Kazimierz

Kazimierz is Krakow's old Jewish quarter, a district of low streets, worn squares and old synagogues just south of the Old Town. It was a separate town for centuries and still feels distinct: quieter and rougher-edged than the centre by day, and the busiest place in the city for bars and live music after dark. Cafes, galleries, cemeteries and the weekend markets on plac Nowy sit within a few blocks of each other.

Kazimierz is where you come for two things: the history of Jewish Krakow, and the food and nightlife that have grown up around it. The two sit side by side. You can spend a morning at the synagogues and cemeteries and the same evening at a bar in a candlelit courtyard a street away. It is walkable, easy to reach from the centre, and the area many visitors end up liking best.

The heart of the old Jewish quarter lies around ulica Szeroka, with several historic synagogues and the Remuh cemetery close together. Plac Nowy is the district's central square, ringed by bars and topped by a round former slaughterhouse pavilion that now grills zapiekanki, the long open-faced baguettes Krakow is known for. Beyond that, the pleasure of Kazimierz is simply walking: side streets of galleries, vintage shops, murals and small bars. Across the river in Podgorze is the wartime ghetto site and the Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory.

Kazimierz was founded in 1335 by King Casimir III, who gave it his name and its own charter. For centuries it was an independent town, separated from Krakow by a branch of the Vistula. From the late 15th century it became the main centre of Jewish life in the city, and by the 19th century it had been absorbed into Krakow proper. The Jewish community was destroyed in the Second World War. The district was left neglected for decades and has been revived since the 1990s.

Half a day covers the main synagogues, cemeteries and squares at a walking pace. Many people come back in the evening for dinner and bars, so it can easily fill a full day and night.

Come in the morning for the synagogues and cemeteries, which are calmer and better for reflection then. Plac Nowy comes alive in the late afternoon and evening, and the food and flea markets run mainly at weekends. Note that Jewish sites keep the Sabbath, so opening hours differ on Saturdays; check individual sites before you go.

Kazimierz is about a fifteen-minute walk south from the Main Market Square, down Grodzka and past Wawel. Several tram lines run along its edge from the centre and the main station. It is close enough to walk from the Old Town, which is how most visitors arrive. See the Krakow guide for routes and tickets.

The streets are largely flat but paved with old cobbles and setts that are uneven for wheelchairs and prams. Some of the synagogues and older buildings have steps and narrow doorways. Trams stopping at the edge of the district are low-floor on most lines.

Kazimierz sits between the Old Town and the river, with plenty within reach:

• Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory and MOCAK, across the river in Podgorze.
• Alchemia and Endzior on plac Nowy, for a drink or a zapiekanka.
• Wawel Castle, about ten minutes back toward the Old Town.

Yes. It is one of the liveliest parts of Krakow after dark, busy with bars and people well into the night. Use the usual care you would in any nightlife area.

Plac Nowy is the central square of Kazimierz, once the Jewish market square. Its round pavilion sells zapiekanki, and the surrounding bars and weekend markets make it the hub of the district's nightlife.