Planty Park

Planty Park in Kraków (Polish: Planty, "PLAHN-ti") is the historic green ring, roughly 4 km (2.5 miles) long, that wraps around the city's Old Town. It was laid out where the medieval walls and moat once stood, and today it is the most pleasant way to walk around the historic center – linking the Barbican, St. Florian's Gate, the Jagiellonian University's Collegium Novum and the foot of Wawel Hill. It is free and open around the clock, making it one of the easiest things to do in Kraków at any hour.

From city walls to a park

By the early 19th century, Kraków – then the Free City of Kraków – no longer needed its medieval fortifications, and most of the walls were pulled down. Between 1822 and 1830 a park was created in their place. The project was started by Feliks Radwański, who surveyed and planned it; after his death in 1826, Florian Straszewski took over and in 1830 set up a foundation to maintain the greenery. The name comes from the Polish word for leveling ("plantowanie") the ground left behind by the demolished defenses.

In 1871 a Planty Commission was formed, and an 1879 city rule split the park into districts, each looked after by its own gardener – a system that lasted until the mid-20th century. Restoration began in 1989 to a design by Janusz Bogdanowski: lamps, benches and railings were renewed, and low stone kerbs now trace the line of the old walls, towers and gates.

What to see along the way

The park covers about 21 hectares and is divided into eight gardens named after nearby landmarks, such as Wawel, University, Barbican and Station. Horse chestnuts dominate, alongside maples, limes, ashes and poplars. Highlights include:

• the Grażyna and Litawor monument (1884), a tribute to the poet Adam Mickiewicz;
• the obelisk to Florian Straszewski, the park's benefactor;
• the "Chopin's Piano" fountain, designed by Maria Jarema and unveiled in 2006;
• the Copernicus monument (1900, Cyprian Godebski) near Collegium Novum, where the astronomer's university is still based;
• a monument to the painter Jan Matejko and Bronisław Chromy's sculpted owls;
• the trunk of a red-leaved beech near the Archaeological Museum – a protected tree that fell in a storm in February 2022 and was left in place as a memorial.

From the paths you will also see the Barbican, St. Florian's Gate, the Palace of Art, the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, the Philharmonic and Wawel Hill.

Tips for your walk

• Entry: free; the park has no gates, so you can walk it any time, day or night.
• Time needed: a full loop takes about 1–1.5 hours at a relaxed pace; the stretches around the Barbican and the University are the most attractive.
• Accessibility: paths are paved and flat, comfortable for strollers and wheelchairs, with plenty of benches.
• Best time: fall, when the chestnuts and maples turn gold, and spring. In winter the paths stay open and are lit at night, but can be icy.
• Good to know: drinking alcohol in public places is prohibited in Poland and can earn you a fine; cyclists should give way to pedestrians.

How to get there

Because Planty encircles the whole Old Town, you can join it anywhere. From Kraków Główny, the main train station (with a direct rail link to Kraków Airport), it is just a few minutes on foot. Trams run along the outer edge of the park, for example on Basztowa and Westerplatte Streets. The center is a restricted, paid parking zone.

Is it worth it?

Yes – it is free, it connects most Old Town sights, and it gives you a breather from the busy streets. Many visitors simply use Planty as their walking route between Wawel, the Main Square and the Barbican.

Nearby

• St. Florian's Gate and the Barbican – on the northern stretch.
• Wawel Castle – at the southern end of the park.
• Main Market Square – a few minutes from any point on the ring.