Collegium Maius in Kraków

Nicolaus Copernicus studied in this building in the 1490s. The Collegium Maius at 15 Jagiellońska Street is the oldest surviving building of the Jagiellonian University and home to its museum: a Gothic courtyard with arcades, rooms where professors lived and lectured, and collections ranging from an Arabic astrolabe of 1054 to one of the oldest globes to show America. Every two hours a clock above the courtyard sets a procession of figures in motion.

History: from a town house to a museum

In 1400, when the Kraków Academy was re-founded, King Władysław Jagiełło bought a corner house for the university with money bequeathed by Queen Jadwiga. More houses were added during the 15th century, and after fires in 1462 and 1492 they were joined into a single building around a courtyard with arcades and late-Gothic "crystal" vaults. Lecture rooms were on the ground floor, while upstairs were the professors' common room (Stuba Communis), the library and the scholars' living quarters. In 1839–1870 the building was remodelled in neo-Gothic style for the Jagiellonian Library, which stayed here until 1940. After the war Professor Karol Estreicher led a restoration in 1949–1964 that returned the building to its pre-1840 appearance; the university museum was founded in 1947.

What to see

• The courtyard with its well, arcades and "professors' staircase"; upstairs, the late-Gothic portal to the old library, known as the Porta Aurea.
• The historic university rooms: the Libraria, the Stuba Communis, the treasury with Gothic rectors' maces and the professors' chambers.
• Astronomical instruments, including some associated with Copernicus, and an Arabic astrolabe from 1054.
• The Jagiellonian Globe — one of the oldest globes to name and show the American continent; the collection also includes Poland's only pair of globes by Gerardus Mercator.
• A Pleyel piano that Frédéric Chopin played during his stay in Scotland in 1847.

The clock and its figures

On the wall by the Porta Aurea hangs a clock that at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 plays a 16th-century tune from the tablature of Jan of Lublin and "Gaudeamus igitur". Six figures then process past: a university beadle, Queen Jadwiga, King Władysław Jagiełło, St John of Kęty, Hugo Kołłątaj and Stanisław of Skarbimierz. It is the fourth clock on this spot and has been running since 2000.

Visiting now (as of October 2026)

An individual ticket costs PLN 17 (reduced PLN 10), and on Wednesdays the main exhibition is free. The museum is open on Mondays 9:00–16:00, Tuesday to Friday 13:30–16:00 and on Saturdays 10:00–15:00; last entry is half an hour before closing. Guided tours run on weekday mornings from Tuesday to Friday (PLN 26, reduced PLN 14), including in English. The courtyard is open daily 9:00–18:00. Due to renovation, the Jagiellonian Hall and the Copernicus Room are closed to visitors, the Professors' Garden is closed, and the lift for visitors with disabilities is out of service.

Tripto tip

Even without a ticket, step into the courtyard — ideally a few minutes before an odd-numbered hour to catch the procession of figures. Allow about an hour for the exhibition. Tickets are sold at the desk or online through the university shop, and since the museum changes its route and hours for university ceremonies, check the notices on the Collegium Maius website before you go.