne's church at 11 Sw. Anny street, St. Mark's church at 10 Sw. Marka street, St. Florian's church at 1 Warszawska street, basilica of the Holiest Heart of Jesus at 26 Kopernika street, basilica of the Virgin Mary’s at the the Krakow central square, church of the Holy Trinity (Dominican) at 12 Stolarska street, St. Francis’ church (Franciskan) at 2 Franciszkanska street, Bernardine church at 2 Bernardynska street, Corpus Christi church at 26 Bozego Ciala street, St. Catherine's church at 7 Augustianska street, the Skalka sanctuary at Skaleczna street, Ecce Homo sanctuary at 10 Woronicza street, the church of the Premonstratensian convent at 88 Kosciuszki street, the Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at 3 Siostry Faustyny street.

This walk links Old Town’s sites connected one way or another with Krakow’s 600-year-plus university traditions.

Starting point – St. Florian’s church (Kosciol Sw. Floriana), 1 Warszawska street at Kurniki street.

Itinerary: St. Florian’s church, Florianska street, Sw. Marka street, Plac Szczepanski square, the Planty garden ring, St Anne's church, Sw. Anny street, Collegium Maius, Jagiellonska street, Collegium Novum, the Planty garden ring, Poselska street, Senacka street, Grodzka street, Wawel Hill.

The route connects Krakow places related to the late pope, scattered around the entire city. Given distances one needs some means of transport, public or private, to see them all.

Starting point – Bishops Palace, 3 Franciszkanska street at Planty gardens.

Itinerary: Bishops Palace, Franciscan church at 2 Franciszkanska street, the Planty garden ring, Archbishop Metropolitan Seminary at 8 Podzamcze street, Dom Dziekanski building at 21 Kanonicza street (Archdiocese Museum), Wawel Cathedral on the Wawel Hill, Skalka sanctuary, house of Jan Tyranowski at 11 Rozana street, church of St Stanislaw Kostka at Konfederacka street,.house at 12 Szwedzka street, house at 10 Tyniecka street, the Papal Stone on the Blonia common, John Paul II’s monument in the Park Jordana, Collegium Novum at 24 Golebia 24, basilica of the Virgin Mary’s, St. Florian’s church at 1 Warszawska street, John Paul II’s monument in Park Strzelecki at Lubicz street, grave of Karol Wojtyla's parents at the Rakowicki Cemetery, John Paul II Hospital at 80 Pradnicka street, church of St Jadwiga the Queen of Poland at 60 Lokietka street, church of the Mother of God the Queen of Poland ‘Arka Pana’ (‘the Ark of the Lord') at 1 Obroncow Krzyza street in the Bienczyce district, St Maksymilian Maria Kolbe's church in Mistrzejowice, quarries in Zakrzowek, chapel at the junction of Ruczaj, Pychowicka, and Kamieniarska streets, the site of former Solvay Soda Works at Zakopianska 62 (currently the Solvay Centre for Contemporary Art and Zakopianka shopping center), the Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at 3 Siostry Faustyny street, John Paul II International Airport.

The walk links the leading places of interest of Krakow’s Podgorze district on the right bank of Wisla river including the area of the former Jewish ghetto in Krakow.

Starting point – Most Pilsudskiego bridge.

Itinerary: Most Pilsudskiego bridge, Jozefinska street, Plac Bohaterow Getta square, Lwowska street, Limanowskiego street, Rynek Podgorski square, Park Bednarskiego, Wzgorze Lasoty hill, St. Benedict's church, Stawarza street, Podgorze’s old cemetery, Kopiec Krakusa mound, the site of the former Nazi concentration camp of Plaszow.

The tour of the leading places of interest of Krakow’s easternmost Nowa Huta sprawling district notorious for its communist architecture and industrial landscape. Given distances one needs some means of transport. Starting point – building of the former Administrative Center of the Lenin Steelworks (now Mittal Steel).