Poland's most historic city, currently weighing in with 11 major
theatres and over 40
museums, Krakow has always been the 'Cultural Capital' of Poland, and bore that banner on behalf of all Europe back in 2000. Prestigious contemporary
art galleries include
Bunkier Sztuki ('The Art Bunker'), the
International Cultural Centre and
Starmach Gallery. Fans of acoustic precision and sporting events should seek an opportunity to visit the city's two newest state-of-the-art venues -
Kraków Arena and the
Kraków Congress Centre (ICE), classical music fans are spoilt for choice with the
Philharmonic and
Kraków Opera, while those who favour something more contemporary should beat a track to
Alchemia,
Forty Kleparz, and
Studio Klub. The cultural depth of the city is easily revealed by the range of its
festival calendar, with annual standouts like the Street Theatre Festival, Jewish Culture Festival and the Kraków Film Festival, offset by more eccentric endeavours like the annual Dragon and Dachsund Parades (respectively), the Pierogi Festival and
Juwenalia (student mayhem!). To see
what's on in Kraków, check out our
events calendar.