Highlights

• Szeroka Street – the heart of the former Jewish quarter
• Family home of Helena Rubinstein
• Schindler’s yard
• Ghetto
• Ghetto Heroes’ Square with the famous Eagle Pharmacy

What To Expect

During the walk you will experience the unique atmosphere of the former Jewish district – Kazimierz, full of contrasts and that is why it is so fascinating. Today’s Kazimierz is a place full of artistic galleries, cafés and pubs where artists and students discuss matters from dusk to dawn, but also a place where you can learn about the culture of its former inhabitants – the Jews, where the Jewish Culture Festival is organised every year.

You will learn who the Ashkenazim and Sephardim are, you will get to know the places connected with Helena Rubinstein, Roman Polanski. You will trace the filming spots of „Schindler’s List”. You will stroll through the streets of the former ghetto to see a section of the wall that has been preserved to this day and reach the central point of the ghetto – Ghetto Heroes’ Square.

Before 1939 there were 3 million Jews in the heart of Europe. Their world can now be seen only in the photos which were saved from the fires of the Second World War. But in Kraków’s Kazimierz, a former Jewish district, you can still find the spirit of the past times. Szeroka street with its famous synagogues, cemetery and kosher restaurants, Ciemna street still with its amazing atmosphere of a medieval town, the square market with all possible things to buy – here the pre-war world seems to be preserved. Here, the past and present time intertwine together, social and artistic life flourishes in the established art cafés and pubs, and beautiful art objects are created in galleries and workshops – our expert guide will show you the best ones.

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

The tour offers a great opportunity to get to know Kazimierz, the former Jewish district. You will see all of the most important places related to the culture and history of its former inhabitants. You will admire its amazing atmosphere and vibrant life. Our guide will show you the fascinating world of Jewish culture, tradition, religion and customs. You will learn about the rituals of Orthodox everyday life, hear a story about Jewish holidays and learn about kosher food.

Tour Itinerary

Sightseeing,  part I (~1½h)

Our guide will take you for a walk along the streets of Kazimierz, the former Jewish district in Krakow where the Jews settled in the 14th century. You will start your walk from Szeroka Street which used to be the center of the Jewish district. Imagine that right at this street there were four synagogues built! …something that has not happened anywhere else in Europe. You will get to know three of them as the fourth one was demolished during World War II. At Szeroka Street you will see  also some other buildings, built in the 16th or 17th century like: old cementary, the building of the former ritual bathhouse or the house where the „queen of cosmetics”, Helena Rubinstein, was born.

Sightseeing, part II (~1½h)

Your guide will take you for the second part of the walk along the mysterious and picturesque streets, where synagogues, ritual slaughterhouses and prayer houses were located. You will see the Jewish Market Place which is today surrounded by countless bars, pubs and restaurants, and you will hear the stories related to everyday life of the quarter. Your guide will take you also to the Schindler’s Backyard (shown in the movie “Schindler’s List”). You will enjoy also a charm of small art galleries with locally made souvenirs, which are located one after another, on a street that used to be one of the  most characteristic streets of the Jewish district.

Sightseeing part III (~1 h)

You will go to the other bank of the Vistula River to the Podgorze district, where, the Germans established a ghetto in 1941. You will stroll through the streets of the former ghetto to reach a place where you will see a preserved fragment of the Krakow ghetto wall. The final point of the tour will be the Ghetto Heroes’ Square – the main place in the former ghetto, where Jews were imprisoned and which witnessed many beastly murders, tears and incomprehensible suffering of people separated from their families and uncertain of their faith. Right at the corner there is a building of the former Eagle Pharmacy (currently a museum). Its owner, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, was the only non-Jewish inhabitant of the ghetto. Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his associates helped many inhabitants of the ghetto, and in 1983 Pankiewicz was awarded the title of „The Righteous Among the Nations”.

End of the tour – You will end your tour at the  Ghetto Heroes’ Square. 

What to bear in mind

• How to dress: most of the tour is outdoor, so please were the adequate clothing according to the current weather. Since we will walk quite a lot then the comfortable shoes would be the most desired.

• Disabled: this tour is suitable for those with some disabilities as well as for the people with small children.