Podgórze and Podgórze Market Square

Podgórze (say "pod-GOO-zheh") and its Market Square are the heart of a former independent town on the south bank of the Vistula, now one of Kraków's most rewarding districts to explore on foot. Here you'll find a triangular square crowned by a neo-Gothic church, the main sites of the World War II ghetto, a tiny hilltop church and Krakus Mound with sweeping city views. It is the perfect next step once you have seen the Old Town and Kazimierz.

A town of its own

Podgórze was granted town rights on February 26, 1784, by the Austrian emperor Joseph II, at a time when Kraków across the river was still part of independent Poland. The market square was laid out in 1785. After changing hands several times during the Napoleonic era, Podgórze was finally merged with Kraków on July 1, 1915. Between 1941 and 1943 the German occupiers confined Kraków's Jews to a ghetto here, and the Płaszów camp operated on the district's southern edge – history you'll meet at the Under the Eagle Pharmacy and Ghetto Heroes Square.

What to see on Podgórze Market Square

The square covers about 1.6 hectares and is dominated by St. Joseph's Church (1905–1909), a red-brick neo-Gothic building by architect Jan Sas-Zubrzycki whose tower echoes that of St. Mary's Basilica. Along the north side stand the oldest houses, former coaching inns: the House Under the Deer (no. 12), with a relief of two deer sharing one head, and the Black Eagle Manor (no. 13), where Frédéric Chopin stayed in July 1829. The former town hall is at no. 1, and remnants of old tram tracks were left exposed after the 2015 renovation.

A half-day walking route

The City of Kraków suggests a walk you can comfortably do in 3–4 hours:

• cross the Father Bernatek Footbridge from Kazimierz,
• Podgórze Market Square and St. Joseph's Church,
• Bednarski Park, created in a former quarry,
• Lasota Hill with tiny St. Benedict's Church and an Austrian fort,
• Krakus Mound – on clear days you can see the Tatra Mountains,
• Liban Quarry, used as a film set for Schindler's List,
• Ghetto Heroes Square and the Under the Eagle Pharmacy,
• Lipowa Street: Oskar Schindler's Factory and MOCAK.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely, if you want a more local side of Kraków. The district is free to wander and much quieter than the Old Town. Be ready for some steep paths on Lasota Hill and the mound, which can be muddy or icy in winter. Note that nearby museums close on different days (the Pharmacy on Mondays and Tuesdays, MOCAK on Mondays).

Best time to go

Late afternoon works best: the church façade catches the light, and after dark its towers are floodlit. Save Krakus Mound for sunset, when the whole city spreads out below you. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends.

How to get there

From the Main Market Square it is about 2.5 km on foot via Kazimierz and the footbridge. Trams run along Kalwaryjska and Limanowskiego streets, stopping at "Rynek Podgórski" and "Plac Bohaterów Getta". Kraków Airport (Balice) is about 15 km west of the center, with trains to Kraków Główny station.