Walk 203: Kazimierz…Krakow’s wonderful Jewish Quarter

The ‘Needs to Know’

Distance: 1 mile

Time to walk: Take as long as you like. This is a great early evening walk with some great restaurants & bars

Difficulty: Easy & all on hard surface

Parking: n/a

Public toilets: Cafes etc

Map of the route:

In 2025 we visited Krakow & part of that visit was to learn & understand the events & stories of the Holocaust. This proved a ‘journey’ of many emotions  as we visited Oscar Schindler’s Factory, & the ‘death camps’ at Auschwitz & Birkenau. We will give a brief look at these at the end of this walk

We also stayed near to Krakow’s Jewish Quarter & this is our look at that area

Also known as Kazimierz this area was, for much of its 700 year history. From its inception in the 14th century to the early 19th century, Kazimierz was an independent city, a royal city of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, located south of the Old Town of Kraków, separated from it by a branch of the Vistula river

For many centuries, Kazimierz was a place where ethnic Polish & Jewish cultures coexisted & intermingled. The northeastern part of the district was historically Jewish

During the Second World War, the Jews of Krakow, including those in Kazimierz, were forced by the Nazis into a crowded ghetto in Podgórze, across the river. On December 5th – 6th 1939, the Germans blockaded all Jewish homes in Kazimierz & other parts of Kraków & brutally confiscated everything collectively valued more than Zł 2,000 (£600) from individual Jewish residences

Later on, all non Jewish Polish residents living in the parts of Podgórze were ordered to move to Kazimierz by March 20, 1941. Jews were given the same amount of time to move to the ghetto in the opposite direction. Some non Jewish Poles told the Germans that it would be impossible to move some of their businesses & workshops to Kazimierz because of inadequate facilities there

Their appeals fell on deaf ears. Most of Jews were later killed during the liquidation of the ghetto or in death camps

During communist rule Kazimierz was largely a forgotten district & descended into somewhat of a slum. Then in the early 1990s along came Steven Spielberg to shoot  ‘Schindler’s List’ & everything changed overnight`

Today, Kazimierz is one of the major tourist attractions of Krakow & an important centre of cultural life of the city

Let’s Walk!

1. This walk begins at the gates of the New Jewish Cemetery situated on 55 Miodowa Street…

It was founded in 1800 on grounds purchased by the Jewish Qahal from the Augustinians. & enlarged in 1836 with additional land purchased from the monks. Following Poland’s return to independence, the New Cemetery became ‘nearly full’

From 1932 on, burials were directed to a new plot bought in 1926 by the Qahal along Abrahama Street & the one at nearby Jerozolimska Street, both in the Wola Duchacka neighborhood. These two other cemeteries formed the site of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp during the Holocaust & no longer exist

Soon after the war ended, a local civil engineer identified only as Mr. Stendig, likely Jakub Stendig, a camp survivor, recovered many tombstones from the Płaszów camp site, & arranged to have them reinstalled at the New Cemetery

The New Jewish Cemetery features a renovated brick mortuary hall built in 1903, as well as the postwar lapidary memorial fitted with old headstones & crowned with a block of black marble

The cemetery contains over 10,000 tombs, the oldest dating from 1809. There are many monuments commemorating the death of Jews killed during the Holocaust

2. Facing the gates turn around & pass under the the underpass…

On reaching the crossroads walk straight ahead over Starosisina & along Mindowa…

3. Turn left along Szeroka. Note the high wall on the right…

This forms the boundary of the Old Jewish Cemetery which we’ll look at in more detail later. The stones of the wall are a real mish-mash. This is because parts of it were reconstructed from some of the old gravestones

4. Note the buildings opposite the wall…

First impressions are you are facing a row of shop fronts that must have had their origins in the days when two communities, Polish & Jewish, once lived side by side: weather-beaten window shutters, shabby-looking display windows & shop signboards still proudly announcing their owners’ names, today with their much-weathered paint & names flaking off: Nowak, Holcer, Kac, Weinberg, Rattner, Kohan

Those two communities differed in just about everything: language, customs, creed & culture. And yet like all good neighbours, they mingled together, worked alongside one another, rubbed shoulders in the same places all over the quarter, day in, day out. They patronised the same workshops & bought their food from the same little grocery stores. And this is what kept them so close to each other

Today it’s actually a restaurant & bar called ‘Once upon a time in Kazimierz’. The interiors of these business premises, be they little grocery stores or dimly lit workshops, are fitted out exactly as they used to be

Now they are separated from each other only by imaginary partition walls, as the real ones have long been pulled down, turning the adjacent premises into a single cosy & inviting space, symbolising integration between two peoples & their religions and culture…

“At Chajim Kohan’s general store you’ll find an array of curious artefacts whose original function has long been forgotten. Right next to a mysterious looking doorframe stands an antique stove, proudly bearing the star of David on its front”

“At Szymon Kac’s, the Tailor note the handiwork of the Master himself, proudly displayed around the interior on several hangers, or touch the flywheel of an ancient sewing machine, or just have a peek at the other essential accessories of the tailor’s craft assembled here”

“At Benjamin Holcer’s joinery & carpentry workshop sit down at an original carpenter’s workbench, observe around you assorted tools of the joinery trade & dilapidated pieces of furniture looking as if they’ve just been shipped in for renovation. On one wall hangs a portrait of one Mordechaj Gebirtig, in his day a highly renowned Krakow carpenter, poet & musician. Gracing the workshop’s display window, which looks out onto Szeroka street, is a solitary, wooden rocking-horse, which possibly once provided inspiration for Jacek Dybek when he wrote that old tune “The Rocking Horse”

“At Stanistaw Nowak’s grocery store there are plenty of preserves & groceries of all sorts to be found here. High above the shelving hangs a portrait of the proud shopkeeper himself, while right next to the counter an old, locally crafted gilt plaque candidly informs all customers that a prime selection of smoked meats & sausages is available here at all times…”

5. The square now opens up before you with lots of local Jewish restaurants. It’s a great place to go in the evening when there’ll probably be live musicians in the street…

Look to the right to find a statue of Jan Karski a Polish soldier, resistance-fighter & diplomat during World War II. He is known for having acted as a courier in 1940–1943 to  the Polish government-in-exile & to Poland’s Western Allies about the situation in German-occupied Poland. He reported about the state of Poland, its many competing resistance factions, & also about Germany’s destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto & its operation of extermination camps on Polish soil that were murdering Jews, Poles, & others

Emigrating to the United States after the war, Karski completed a doctorate & taught for decades at Georgetown University in international relations & Polish history. He lived in Washington, D.C., until the end of his life. Karski did not speak publicly about his wartime missions until 1981 when he was invited as a speaker to a conference on the liberation of the camps. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Karski was honored by the new Polish government, other European nations, & the US for his wartime role

6. Jan is sat outside the entrance to the Remah Synagogue & Cemetery

The Remah Synagogue, which was constructed during the 16th century, is the smallest of Krakow’s historical synagogues within the Kazimierz district. It takes its name from Rabbi Moses Isserles

It’s said that Israel ben Josef, the grandson of Moshe Auerbach of Regensburg, founded the synagogue to honour his son, Moshe Isserles. However, a more credible account comes from the Hebrew inscription on the foundation tablet, which suggests that the synagogue was erected in memory of Malka, Israel ben Josef’s wife

The Remah Cemetery attached to it is also referred to as the Old Jewish Cemetery & is an ancient burial ground founded between 1535 & 1551, & it ranks among Poland’s most ancient Jewish cemeteries. It lies beside the 16th-century Remah Synagogue and bears the name of Rabbi Moses Isserles, signified by the abbreviation “Remah.”

Around 1850, the cemetery was closed & the New Jewish Cemetery we visited at the start of this walk succeeded it as the new burial site for the city’s Jewish population

During the German occupation of Poland, the Nazis damaged Remah Cemetery, using tombstones as paving material. Rabbi Moses Isserles’ tombstone is one of the rare survivors. The cemetery has been restored multiple times since then, with some original tombstones reinstated, though just a fraction of the original monuments

You’ll get a better view of the inside of it later in this walk

7. At the top end of the square near ‘Once upon a time’ is another memorial…

This is a memorial installed by the Nissenbaum Family Foundation to Krakow’s holocaust victims. The Nissenbaum Family Foundation was founded in 1983 with the aim of identifying & protecting Jewish heritage & Holocaust-related sites. The Foundation was very active in the 1990s as the first non-governmental sponsors of Jewish memory & heritage projects.

Significantly, the foundation chose Szeroka Street, formerly the heart of Jewish Krakow, as the site of the monument. Other than the eviction of the Jewish population from the street beginning in the spring of  1940, however, most of the horrors inflicted upon Krakow’s Jews did not take place here, but across the river in the Podgorze Ghetto (where a major memorial monument was installed in 2005), & at Plaszow Labour Camp

8. Wander down the left side of the square passing the outdoor restaurants…

Keep near the buildings & look for the ‘Synagoga Poppera’, in English the Wolf Popper Synagogue. Founded by Wolf Popper & completed in 1620, the synagogue served as a house of prayer until it went into decline after the passing of its founder & chief benefactor

The building now serves as bookshop & also as an art gallery 

9. Next up’s Ariel Jewish Restaurant. Today Kosher culture is as much part of the Krakow culinary scene as it is part of the centuries-old Jewish tradition. Amid the variety of Jewish restaurants lining Szeroka Street there is one with reputation of delivering a truly unique dinning experience…

This place is called ‘Ariel’ in honor of one of the four archangels, ‘Uriel’, (the “Light of God”). The local food including borscht, cabbage salads & Russian style pierogies are all on the menu

If you’re looking for live, authentic Jewish music you’ll find plenty of it here including some outside in the summer months

10. Carry along to the corner to find the impressive Old Synagogue (Synagoga Stara). Known as the Alta Shul in Yiddish, it stands as Poland’s oldest remaining synagogue & ranks among the most cherished symbols of Jewish architectural heritage in Europe. Until the onset of the German invasion in 1939, it held paramount significance as one of the city’s primary synagogues, serving as the central hub for religious, communal, & organisational activities within the Kraków Jewish community

The Synagogue’s construction dates back to the early 1400’s & the original building underwent reconstruction under the careful guidance of Italian architect Mateo Gucci. This refurbishment included fortifications such as an attic wall equipped with loopholes, high-set windows for defence, & robust masonry walls supported by hefty buttresses. This makes the Old Synagogue a rare survivor, embodying the concept of a Polish fortress synagogue

World War II witnessed the synagogue’s utter devastation & plunder at the hands of the Germans. Its artistic treasures & Jewish artifacts were pillaged, & it suffered the indignity of being repurposed as a warehouse during the occupation.

In 1943, its walls bore witness to the execution of 30 Polish hostages. However, the Old Synagogue was restored between 1956 & 1959 & now serves as a museum. Operating under the Historical Museum of Kraków, it holds a special focus on the city’s Jewish heritage

11. To continue walk down the short street at the side of the synagogue…

…& turn right down Jozefa Street

12. On the right stop outside the High Synagogue which was a former Orthodox Jewish congregation & synagogue, also known as the ‘Tall Synagogue’  due to its height

Completed in 1563 in the late Renaissance style, the synagogue served as a house of prayer until World War II when its interior was destroyed by Nazis in 1939. Renovations of the synagogue were undertaken during 1970 and 1971, but since 2005, it’s operated as a Jewish museum

Note the ‘Mezuzah’ by the door which is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes. They also form part of the Shema prayer

According to traditional Jewish law, a mezuzah must be placed on every post-and-lintel entrance to a residence, courtyard, or city. Since the time of Meir of Rothenburg (c. 1215–1293), religious Jews have increasingly also placed mezuzot on the entrances to non-residential buildings such as synagogues & offices, and on each internal doorway of the home or building, with the exception of bathrooms (where the name of God is forbidden) & small closets

The verses are written in indelible black ink with a special quill pen made either from a feather or, now quite rare, a reed. The klaf is then rolled up & placed inside the case. The hotel we stayed in had one outside each room

13. Turn right along Kupa Street…

…& stop outside the Izaak Synagogue which was designed in a Baroque style & completed in 1644

On 5 December 1939 the Gestapo came & ordered Maximilian Redlich, the Jewish official on duty that day, to burn the scrolls of the Torah. When Redlich refused he was shot dead

The Nazis destroyed the interior & furnishings. After the war, the building was used by a sculpture & conservation centre & then by a theatre company as workshop space & for the storage of props. A fire in 1981 damaged the interior & renovation began in 1983 &, in 1989, with the fall of communism in Poland, the building was returned to the Jewish community. It is now a practicing Orthodox Synagogue once again

14. Walk down the short street on the side of the building & turn left along Jakuba Street…

The wall you can see on the right is the other side of the Old Jewish Cemetery you saw earlier. Walk along it & stop to have a peep through the wonderful ‘window’

It really is beautiful & I hope you get to go inside it

15. Turn left along Jonatana Warszauera Street where, on the right, you’ll find the Kupa Synagogue, also known as the ‘Synagogue of the Poor’, a former Jewish congregation & synagogue. It dates back to the 17th century

Devastated by Nazis during World War II, the former synagogue was used for profane purposes until 1991 & has subsequently operated as a Jewish museum since 1996

16. Turn right along Estery Street…

Across the road at the end’s the imposing ‘Tempel’ synagogue. This ‘reform’ synagogue is one of the four active synagogues in the city, although it’s largely used as a venue for cultural events that are held as part of the Festival of Jewish Culture in Kazimierz, which takes place on a periodic basis

17. Bear left along the street & then turn left along Bozego Ciala Street…

…left down Meisela Street to find our final synagogue

18. So that’s our walk completed but at the end of this street’s Plac Nowy (The New Square) It’s one of the most original marketplaces of Poland

The central point of Plac Nowy is the Okrąglak (Rotunda) with the hole-in-the-wall food hatches. Okrąglak was built in 1900 as a market hall. In 1927 the building was leased to Jewish Community & it was transformed into a ritual poultry slaughterhouse, which was liquidated only during the German occupation

After the World War II, the Okrąglak again started to serve as a market hall. The windows in the walls sell the cheapest & best ‘zapiekanki’ in the whole Kraków. Enormous, hot, crunchy, french bread size – just take 30 minutes choosing your toppings. The queues are endless but it’s worth to wait!

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Talking of food other specialities we ate whilst in the city here are delicious Sour Rye soup, Beetroot Soup, Perogies (dumplings), & Obwarzanek (bread)

Look out for our walk around the wonderful Old Town coming soon

Go Walk!