Kazimierz: Krakow's Jewish Quarter, Its History, and What It's Like Today

Kazimierz was founded as a separate royal town adjacent to Krakow in 1335, and for several centuries functioned as the centre of Jewish life in southern Poland. At its peak, over 60,000 Jews lived in the district. The Nazi occupation liquidated Krakow's Jewish population between 1942 and 1943, deporting most to Belzec and Auschwitz. After the war, Kazimierz was largely abandoned, its buildings standing empty. The neighbourhood's revival from the 1990s onwards — driven partly by Steven Spielberg filming Schindler's List on location here in 1993 — produced one of the more complex urban recovery stories in Central Europe.

What Remains

Seven synagogues survive in Kazimierz, most of them now functioning as museums rather than active houses of worship. The Old Synagogue (Stara Synagoga) on ul. Szeroka is the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland (15th century) and now houses a Jewish history and culture museum. Entry 15 PLN.

The Remuh Synagogue on the same street is still an active synagogue — one of the few in Krakow. The cemetery beside it (Cmentarz Remuh) contains graves from the 16th century, including Rabbi Moses Isserles (the Remuh), one of the most important Jewish scholars of his era. Entry 15 PLN; dress respectfully.

Ulica Szeroka (Wide Street) was historically the main street of the Jewish quarter. It is now a slightly touristy strip with Jewish-themed restaurants and cafes, which produces mixed feelings, but the space itself has historical weight.

Plac Nowy and the Present Day

Kazimierz's present character is centred on Plac Nowy (New Square) — a market square with a round rotunda building at its centre that has been selling zapiekanka (baguettes with mushrooms and cheese, see post 13) since the communist era. The square is surrounded by bars and cafes, busy from the afternoon, and the social heart of Kazimierz nightlife.

The neighbourhood has an arts and gallery presence, a cluster of good independent restaurants (Jewish and Polish cuisine, but also some of the best general cooking in Krakow), and enough history in the streetscape to make walking it genuinely interesting.

Guided Tours

A guided walk of Kazimierz is one of the better uses of two hours in Krakow. The history is dense and the physical evidence of it is scattered across the district in ways that don't explain themselves without context. Viator lists several Kazimierz tours, including the standard historical walking tour and combined Kazimierz and Schindler's Factory tours.

Our Take

Walk Kazimierz regardless of whether you take a guided tour. Ulica Szeroka for the synagogues, Plac Nowy for the present. The Remuh Cemetery if you have any interest in Jewish history — it is one of the most affecting places in Krakow. Eat dinner here rather than in the Old Town.