Podgórze (Krakow) Travel Guide - Free

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Podgórze
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Podgórze in Krakow blends wartime history, riverside walks, Krakus Mound, creative museums, cafés and local views across the Vistula in southern Krakow.

A Former Town Across the Vistula

Podgórze occupies the southern bank of the Vistula, rising from the river towards limestone hills and the distinctive silhouette of Krakus Mound. Historically separate from Krakow, it retains a character different from the Old Town and neighbouring Kazimierz: streets climb more noticeably, squares feel more local, and traces of industrial and wartime history sit alongside cafés, galleries and residential lanes. Its centre is Rynek Podgórski, an attractive market square watched over by the neo-Gothic Church of St Joseph, while nearby Kalwaryjska Street provides one of the area’s principal commercial spines.
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History in the Streets

Podgórze’s past is visible rather than confined to museums. Plac Bohaterów Getta, formerly the centre of the German occupation-era Jewish ghetto, is marked by a memorial of empty chairs commemorating those displaced and murdered. The nearby Pharmacy Under the Eagle preserves the story of Tadeusz Pankiewicz, who continued working in the ghetto and aided its Jewish residents. Across the former industrial quarter of Zabłocie, the Oskar Schindler Factory now houses a museum devoted to Krakow under Nazi occupation; the contemporary art museum MOCAK is close by.

Green Slopes and Riverside Walks

For a change of pace, Bednarski Park spreads through a former limestone quarry, while the path towards Krakus Mound offers broad views over southern Krakow. Along the Vistula, embankment walks connect the neighbourhood with riverside recreation and bridges leading towards Kazimierz. Podgórze rewards a slower visit: its most compelling experiences come from combining a museum, a historic square, a hillside walk and the ordinary rhythm of shops and cafés rather than trying to reduce the area to a single chapter of wartime history.

Best attractions in Podgórze

Podgórze’s attractions combine difficult history with open-air walks and distinctive urban viewpoints. Rynek Podgórski provides the natural starting point, with the neo-Gothic Church of St Joseph and a compact group of historic façades. Nearby Plac Bohaterów Getta is memorable for its empty-chair memorial, while the Pharmacy Under the Eagle explains the persecution of Krakow’s Jewish population from a place that operated inside the wartime ghetto. Bednarski Park offers paths through a former limestone quarry, and Krakus Mound rises beyond it with wide views across the city. In the adjoining Zabłocie industrial area, the Oskar Schindler Enamel Factory museum and MOCAK present contrasting approaches to wartime history and contemporary art. The Vistula embankment adds a calmer route for walking, cycling and observing the southern skyline.

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Best landmarks in Podgórze

The most important landmarks in Podgórze express the area’s civic origins, hillside geography and wartime history. Rynek Podgórski remains the former town’s central urban space, anchored by the Church of St Joseph, whose tall neo-Gothic form is one of the neighbourhood’s clearest visual markers. Plac Bohaterów Getta is both a public square and a memorial landscape, with rows of empty chairs commemorating the Jewish residents forced from the Krakow ghetto. The Pharmacy Under the Eagle is significant because its surviving site connects an ordinary local business with documented acts of assistance during the occupation. Bednarski Park occupies a former quarry, while Krakus Mound provides a prominent prehistoric-looking hill and city viewpoint. In nearby Zabłocie, the former Schindler factory buildings represent Podgórze’s industrial and museum heritage.

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Explore Podgórze on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Podgórze, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Podgórze

Podgórze’s dining scene is more dispersed and locally scaled than the restaurant streets of the Old Town. Cafés and casual eateries cluster around Rynek Podgórski, Plac Bohaterów Getta and Kalwaryjska Street, while the converted industrial spaces of nearby Zabłocie have added contemporary restaurants, coffee shops and informal venues. Polish cooking appears alongside broadly European menus, vegetarian options and modern café food, reflecting the area’s changing population and growing cultural presence. The market square is useful for combining a meal or coffee with an architectural walk, whereas the streets around the former factories tend to offer a more recent, design-conscious atmosphere. Visitors should distinguish Podgórze’s own food businesses from the much denser dining scene across the river in Kazimierz, which is nearby but has a different history and commercial character.

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Best bars in Podgórze

Podgórze is not Krakow’s principal clubbing district, and evenings here are generally quieter and more varied than in the Old Town or Kazimierz. The area around Rynek Podgórski and Plac Bohaterów Getta has cafés and bars suited to an unhurried drink, while Zabłocie’s former industrial buildings provide a changing selection of contemporary evening venues and cultural events. The Vistula embankment can be pleasant for a walk at dusk, but it is not a substitute for a concentrated nightlife strip. Live music, exhibitions and occasional performances are more likely to be encountered through individual cultural venues than through a single established club circuit. Visitors seeking late-night entertainment may need to cross the river or return towards the central districts.

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Best nightclubs in Podgórze

Podgórze is not Krakow’s principal clubbing district, and evenings here are generally quieter and more varied than in the Old Town or Kazimierz. The area around Rynek Podgórski and Plac Bohaterów Getta has cafés and bars suited to an unhurried drink, while Zabłocie’s former industrial buildings provide a changing selection of contemporary evening venues and cultural events. The Vistula embankment can be pleasant for a walk at dusk, but it is not a substitute for a concentrated nightlife strip. Live music, exhibitions and occasional performances are more likely to be encountered through individual cultural venues than through a single established club circuit. Visitors seeking late-night entertainment may need to cross the river or return towards the central districts.

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Best shops in Podgórze

Shopping in Podgórze is practical, independent and spread along established streets rather than concentrated in a major retail centre. Kalwaryjska Street has the broadest range of everyday businesses, small specialist shops and services, while the streets around Rynek Podgórski offer cafés, local retailers and occasional design-oriented businesses. The former industrial quarter of Zabłocie has brought studios, creative enterprises and contemporary shops into parts of the old factory landscape, although its retail offer changes more quickly than the traditional streets. Visitors interested in Polish food, household goods or ordinary neighbourhood commerce will find a more everyday experience here than in the souvenir-heavy centre. For antiques, crafts and vintage shopping on a larger scale, nearby Kazimierz and other Krakow districts generally provide more choice than Podgórze itself.

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Podgórze essentials

Getting There
Podgórze is reached easily from central Krakow by crossing the Vistula on foot or by tram. The most useful tram corridor runs along Starowiślna and crosses towards the south bank, with stops serving the area around Plac Bohaterów Getta and Limanowskiego. Trams and buses also run along Kalwaryjska Street, while the railway station Kraków Podgórze serves local rail connections. Visitors heading for the museums in Zabłocie can cross from Kazimierz or use the nearby Zabłocie railway station, depending on their starting point. Krakow Airport connections normally require a change in the city rather than a direct neighbourhood service.
Getting Around
The central part of Podgórze is manageable on foot, but the neighbourhood becomes hillier towards Bednarski Park and Krakus Mound. Rynek Podgórski, Plac Bohaterów Getta and the riverside are connected by ordinary streets and tram corridors, while the route towards the mound includes steeper sections and park paths. The Vistula embankment provides a relatively level walking and cycling route, although cyclists and pedestrians share busy stretches. Some historic pavements, slopes and gravel paths may be difficult for wheelchairs or pushchairs, particularly around the mound and quarry landscape.
Safety
Podgórze is generally explored as an ordinary urban neighbourhood, but visitors should take the usual care with phones, wallets and bags on crowded trams, around transport stops and at busy museum entrances. Watch traffic carefully when crossing larger roads such as Kalwaryjska and Limanowskiego, and remain alert on shared riverside paths. After dark, the main streets and tram corridors are easier to navigate than quiet park paths or the slopes around Krakus Mound. Nightlife is more scattered here than in the Old Town, so plan the return route rather than relying on an empty shortcut.
Emergency Situations
In Poland, call 112 for the general emergency service, which can dispatch police, fire and medical assistance; 999 is the ambulance number. Give the location using a named street, square, museum or tram stop, and ask staff at a hotel, museum or restaurant for help if language becomes difficult. For urgent fire or police assistance, the national numbers 998 and 997 also remain associated with those services, although 112 is the simplest number for international visitors. Carry identification and keep the address of your accommodation accessible.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress and behave respectfully at churches, memorials and museums, and remember that Plac Bohaterów Getta is a commemorative space rather than a casual meeting point. Ask before photographing people, interiors or working staff, especially in small shops and religious settings. Queue patiently on public transport and allow passengers to leave before boarding. Around the Vistula, keep to the appropriate side of shared paths and avoid blocking cycle routes. Do not climb on memorial installations or treat wartime sites as backdrops for loud, staged photography.
Local Tips
A rewarding orientation walk links Rynek Podgórski, St Joseph’s Church, Kalwaryjska Street, Plac Bohaterów Getta and the Vistula before continuing towards the museums in Zabłocie. Visit the historic core first, then reserve a separate stretch of time for Bednarski Park and Krakus Mound, whose paths and viewpoints are more enjoyable without rushing. The riverside is useful for connecting Podgórze with Kazimierz, while the streets around the market square and Kalwaryjska offer a more residential view of daily life than the city’s principal tourist routes.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloCześć[cheshch]
GoodbyeDo widzenia[do veedzenia]
YesTak[tak]
NoNie[nye]
Please/You're welcomeProszę[prosheh]
Thank youDziękuję[dzyen-koo-yeh]
Excuse me/SorryPrzepraszam[pzhe-prasham]
How are you?Jak się masz?[yak sheh mash]
Fine. And you?Dobrze. A ty?[dob-zheh. ah ti]
Do you speak English?Czy mówisz po angielsku?[chi moovish po an-gyel-skoo]
I don't understandNie rozumiem[nye ro-zoo-myem]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseChciałbym zobaczyć menu, proszę[hchiah-wim zoh-bach-chich meh-noo, pro-sheh]
I don't eat meatNie jem mięsa[nye yem myen-sa]
Cheers!Na zdrowie![na zdrov-yeh]
I would like to pay, pleaseChciałbym zapłacić, proszę[hchiah-wim zap-wa-cheech, pro-sheh]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Pomocy![po-mo-tsi]
Go away!Idź sobie![eedzh so-byeh]
Call the Police!Zadzwoń po policję![zadz-von po po-lit-syeh]
Call a doctor!Zadzwoń po lekarza![zadz-von po leh-kar-za]
I'm lostZgubiłem się[zgoo-byem sheh]
I'm illJestem chory[yeh-stem kho-ri]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Chciałbym kupić...[hchiah-wim koo-peech]
I'm just lookingTylko się rozglądam[tzy-ko sheh rozh-gwon-dam]
How much is it?Ile to kosztuje?[ee-leh to kosh-too-yeh]
That's too expensiveTo za drogie[toh zah dro-gee-eh]
Can you lower the price?Czy możesz obniżyć cenę?[chi moo-zhesh ob-nee-zhich cheh-neh]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Która jest godzina?[ktoh-ra yest go-dzhee-nah]
It's one o'clockJest pierwsza[yest pyerv-shah]
Half past (10)Pół do dziesiątej[poow doh dzyes-yont-ey]
MorningRano[rah-no]
AfternoonPopołudnie[po-po-woo-dnyeh]
EveningWieczór[vyech-oor]
YesterdayWczoraj[v-cho-rai]
TodayDzisiaj[dzyee-sai]
TomorrowJutro[yoo-tro]
1Jeden[yeh-den]
2Dwa[dva]
3Trzy[tshi]
4Cztery[ch-teh-ri]
5Pięć[pyench]
6Sześć[sheshch]
7Siedem[shyeh-dem]
8Osiem[oh-shyem]
9Dziewięć[dzyev-nye-nt]
10Dziesięć[dzye-shyench]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Gdzie jest...[gdzhe yest]
What's the address?Jaki jest adres?[yah-ki yest ah-dresh]
Can you show me (on the map)?Czy możesz mi pokazać (na mapie)?[chi moo-zhesh mee po-ka-zach (na mah-pee-eh)]
When's the next (bus)?Kiedy jest następny (autobus)?[kyeh-dy yest nas-tem-ny (ow-toh-boos)]
A ticket (to ....)Bilet (do ....)[bee-let (do)]

History of Podgórze

Podgórze Becomes a Free Royal City

Podgórze developed on the southern bank of the Vistula as a settlement distinct from Krakow. In 1784, Emperor Joseph II granted it the status of a free royal city, encouraging its growth as a settlement with its own municipal identity and economic prospects. Its position opposite Krakow, close to river crossings and routes into southern Galicia, helped attract trade, workshops and residents. The planned market square and the later Church of St Joseph gave the emerging town a civic and architectural focus that remains legible in today’s Rynek Podgórski.

Industry and Urban Expansion

During the nineteenth century, Podgórze expanded as a manufacturing and commercial centre while Krakow and the neighbouring towns became increasingly interconnected. The district’s lower areas developed more intensively, particularly around transport routes, warehouses and the river, while the slopes retained a mixture of housing, gardens and extracted limestone. Kalwaryjska Street became an important route through the area, linking Podgórze with the religious centre at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Industrial activity was especially significant in the Zabłocie area, whose workshops and factories later formed part of the neighbourhood’s twentieth-century history.

Incorporation into Krakow

Podgórze was incorporated into Krakow in 1915, ending its separate municipal existence and bringing the southern bank into the rapidly expanding city. The change strengthened links across the Vistula and integrated local administration, transport and urban planning, although Podgórze retained a strong sense of place. Its combination of market-town buildings, workers’ housing, industrial premises and hillside green spaces continued to distinguish it from the historic centre on the opposite bank.

The Krakow Ghetto

In March 1941, German occupation authorities established the Krakow ghetto in Podgórze, forcing the city’s Jewish residents into a confined area surrounded by walls and guarded entrances. Plac Bohaterów Getta became a central point for deportations and daily life under persecution. Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s Pharmacy Under the Eagle operated inside the ghetto and is now a museum documenting this history. The ghetto was liquidated in stages in 1942 and March 1943; its remaining residents were deported or murdered, while others were sent to forced labour and concentration camps, including the nearby Płaszów camp.

From Industrial Quarter to Cultural District

After the Second World War, Podgórze and Zabłocie continued to carry industrial and transport functions, and some former factories later stood vacant as production declined. From the late twentieth century onwards, regeneration brought new housing, studios, restaurants and cultural institutions into parts of the former industrial landscape. The Oskar Schindler Factory became a museum, and MOCAK opened in a converted industrial setting nearby. This change has added a contemporary cultural dimension without erasing the neighbourhood’s older residential streets, wartime memorials and working-city character.

Podgórze in Photos

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