What to see in Krakow besides Wawel?

Beyond Wawel and the Main Square, pick one of three directions: Zwierzyniec with Salwator and Kościuszko Mound, Podgórze with Krakus Mound and the Podgórze Museum, or Nowa Huta with Central Square and a former shelter. Each shows a different side of Krakow: the one with the views, the pre-war one and the post-war one. If you’d rather explore with a task to solve, at the end we also describe city game routes that pass through some of these places.

Before you choose, check how much time you have. Zwierzyniec and Podgórze are easy to combine with a walk from the centre, while Nowa Huta is more of a separate half day.

Zwierzyniec: Salwator and Kościuszko Mound

According to Kraków Travel, the most popular way up to Kościuszko Mound leads from the tram terminus at Salwator along ul. bł. Bronisławy, over the hill once known as Sikornik. The mound itself was raised in 1820 to 1823 as a symbolic grave of Tadeusz Kościuszko, and Poles from all three partitions worked on building it.

In good weather you can see the Tatra Mountains from the top, about 100 kilometres away. Entry to the mound is ticketed, and the ticket also covers the exhibition. Check the current opening hours on Kraków Travel or on the Mound Committee’s website before you go, because they change during the year.

It’s a good direction for an afternoon when, after exploring the Old Town, you feel like a longer walk and a view over the whole city.

Podgórze: Krakus Mound, a museum and a footbridge over the Vistula

Podgórze lies on the right bank of the Vistula, opposite Kazimierz. The easiest way to get there on foot is the Father Bernatek Footbridge, which links the two districts. The footbridge is for pedestrians and cyclists, and you can see sculptures by Jerzy Kędziora along it.

According to legend, Krakus Mound is the grave of Krakow’s founder. Kraków Travel says it’s the oldest structure in the city, 16 metres high, standing on the limestone hill of Krzemionki. Entry is free. When and why it was raised is still not known for sure, and that uncertainty is part of its charm.

The district’s history is told by the Podgórze Museum at ul. Limanowskiego 51, a branch of the Museum of Krakow with the permanent exhibition “In the Shadow of Krak’s Mound”. Podgórze is also home to Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, with an exhibition about Krakow under the occupation. Tickets for the Factory are issued in your name and for a specific time, so if you want to go in, book them before planning the rest of the day.

Nowa Huta: a city designed from scratch

Nowa Huta is the youngest of the Krakow tourist routes described on the city’s official website (in Polish). It takes in Central Square, Aleja Róż, the steelworks’ Administrative Centre, the Ark of the Lord church, the Cistercian Abbey in Mogiła, one of the oldest churches in Krakow, and Wanda Mound.

Central Square was built in the mid-1950s and has been named after Ronald Reagan since 2004. It’s surrounded by housing estates labelled A, B, C and D, which form a single, unified urban layout. Entry is free, and the area is accessible to people with disabilities.

Below ground, you can visit Nowa Huta Underground, a former shelter under a school at os. Szkolne 37, with the exhibition “Stan zagrożenia”. You reach the ticket desk through the school’s main entrance. The Nowa Huta Museum building in the former Światowid cinema is currently being renovated, but the museum runs educational walks around the district. Check current opening hours and entry rules on the Museum of Krakow’s website.

The Vistula Embankments for a short break

If you only have an hour between stops, head down to the river. The Vistula Embankments start at the foot of Wawel, with footpaths and cycle paths, step-free access and free entry. From here it’s an easy walk towards Kazimierz and the Father Bernatek Footbridge, and on to Podgórze.

Sightseeing with puzzles: three city game routes

You can also get to know some of these areas through a city game. Your walk then has a goal in the story, and along the way you look for clues in real places. Three routes head in different directions:

• Eight Portals leads towards the old Zwierzyniec district, including the area around aleja Waszyngtona and Emaus. The operator mentions archive photographs and augmented reality, meaning digital elements added to your view of a real place.
• The Last Crime is a fictional investigation inspired by Krakow cases, with a route that takes in the Vistula, Plac na Stawach, the Rudawa river and Salwator, among other places. Choose it when everyone’s happy with a crime theme.
• Operation Mindfall combines a walk with a story about agents. The team gets a tablet and props, and the route leads towards Wawel.

In these games you pick up and return the equipment at a set place, so check the starting point and time before you set off. If you’d rather play on your own phone, with breaks and no fixed start time, the Krakow Legends app, which leads you around the city centre, does a similar job.

How to choose a direction for one day

• You have half a day and want a view: Salwator, a walk along ul. bł. Bronisławy and Kościuszko Mound. In poor visibility you won’t see the Tatras, but the panorama of the city is still there.
• You want to combine Kazimierz with something less obvious: cross the Father Bernatek Footbridge to Podgórze, climb Krakus Mound and drop into the Podgórze Museum. Plan Schindler’s Factory around the time on your ticket.
• You’re into the 20th century and architecture: set aside a separate half day for Nowa Huta, from Central Square and Aleja Róż to the shelter at os. Szkolne 37 and the Cistercian Abbey in Mogiła.
• You want to explore with a task: choose one city game route in the area that interests you, instead of squeezing several scenarios into one day.

Don’t try to see everything at once. One well-chosen direction will show you more of Krakow than a quick dash through several districts.