Kazimierz is Krakow’s former Jewish quarter and today its most atmospheric district. Here you will find the synagogues on Szeroka Street, Plac Nowy with its famous zapiekanka, Gothic churches around Plac Wolnica and courtyards full of cafés and galleries. It is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the Main Square and about 10 minutes from Wawel. Allow half a day for a walk with time for the synagogues and a museum, and keep the evening free for dinner.
In short
- Where: south of the Old Town, between Wawel and the Vistula.
- From the Main Square: 15 to 20 minutes on foot or a few stops by tram.
- Highlights: Szeroka Street and its synagogues, the Remuh cemetery, Plac Nowy, Plac Wolnica, Corpus Christi Church.
- On Saturdays: the Remuh Synagogue and cemetery are closed on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.
- Across the footbridge: Podgórze, with Schindler’s Factory and MOCAK.
- Where to stay: Sarah, Liv and Grace in Kazimierz, or Bagel Residence on the edge of the Old Town.
A short history of Kazimierz
Kazimierz was founded in 1335 by King Casimir the Great as a separate town next to Krakow. For centuries Christians and Jews lived here, and the Jewish part of the district was one of the most important centres of Jewish life in Europe. During the Second World War its Jewish residents were forced into the ghetto in Podgórze, and most of them were murdered in the Holocaust. Since the 1990s Kazimierz has come back to life, and today it combines the memory of that history with a lively, artistic atmosphere.
Szeroka Street and the synagogues
Szeroka is really a long square and the heart of the old Jewish part of Kazimierz. At its end stands the Old Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland, now a branch of the Museum of Krakow. Opposite is the small Remuh Synagogue with its 16th century cemetery, one of the oldest surviving Jewish cemeteries in Poland. Remuh is an active synagogue, so it is closed to visitors on the Sabbath, from Friday evening to Saturday, and on Jewish holidays. A few minutes away, on Miodowa Street, is the Tempel Synagogue, and on Kupa Street the Isaac Synagogue.
Plac Nowy and zapiekanka
In the middle of Plac Nowy stands a round market hall, the Okrąglak, with hatches selling zapiekanka, a long baguette toasted with cheese and toppings. It is a Krakow classic, especially in the evening. On weekend mornings there is sometimes a flea market on the square, which is surrounded by bars and cafés.
Our tip: “Have your zapiekanka after dinner, not before. Queues are shortest in the early afternoon and longest on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Plac Wolnica and the churches
Plac Wolnica was once the market square of the town of Kazimierz. The old town hall on the square now houses the Ethnographic Museum. Right next to it is the Gothic Corpus Christi Church, and a few minutes away St Catherine’s Church and the Skałka Church by the river, with the Crypt of the Distinguished, where Stanisław Wyspiański and Czesław Miłosz, among others, are buried.
A half day walk around Kazimierz
- Start at the Skałka Church by the river.
- Cross Plac Wolnica, past Corpus Christi Church.
- Walk along Józefa Street to Plac Nowy, looking into the courtyard galleries on the way.
- Turn onto Szeroka Street: the Old Synagogue, the Remuh Synagogue and cemetery.
- Come back along Miodowa Street past the Tempel Synagogue and walk down to the river.
- Cross the Father Bernatek Footbridge to Podgórze if you still have energy for Schindler’s Factory.
Across the footbridge: Podgórze
The Father Bernatek Footbridge takes you from Kazimierz straight to Podgórze. A 15 minute walk further on is Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, with an exhibition about Krakow under German occupation, and MOCAK, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Buy tickets for Schindler’s Factory online, as the exhibition is very popular. End the day on Krakus Mound, with a view of the whole city.
Where to eat in Kazimierz
Kazimierz has more restaurants and cafés on a small patch than anywhere else in Krakow. You will find Jewish, Polish, vegetarian and international food, and in the courtyards off Józefa and Meiselsa streets there are cafés where you can easily spend an afternoon. On weekend evenings it is worth booking a table at popular places.
Kazimierz at night
After dark Kazimierz is the liveliest part of Krakow, especially around Plac Nowy on Fridays and Saturdays. If you prefer to come back in the evening away from the main stretch of bars, choose a place on a side street.
Our tip: where to stay in Kazimierz
- In the heart of Kazimierz, in a new building with a lift: Sarah Apartments on Miodowa Street. Studios with a balcony, an apartment with a separate bedroom for three and an apartment with a terrace. The Tempel Synagogue and Szeroka Street are a few minutes away, and there is a shop in the same building.
- On a side street, away from the main stretch of bars: Liv Apartments on the corner of Świętej Katarzyny and Krakowska, by Plac Wolnica and the Skałka Church.
- Between the Old Town and Kazimierz: Grace Apartments on Starowiślna, five minutes from the Main Square and eight from Kazimierz, and Bagel Residence on Dietla Street, seven minutes from Wawel. Both have a luggage room.
- Across the footbridge, in Podgórze: K12 Apartments by Rynek Podgórski, a few minutes from the Father Bernatek Footbridge.
Can’t decide between Kazimierz and the Old Town? Compare the areas in our guide where to stay in Krakow.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Kazimierz from the Main Square?
About 15 to 20 minutes on foot or a few stops by tram.
What should I see in Kazimierz?
Szeroka Street with the Old Synagogue and the Remuh Synagogue, Plac Nowy, Plac Wolnica with Corpus Christi Church, the Skałka Church and the Father Bernatek Footbridge.
Are the synagogues in Kazimierz open on Saturday?
The Remuh Synagogue and its cemetery are closed on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. Check the opening hours of the others before you go.
What should I eat in Kazimierz?
A zapiekanka from the Okrąglak on Plac Nowy, and for dinner Jewish or modern Polish food in one of the many restaurants.
Is Kazimierz a good area to stay in?
Yes, if atmosphere, food and evenings out matter most to you. The Main Square is a 15 to 20 minute walk.
Kazimierz with Cracow Travel. Book an apartment in the heart of the district direct. With the code CT231974 you pay 50 PLN less for stays of 2 nights or more. See available apartments →
Sources: Museum of Krakow (Old Synagogue), Jewish Religious Community of Krakow (synagogues). Photo: Zygmunt Put, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated: December 2026. The Cracow Travel team, hosting guests in Kraków for 15 years.