How to spend Halloween in Krakow? Spooky or laid-back

Halloween in Krakow is the evening of 31 October, the night before All Saints’ Day. If you’re heading out with friends, or planning a hen or stag do, you’ve got a few good options: a Halloween event from the city’s cultural calendar, a city game in the autumn dark, an escape room with magic or pirates instead of horror, or a relaxed walk around Kazimierz with a stop somewhere warm. First agree how much of a thrill the whole group is up for, and only then pick the place.

This matters most when you’re planning a surprise for a bride- or groom-to-be, or for someone who simply doesn’t enjoy being scared. Halloween doesn’t have to be a test of nerve to be a great excuse for a night out together.

Halloween events: where to check what’s on

Every year Krakow has Halloween concerts, club nights, film screenings and family events, but the line-up changes from year to year. The most reliable place to check it is Karnet, the cultural calendar run by the Krakow Festival Office. In previous years it has featured, for example, two-day Halloween festivals with concerts, a film marathon, a pub quiz and a separate day for families.

Before you buy tickets, check three things: whether the event is for adults or for families, whether fancy dress is expected, and what time it finishes. The programme for a given year may only appear towards the end of October, so with a bigger group it’s worth having a plan that doesn’t depend on a single event.

A city game in the autumn dark

In late October it gets dark early, so even an afternoon game ends under the streetlights. It’s a good way to get the atmosphere without any jump scares.

Krakow Legends is a game in a smartphone app that leads you through the city centre from point to point and weaves puzzles into Krakow’s legends. There’s no fixed start time and no time limit, you can take breaks, and one access covers the whole group playing on one phone. The operator estimates the game at about one and a half to two hours. You’ll need a phone with location turned on, so make sure the battery is charged.

A bigger crew that likes a bit of competition can take a look at Blackout: City in the Dark by EscapeCity. It’s a spy thriller, not a horror: teams of 4 to 6 get an iPad with a map and augmented reality, plus a suitcase of props, and the route covers about 3.2 km around Kazimierz. The full version takes 120 minutes and starts from Mały Rynek; the shorter one takes 90 minutes and starts from Plac Wolnica. Agree a start time after dark with the organiser when you book.

An escape room with magic or pirates, not horror

Not everyone wants to be scared, and an autumn evening in an escape room can still have just the right mood.

• Enchanted Amulets: a world of magic and a sorcerer’s curse, for 2 to 8 players, 65 minutes. The operator recommends this room for hen parties. It’s dimly lit inside and, according to the room card, there are no live spiders. The operator rates its difficulty at 7/10, so it’s one for a group that enjoys a challenge.
• Dead Man’s Chest: a pirate adventure about buried treasure, for 2 to 6 people, 65 minutes. The card describes it as child-friendly, so it suits a group where someone isn’t keen on a darker atmosphere.

Both rooms are at ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki 74, and you can play them in English. The doors stay unlocked and the Game Master is in constant contact with you. Just don’t expect a wizard or a pirate to join your team in person.

If you’re planning costumes, make sure they don’t restrict your movement or clash with the room rules. It’s better to check any large costume pieces in advance than at the door.

An autumn walk and a stop in Kazimierz

For a calmer group, a walk and a café are all you need. Kazimierz, the former Jewish town centred on Szeroka Street, has an atmosphere that suits an autumn evening all on its own. From there it’s an easy walk across the Father Bernatek Footbridge to Podgórze. In the evening the arch of the footbridge is lit from below, and balancing sculptures by Jerzy Kędziora hang above the walkway. It’s free to cross and step-free.

Choose a place with room to talk, and book a table if there are more of you. On 31 October many venues put on their own Halloween extras, so it can get busy in the evening. Combining a walk with a warm indoor stop also works when part of the group doesn’t want to play. You can meet up later, without having to talk everyone into the same plan.

Halloween, right before All Saints’ Day

In Krakow, Halloween falls on the eve of the day when crowds visit Rakowicki Cemetery and the city’s other cemeteries. Every year the Public Transport Authority (ZTP) runs extra tram and bus lines, and traffic arrangements change around the cemeteries. You’ll find current announcements on the ZTP website. If you’re heading back late on the night of 31 October into 1 November, check your connections in advance.

Keep costumes and loud partying well away from the cemeteries. If someone in your group would like the quieter, more reflective side of these days: in 2024 the city’s Dr Henryk Jordan Youth Centre ran free walks around Krakow’s cemeteries in the last days of October. You can check whether they’re taking place in a given year in the announcements on krakow.pl (in Polish).

A quiet night in instead

If the weather or the mood isn’t calling you out, an evening at home can still have an autumn theme: a film you pick together, some music, and everyone brings one snack. It doesn’t have to be a horror. All you need is a plan where everyone feels at ease.