Budget · 3-hour walk · Kraków
The Old Town and Wawel in three hours
The barbican and the great square, the trumpet call from St Mary's, and the royal hill above the river.
Krakow's old town is a perfect oval, because the city walls were demolished in the 19th century and replaced with a ring of parkland you can walk around in forty minutes. This route cuts straight across it, north to south, ending on the castle hill. On the hour, listen for the trumpeter in St Mary's tower breaking off mid-note.
The route, stop by stop
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Krakow Barbican
One of only three surviving barbicans in Europe and the start of the old royal road through the city.
15 min here Walk here → -
Main Market Square
The largest medieval square in Europe at 200 m a side, and still the middle of everything.
25 min here Walk here → -
St Mary's Basilica
The hourly trumpet call stops mid-phrase, commemorating a trumpeter shot in the throat during a 13th-century raid.
25 min here Walk here → -
Cloth Hall
A Renaissance trading hall down the middle of the square, still full of stalls. The gallery upstairs is a serious collection.
15 min here Walk here → -
Wawel Castle
The hill is free to walk; the cathedral, the state rooms and the dragon's den are separate tickets sold in limited daily numbers.
50 min here Walk here →
More in Kraków
Every walking route in Kraków, or the full Kraków guide for where to stay and what a day costs.