Museums · Kraków · Poland
5 best museums in Kraków
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jar.ciurus, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl
Quick answer
Start with Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, Rynek Underground and Collegium Maius. Together the 5 picks below take roughly 8–8 hours across 2 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 5
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 8–8 hours
- Areas
- Podgórze and Old Town
Museums in Kraków
Museum · Podgórze
1.Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory
Oskar Schindler's former factory in Zabłocie houses a Museum of Kraków exhibition on the city under Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Old Town
2.Rynek Underground
Beneath the Main Square, excavated medieval market stalls, roads and foundations form a museum about Kraków's trading past, with holograms, touchscreens and finds such as coins and tools from the excavations.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Old Town
3.Collegium Maius
The oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, where Copernicus studied, is a 15th-century Gothic college around an arcaded courtyard.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
4.Czartoryski Museum
Part of the National Museum, this collection founded by the Czartoryski family displays Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine in a darkened room of its own, alongside European paintings, ancient art and decorative arts.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Podgórze
5.MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art
Built into the former workshops of Schindler's factory complex, MOCAK shows Polish and international contemporary art in changing exhibitions and a permanent collection, with a good café and bookshop.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Podgórze | Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory and MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art | 2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Old Town | Rynek Underground, Collegium Maius and Czartoryski Museum | 1.5 hours + 1 hour + 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 5, 5 mid-priced. Book ahead for Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory and Rynek Underground. The longest visit is Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory: Timed tickets sell out, especially from spring to autumn; book online several days ahead.
- Rynek Underground: Entry is by timed ticket in limited numbers; reserve online at busy times.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Podgórze): Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory → MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Old Town): Rynek Underground → Collegium Maius → Czartoryski Museum, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and grey, with a chance of snow; a good month for museums, cellar bars and hearty food.
- January: highs of 1°C (34°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, often below freezing with possible snow; quiet museums and low prices.
- March: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Early spring with mixed sun and chill; crowds and prices are still low.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — The Main Square, cellar bars and townhouse hotels inside the green Planty ring
- Podgórze — Across the river: wartime ghetto history, museums, a prehistoric mound and new cafés
More of Kraków
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Kraków?
Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory. Oskar Schindler's former factory in Zabłocie houses a Museum of Kraków exhibition on the city under Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945.