Poland's geographical position has meant a history where the country's borders have changed and changed again, leading to cities which blend a variety of influences in their architecture and food. Kraków though is resolutely Polish and seen by many as their spiritual capital. Walk the cobbled streets, observe from a café on the vast Market Square, dip into the many museums and churches and you will understand the soul of this country. Its centre is compact making its various attractions there easily accessible and for those who want to journey outside, the extraordinary salt mines of Wieliczka await.
For more Krakow inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, restaurants and bars.
The Hejnal, or bugle call which is sounded on the hour, every hour from the tallest tower of St. Mary's Church is a sound which defines Kraków. Played four times to each point on the compass, the call breaks off suddenly to pay homage to the bugler who was shot in the throat in the 13th century by invading Tatars.
Insider tip: The bugle tower, 54 metres above the city, is currently undergoing renovation so check on the website that it is open to climb up. If so, go to Plac Mariacki 7, early in the morning of the day you want to climb it to secure your ticket.
Contact: mariacki.com
Price: £
The 15th-century Lady with an Ermine is one of only four female portraits painted by Leonardo da Vinci and it remains relatively unknown. The sitter is Cecilia Gallerani, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan when Leonardo was in the Duke's service. It was acquired in Italy in 1798 by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and brought to Poland soon afterwards.
Insider tip: This painting is now in the Czartoryski Museum, a collection originally formed by Princess Isabella Czartoryska in 1796. It was discovered by allied troops at the end of WWII in the Bavarian country house of Hans Frank, Governor-General of occupied Poland, and returned.
Contact: muzeum-czartoryskich.krakow.pl
A five-hour cruise on the Peter Pan ship, limited to 34 passengers with a panoramic upper deck, will take you along the Vistula past many of the city's landmarks from Wawel Hill to the impressive Baroque Pauline Church on the Rock. It includes a tour of the Benedictine Abbey of Tyniec, set above the river.
Insider tip: The Pauline Church of the Rock has a pantheon to Polish creativity within its crypt. Painters Malczewski and Wyspiański are both buried there as is pianist and composer Szymanowski and writer and Nobel Prize winner, Czesław Miłosz.
Contact: 00 48 601 560 250; rejsykrakow.com
Meeting point: Czerwieński boulevard, opposite the Sheraton Hotel, at Dębnicki Bridge.
Erected by Cracovians in 1823 in commemoration of the Polish national leader, Tadeusz Kościuszko, this artificial mound was modeled on Kraków's prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. A serpentine path leads to the top of Kościuszko Mound, with a magnificent view of the Vistula and Kraków. Pack a picnic from the deli in Pasaz 13 in the Market Square and settle in the surrounding park.
Insider tip: Kościuszko Mound inspired Count Paul Strzelecki, Polish patriot and Australian explorer, to name the highest mountain in Australia Mount Kosciuszko because of its perceived resemblance to the Kościuszko Mound in Kraków.
Contact: 00 48 12 425 11 16; kopieckosciuszki.pl/
Oskar Schindler converted his enamel factory to make ammunition and mess kits to ensure the Germans would not be suspicious of his activities. As immortalised in the film Schindler's list, Schindler managed to save many Jews through this factory. Schindler's Factory now houses a museum about Kraków under Nazi occupation alongside a contemporary Polish art museum, MOCAK, which exhibits national and international artists.
Insider tip: The museum has been designed in an original way with 45 rooms divided into a hairdresser's salon, a labour camp, a railway station, a street and so on making this a real living history lesson of the horror that people endured at the time.
Contact: 00 48 12 257 10 17; muzeumkrakowa.pl
Once a citadel stood on this hill but it was long ago replaced by the Renaissance Castle and Gothic Cathedral that dominate Krakow's skyline today. The Royal Cathedral, regarded by Poles as a spiritual shrine, was the site of coronations and royal burials. The Royal Castle was the centre of political and cultural life and remains a symbol of national identity.
Insider tip: The Zygmunt Chapel stands out amongst other of the Royal Cathedral's chapels as the jewel of Italian Renaissance art in Poland. It contains the tombs of the two last Jagiellonian kings, by Bartolomeo Berrecci and Santi Gucci in 1530 and 1574 respectively.
Contact: 00 48 12 429 95 16; katedra-wawelska.pl
Rynek Underground opened in 2010 as a high-tech museum tracing the story of the city from the first settlers to the death of Pope John Paul II. It lies four metres beneath the Main Market Square. The underground vaults exhibit archaeological finds as well as ancient coins and clothing. The whole is a skilful blend of interactive exhibits and traditional displays.
Insider tip: As entrance is limited to 300 people at one time, book in advance for a timed slot. This can be done online or at the information office on the opposite side of the Cloth Hall to the museum entrance, which faces St. Mary's Church.
Contact: 00 48 12 426 50 60; muzeumkrakowa.pl
This very beautiful 15th-century polyptych, 11 metres wide and 13 metres high, lies behind the high altar in St. Mary's Church. It was carved by Veit Stoss, renowned sculptor in Gothic art who lived in Kraków, devoting 12 years to this, his magnum opus. It is carved in limewood and consists of 200 sculptures treated with colour and gold foil.
Insider tip: The polyptych, the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world, recently underwent major restoration but is now back to its former glory. Check the website for visiting times. Look too for the beautiful sandstone crucifix, also by Veit Stoss, which hangs in the church, near the visitor's entrance. It is a fine example of 15th-century sculpture.
A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1978, Wieliczka salt mine, 40 minutes outside Kraków, is the oldest working salt mine in the world, stretching back over 700 years. Only one and half miles of the network of underground chambers are open to the public, out of which most impressive is the Chapel of St. Kinga with altarpieces, sculptures and chandeliers hewn from salt.
Insider tip: The unique micro-climate is used for subterraneotherapy in treatment chambers located 135 metres (442ft) underground. It is also possible to sleep underground in the Eastern Mountain's Stable Chamber, a natural inhaler, previously a stable for the horses that worked the mine.
Contact: 00 48 12 288 00 52; wieliczka-saltmine.com
Price: ££
Many visitors who come to Kraków do so with the intention of visiting Auschwitz, an hour away, which was the largest of the German Nazi Concentration Camps. It is a grim and sobering experience which the world believed should be turned into a museum as a memorial to the 900,00 to 1.5 million Jews, Poles and others who were murdered there.
Insider tip: For poles, Auschwitz, famous for the inscription on its gate 'Arbeit macht frei' (work makes you free), is a particular symbol of their own suffering. It was here that St. Maksymilian Kolbe died after volunteering his life for that of a fellow prisoner.
Contact: 00 48 33 844 8000; auschwitz.org
Price: Free or £ with a guided tour
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks - to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
