Jewish Quarter Guided Walking Tour

Supplied by: See Krakow (NEW)

Overview

An unusual trip – as the locals say – to Kazimierz is an opportunity to see the beauty of the Jewish district, fraught with quaint narrow streets, tenement houses and coffee shops, where people from around the world meet every day. The story of “the city inside the city” reports the historic events the Jewish residents of the Kazimierz district and of the city of Krakow had to face. During the guided walk, the tourists will be shown the lively everyday reality of the “unfinished city” and told the story of the heroes of the Kazimierz district commemorating their experience. The itinerary of the guided walk includes exploration of historic tenements houses, artistic coffee shops, Jewish synagogues (e.g. the Old Synagogue, the Tempel Synagogue and the Izaak Jakubowicz Synagogue) and a visit to the New Jewish Cemetery. Finally, the group will go to the Podgórze district on the other side of Vistula, where they will learn about the history of the Krakow Ghetto while visiting the former Enamel Factory of Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of hundreds of Poles and Jews during the Nazi extermination.

The walking tour down the narrow streets of Kazimierz is a journey in the footsteps of Jewish inhabitants of the district, showing the artistic spirit of this place. The unique nature of Kazimierz lies in the twists and turns of its history. The milestone for the district was 1495, when king John I Albert banned all Jews from living in Krakow. As Kazimierz was situated in the area of the former Bawół village, it became the place of gradual resettlement of the Jews. The walled district was transformed into a separate town, directly subordinate to the king. It was not until the 18th century when Kazimierz was incorporated into the city of Krakow – the wall was dismantled. The future, however, brought great pain and suffering to the Kazimierz inhabitants. The tragic events of Nazi occupation and Holocaust took away people who loved and built this unique place for centuries. Today, Kazimierz is reliving its golden days – thanks to the determination of Cracovians, the history of the former town has been preserved, offering people an opportunity to learn about the European legacy in melting pot meetings.