Kazimierz

Established during the fourteenth century, Kazimierz was the old Jewish Quarter in Kraków. During World War II, its Jewish inhabitants were moved to a ghetto in Podgórze.

Located in the Old Town of Kraków, Kazimierz was an independent city from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century. The city’s Jewish community settled in the district since its foundation and many moved from Bohemia to this independent metropolis.

During World War II all the Jews living in Kazimierz and the rest of Krakow were forced into a ghetto formed in Podgórze, most of whom died in the death camps or in the ghetto.

After the Second World War, Kazimierz was practically abandoned, and it wasn’t until “Schindler’s List” was filmed here that the Cracovians began to move back to the area. It is currently one of the most desirable places to live in Poland’s former capital, with countless restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It is especially popular among the younger generations.

The Jewish culture, once eradicated from Kazimierz, is also flourishing. Every year a Jewish Cultural Festival is organized in the district and there are plenty of kosher restaurants and klezmer concerts.

Highlights

The main sights in the Old Jewish Quarter are the still standing synagogues, the Galicia Jewish Museum and the New Square (Plac Nowy), where the students meet up. The city’s two most popular museums are also located in Kazimierz: Ethnographic Museum and the Municipal Engineering Museum.

Once you’ve explored the district, we suggest you cross the river to Podgórze, the Jewish ghetto. The easiest way to cross is by taking the Bernatek footbridge, which was built in 2010, and since then has become the most famous in Kraków.