RunCity

Kraków on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Kraków's best-known sights, including Barbican, St. Mary's Basilica, Cloth Hall and more. It is about 6 km on foot, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Kraków leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 6 kmDistance
  • 2.5 hoursWalking
  • about 58 minRunning
Play Kraków in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Kraków
Photo: Andrzej Otrębski · CC BY-SA 4.0

This walk runs from the old city walls through the Main Square and Wawel Hill to Kazimierz and Podgórze, about 6 km on flat ground. It starts at the Barbican, the round brick bastion that guarded the northern gate, and follows the old Royal Road into the Main Square, where St Mary's Basilica and its two uneven towers face the long arcade of the Cloth Hall. A trumpeter plays the hejnał from the taller tower every hour.

The Collegium Maius, the university's Gothic courtyard, and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul with its apostle statues lead to Wawel Hill, the cathedral and the castle, and down to the fire-breathing dragon statue by the river. The route then crosses Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, to the Old Synagogue, and the Father Bernatek footbridge to Ghetto Heroes Square with its empty bronze chairs. The bonus stop is Schindler's Factory; book a museum ticket ahead if you want to go inside.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Barbican

    Barbican Photo

    The round brick bastion with its seven turrets.

    Photo: Jeremiah Z. Cockroach · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. St. Mary's Basilica

    St. Mary's Basilica Photo

    The two uneven towers of the brick basilica.

    Photo: Zygmunt Put · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Cloth Hall

    Cloth Hall Photo

    The long Renaissance arcade in the middle of the Main Square.

    Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Collegium Maius

    Collegium Maius

    The Gothic university building on Jagiellońska Street.

    Photo: Zygmunt Put · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Church of Saints Peter and Paul

    Church of Saints Peter and Paul

    The baroque church behind its row of apostle statues.

    Photo: Jeremiah Z. Cockroach · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Wawel Cathedral

    Wawel Cathedral Photo

    The cathedral's golden-domed chapel and towers on Wawel Hill.

    Photo: Jar.ciurus · CC BY-SA 3.0 pl

  7. Wawel Dragon

    Wawel Dragon Photo

    The fire-breathing dragon statue beneath Wawel Hill.

    Photo: Sebastian Münster · Public domain

  8. Old Synagogue

    Old Synagogue

    The oldest surviving synagogue in Poland.

    Photo: Marco Almbauer · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Father Bernatek Footbridge

    Father Bernatek Footbridge

    The suspended footbridge hung with acrobat sculptures.

    Photo: Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Ghetto Heroes Square

    Ghetto Heroes Square Photo

    The rows of empty bronze chairs on the square.

    Photo: Fred Romero from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0

  11. Schindler's Factory

    Schindler's Factory Bonus

    The administration building with its famous gate.

    Photo: Jennifer Boyer · CC BY 2.0

Play Kraków in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Kraków on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 6 km, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Kraków is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Kraków?

    Open Kraków in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Kraków leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Barbican and finishing at Schindler's Factory. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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