Exploring Kazimierz in Kraków with a Guide

Everyone has heard of—and many have seen with their own eyes—Kraków’s Old Town with its Barbican, Florian Gate, the vast Market Square, and the majestic castle towering over the city. Many are also familiar with Kazimierz, located just a few hundred meters from Wawel, known primarily for its overlapping Jewish Quarter.

See: KRAKÓW’S KAZIMIERZ (JEWISH QUARTER) – GUIDED TOUR

Together with the Old Town, Kazimierz was among the first sites in Europe to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, thanks to its unique history and architecture.

But what exactly is this charming part of Kraków? More than 200 years ago, Kazimierz was a separate town, founded in 1335 by King Casimir the Great, the last of the Piast dynasty—about whom it’s still said that he “found Poland built of wood and left it built of stone.” The town, now a district of Kraków, takes its name from this great king.

Kazimierz – The Jewish Quarter and the King’s Mistress

Kazimierz is often referred to interchangeably as the Jewish Quarter. But can we really use those terms synonymously? Not quite. Before World War II, only a small part of Kazimierz near Skałka—the supposed site of Bishop Stanislaus’s martyrdom—was inhabited by Poles. The rest was home to Kraków’s large Jewish community. Remember: Jews made up 10% of Poland’s population before the war, and in Kraków, they accounted for over a quarter! The vast majority, including nearly all Orthodox Jews, lived in Kazimierz.

Until 1800, the Jewish part of Kazimierz was one of two sections—actually the smaller one. Still, Jews enjoyed many privileges: they collected their own taxes, had their own judges, and more. Especially under King Casimir the Great, Jews were granted numerous rights. According to legend, the king’s favorable attitude was influenced by his Jewish mistress, Esther, whose memory still lives on in Kraków.

Kazimierz – A District of 90 Synagogues and Prayer Houses

Yes, you read that right—ninety synagogues within a small district just a few square kilometers in size. You won’t find that many synagogues in all of Europe!

What is a synagogue? Simply put, it’s a house of prayer. It’s not a temple; the only Jewish temple was destroyed by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago.

Every religious Jew is obligated to gather twice daily in a group of at least ten people to pray and read the Holy Scriptures, which are still not in book form but in scrolls made of parchment, written by hand—just as in ancient times.

Both the Old Synagogue, the oldest in Poland and now a branch of the Kraków Museum, and the Isaac Synagogue, the largest in Poland, are located here.

Regarding the Isaac Synagogue: in the “Bible” of Kraków guides—Professor Michał Rożek’s Guide to Kraków’s Monuments—it’s listed as the second-largest synagogue in Poland, after the one in Tykocin. Last year, I visited that charming little town in Podlasie and saw its synagogue—indeed large, beautiful, and well-preserved. When I asked the museum staff about its size, they told me it was actually the second-largest, right after Isaac Synagogue in Kazimierz.

Kazimierz – Former or Current Jewish Quarter?

Of the 68,000 Jews living in Kraków before the war, around 65,000 were murdered. Most of the survivors emigrated after the war. Today, only a few hundred Jews live in Kraków—and not necessarily in Kazimierz. Still, it’s not a “former” Jewish Quarter, because—despite the Nazis’ intentions—Jewish life in Kazimierz continues and even thrives.

All six active synagogues in Kraków are located in Kazimierz. Despite the small community, all major branches of Judaism—ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, and Reform—have their own congregations and rabbis (or female rabbis).

Kazimierz is also home to the Jewish Community Center of Kraków, which owes its existence in large part to Prince Charles, now King Charles III of England, Scotland, etc. As Prince of Wales, he offered support for the center’s creation. Even in January, during his visit marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the king visited the institution he’s been connected to since its founding.

Kazimierz – Where Kraków Meets the World

While the polished, clean, and restored Old Town is mostly a place for tourists, Kazimierz has become a space where visitors and locals alike come together.

Though many buildings—due to unresolved ownership issues since the war—are in poor condition, and unlike the Market Square area, cigarette butts and litter aren’t swept away every few minutes, the crumbling facades covered in mesh, the atmospheric alleys, and the courtyards with hanging wooden balconies create a unique atmosphere you won’t find in any other city.

Kazimierz – Filming Location for Schindler’s List

Most notably, after Steven Spielberg filmed many scenes from Schindler’s List in Kazimierz, the district became a popular tourist destination. With foreign tourists came money and the demand for decent restaurants and places to enjoy a good beer—or a few stronger drinks (which don’t contradict each other).

Kazimierz transformed from a bad neighborhood into a lively, energetic place where people from different countries and cultures meet and enjoy the incredible atmosphere—an atmosphere that has survived the storms of history.

Kazimierz – Why Visit with a Guide?

Of course, you can walk around Kazimierz on your own, feel the vibe, the freedom. But you’ll learn and discover much more with a guide. And the author of these words has been guiding here for almost eight years—with zero complaints to date.

Interested? Let me know: about me.