Kazimierz

A 600-year-old Jewish quarter with seven synagogues and the filming location of Schindler’s List, now Kraków’s most characterful spot for cafés, bars, and street food.

Kazimierz was founded by King Casimir the Great in 1335. Originally an independent town on an island in the Vistula, it became a Jewish settlement from the 15th century. Before World War II it had 65,000 Jewish residents. After the war it fell into ruin, and in the 1990s it was revived when Schindler’s List was filmed here. The heart of the area is Szeroka Street. At its northern end stands the Old Synagogue (15th century, the oldest in Poland, now the Museum of Jewish History, about 20 złoty), along with the Remuh Synagogue and the 16th-century Old Cemetery beside it (closed on Friday afternoons and Saturdays). At the end of the street are Jewish restaurants such as Ariel. On the south side, the Izaak Synagogue and the Galicia Jewish Culture Centre (with photography exhibitions) are also worth a visit.

The round former slaughterhouse in the center of Plac Nowy is now a stall selling zapiekanka (Polish baguette pizza), where queues form late at night, and there is a flea market on Sunday mornings. Nearby, the Alchemia and Singer cafés represent the bohemian nightlife. Crossing the river to the Podgórze district, you can walk over the Kładka Bernatka footbridge (hung with love locks) to see the Ghetto Heroes Square with its 70 empty-chair sculptures, the remains of the ghetto wall, and Schindler’s Factory. The Jewish Culture Festival in late June is famous for its street concerts. Getting there: it is a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, or take a tram to Miodowa or Plac Wolnica station. Wandering the area is free, while each synagogue charges its own admission. Men must wear a kippah to enter the synagogues (provided on site).

Kazimierz

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