Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square

Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square

Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksHistoric Walking Areas
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Huge 10-acre square, the largest in any of Europe's medieval cities, features the 16th-century Renaissance Cloth Hall and the splendid 14th-century Gothic Basilica of the Virgin Mary.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Admission tickets
from $132.51
All you need to step foot in the door.
Top ways to experience Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square
The area
Neighborhood: Stare Miasto
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See what travelers are saying
  • Carisemilie
    London, United Kingdom6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit
    A beautiful little square in the heart of Kraków, surrounded by impressive architecture and a nice mixture of restaurants. You can get a horse and carriage ride here to the castle (make sure to haggle! We got the price down from 450 to 150!), and there is a cute little market you can wander around. The church within the square is also worth a visit. It's free of charge.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 3, 2023
  • Laura S
    Leeds, United Kingdom137 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Easter markets were great
    Stunning buildings and plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to explore surrounding the square. We spent most of our evenings around here , enjoying the sunsets and the hearing the man with the trumpet play a tune. We were lucky enough to experience the Easter markets situated in the square, there was many food markets to eat from and many stores selling various handmade items. Loved it.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 11, 2023
  • Margaret W
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic First Visit to Poland
    Had a wonderful trip, miss communication with guide tour made us miss the Salt Mine tour our group entered through the side entrance and we were standing at the front as instructed and they left without us. This was very disappointing but the Auschwitz tour was amazing. Packed in a lot of experience touring 2 days. Stayed in the Jewish Quarter seems one of the best streets. The Entrance was a bit scary old close on second floor. The apartment was spotless and very modern fantastic for the price.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 11, 2023
  • Bertie1224
    Northamptonshire, United Kingdom528 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Huge bustling square
    With the Cloth Hall sat in the centre this is an impressive square. It was full of Easter stalls when we visited. Christmas markets must be epic. Surrounded by bars and restaurants many with outside heating and blankets for when it’s chilly. A good place to mooch around and admire the architecture.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 14, 2023
  • Pernille I
    Copenhagen, Denmark4,933 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The heartbeat of Krakow
    You will of course pass over and through this square multiple times during your stay in Krakow! To listen to the fanfare from the bell tower of the Basilica, to sit down at a terrace, to visit the monuments etc. There are so many of them - and with good reason; the square is one the largest medieval square in Europe at 40 000 sqm. It is as with all big squares in big cities where everything happens - in modern times and historically. This square was founded in the 13th century to host the city's market; but it has also played a part in historic revolutions like in 1525 and again in 1794 when Poland fought for its independence. In more recent history it was renamed during WWII after the German guy who invaded them. Luckily all is now back to peace and quiet, and tourists can enjoy a drink, visit the amazing little church, shop in the Cloth Hall or visit the Basilica. It has some really beautiful facades on the buildings surrounding it - so look up!
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written April 17, 2023
  • Abovetheclouds
    2,442 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Like stepping back in time. Go at different times of the day to truly appreciate it.
    What a beautiful Old Town Square. This was nicer than I thought. Pretty especially at night. Well kept. Go at different times. Early morning, the Square is peaceful and good for photography. Later in the day, there are more people around and you can enjoy the atmosphere. The Square is lined with historical buildings, stunning architecture, restaurants, shops and more. Clean and well kept. Night-time was my favourite when it was all lit up. Some parts are paved so mind how you walk on the cobbled areas. Safe.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written April 24, 2023
  • paolovbossi
    The Hague, The Netherlands862 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Huge dimensions
    At the first sight the visitor is impressed by the dimensions of the square. It is the center of the life of Krakow. St. Mary Basilique and the Cloth Hall in the middle are beautiful buildings. A lot of restaurant and bars.
    Visited May 2023
    Written June 8, 2023
  • Khalaf K
    Sharjah, United Arab Emirates251 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    “Cosy central square”
    The central square is a live spot within Krakow where you can spent hours without getting borrowed. Everything is around from coffee shop, Restaurants, souvenirs shops, etc. We have taken the horse ride and it was nice experience. Must visit along with the area surrounded as well.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 29, 2023
  • Paul_02_2013
    Fareham, United Kingdom434 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good choice of restaurants
    Excellent setting to get a buzz of the city. Surrounded by cafes, it is an ideal place to grab a coffee/ cold drink during the day and lunch or dinner while watching the world go by. Found all were reasonable priced. In the centre is the market hall full of little stalls selling all types of souvenirs.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 12, 2023
  • Patrick
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cracking Krakow !
    Great city to visit for various reasons. Too many to list. I'm certainly going to return. Don't rush your visit and try to go when average temperature is 21 - 27 Celsius.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written July 20, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles26,902 reviews
Excellent
20,504
Very good
5,564
Average
685
Poor
85
Terrible
64

Tigerqueen01
London, UK48 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Visit the underground city below the market, great history there from the past recreated. Go early though it gets very busy.
All the restaurants and shops obviously charge inflated tourist prices so beware a beer costs twice as much as a restaurant outside the area. Beware also of the CC scam where they charge you in the card currency with a markup and a poor exchange rate, it all adds up and could have cost us over £70 during the week we were there.
Written February 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TeeGee62
Winnipeg, Manitoba409 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
Always bustling with people both day and night, a great meeting place.
The Rynek is a large square surrounded by colorful old architecture, churches, towers, and buildings of which are restaurants,cafes and bars.
Always bustling with people both day and night, great meeting place.
In the square you will see a bronze monument of "Adam Mickiewicz" (poet, writer, dramatist), another unique bronze sculpture is "Eros Bendato" a giant face mask.
There are beautifully decorated horse and carriages all along the square , which are available for a ride through Krakow's streets.

This is the place to be on the weekends, as the square becomes an awesome giant market with an assortment of food kiosks, beer huts, flowers souvenirs and entertainment. Great place to sample local food and beer, meet locals and tourists, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rachel G
Leicester, UK33 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The square itself is in the middle of everything you could want to see in krakow. I recommend downloading the HIVE app to experience it on electric scooters for an amazing experience. The centre has a range of bars and restaurants, all of which is priced very reasonably compared to its European cohtner parts. If you can go into the market in the centre of the square for souvenirs and unique gifts
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James19941
Bargoed, UK133 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Largest Medieval square in Europe and you can see why.

Beautiful St Mary's Church, Cloth Hall (with souvenir stalls) and the Town Hall Tower dominate the square. There are numerous bars and restaurants in the area. They are inevitably more expensive on the square, but we found one called Vis a Vis which was very small but reasonably priced for drinks.

I recommend Krakow free walking tours for a comprehensive and detailed tour of the square and Old Town of Krakow.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bavbino1989
Kent, UK53 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
I visited here with my partner for a short break as we are very interested in the history, Auschwitz etc.

I also proposed in this beautiful city so will always be a place to remember. The restaurants in the main square are beautiful, reasonably priced and great food, the bugler that sounds every hour due to a historical event hundreds of years ago is great to keep the history alive. The horse drawn carriages are great but a little over priced but great to venture around the city.

Would return here
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

797dennisp
Montrose, UK30,370 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Plenty to do around the Square as there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars and therefore a lot of choice of great food and drinks. Loved to watch the carriages with their beautiful horses clippity clopping past ! There was a cycle race while we were there on our second day but the rain spoiled that a bit unlike the day before when the weather was warm and dry.

The Cloth Hall is a large indoor market with many traditional crafts for sale and loads of wonderful Polish meats and delicacies.
Written March 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

William G L Corlett
Liverpool, UK190 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Krakow is a stunning city with one of the largest if not the largest medieval squares in Europe. The centrepiece of the city, buzzing day and night with a fantastic atmosphere often complemented by live performers.
Nice eateries and colorful style buildings line the square.
Enjoy the ambience
Written April 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KD
Galway, Ireland10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
This was worth visiting but certainly not a must-see. It gives us a good idea of what Krakow was like as an old market town and some of the underground features of the main square. However, one of the stagg members was extremely rude let down the museum for tourists. The young red-haired lady was taking bags and coats as I went in and was simply ignorant towards tourists. As I was leaving, she was standing at the door playing on her phone, which in my opinion was quite unprofessional. She needs to be reminded that Krakow is very much a tourist town and her livelihood depends on tourists continuing to visit.
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarah R
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
We loved the square in Krakow and were drawn back to it every time we tried to go anywhere else! The restaurants all have covered seating areas with heaters and fairy lights at night. The food in these is a little more expensive than elsewhere but the atmosphere is great. Horse drawn carriages circuit the square and a trumpeter sounds from the windows of St Mary’s Basilica every hour. The cloth hall
In the center has many little stalls selling local crafts and souvenirs. Definitely spend some time here!
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Senya-2013
Herzliya, Israel32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We were there in early January, it was a bit cold, the entire atmosphere was warm. We took a private tour through the "Rynek Glowny Central Square" and heard historical facts behind the place.
A lot of friendly people, many inside and outside places to set, to eat, to drink a hot and tasty glint-vain. Great barbecues, a lot of souvenirs in the local market, on all tastes...
Don't miss this place.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square

Krakow's Rynek Glowny Central Square admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $133.06, while a popular guided tour starts around $3.32 per person.

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