For anyone interested in art history and town planning, from Gothic to modernism. A survey of the styles that shaped the city.
The Architecture of Kraków with a guide: what you will see
The Architecture of Krakow Route is an ideal proposition for enthusiasts and lovers of art history, tourists interested in various architectural styles and urban planning. Both organized groups and individual tourists, together with our professional guide, will see examples of Krakow’s old and modern architecture. They will have the opportunity to learn about sacred and secular architecture, as well as hear about unusual, original projects and their creators.
You will start your tour of the Krakow Architecture route from the oldest Romanesque buildings preserved in Krakow: the churches of St. Andrew and St. Adalbert. You will learn about their interesting history, learn what a Westwerk is and see the only preserved triforium in Krakow. At the church of St. Adalbert, the guide will show you the original Romanesque portal and will tell you why it is underground. Later in the tour, at St. Mary’s Basilica, you will be able to see beautiful tracery and medieval stained glass windows, learn about the differences between the Gothic and Romanesque styles, and learn more about the pillar-buttress system. Then, you will visit the Hipolit House to learn what medieval bourgeois houses looked like and how they changed in modern times. During the guided tour you will see examples of baroque architecture (the churches of St. Peter and Paul and the collegiate church of St. Anna), 19th century architecture (eclectic Juliusz Słowacki Theater with a former power plant and a fire brigade building that looks like a castle). You will also see interesting buildings from the interwar period: the “Krakow skyscraper”, the main building of the National Museum, the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Jagiellonian Library. At the end of the tour, you will be left with contemporary architectural realizations. You will see the Manggha Center of Japanese Art and Technology funded by a film-director Andrzej Wajda and the “Wyspiański 2000” Pavilion. You will learn where the table-shaped building and the most modern buildings of the ICE Kraków Congress Center and Tauron Arena are located in Krakow.
Who this tour is for
Put together with school groups in mind. We mix the history with storytelling and things to do on the spot, so the pupils stay with us.
- School classes, with the pace and language matched to the pupils’ age
- Trips run under the Polish schools programme
- Youth and scouting groups
How long it takes and what to know
Duration
The route normally takes 3 – 5 hours. We adjust the pace and the scope to the group, so if you have less time we will shorten it without dropping what matters most.
Admission tickets
The guiding fee does not cover admission to museums and ticketed sites. Several of them sell timed entry and are often booked out days ahead in season, so it is worth mentioning them when you book.
Booking a date
Tell us how many of you there are, when you plan to come and roughly how much time you have. We normally reply the same day, with a suggested route and a price.
