Is that enough superlatives for you? As it happens, Kraków is packed with more museums than any other city in Poland (well over 50), and the last several years have seen literally dozens of new openings and re-openings, with more planned in the years ahead. Recent investments have improved the quality of the city's museums immensely, most of which have been modernised and many of which feature multimedia exhibits that will even keep the kids engaged. There is no better place to learn about Polish history, culture and character than Kraków's museums, and below we list those which we believe should be on every tourist's itinerary. If you're a local and you haven't been to these museums, well...for shame.
For our full directory of all of Kraków's Museums, click here. To learn about current temporary exhibits in Kraków's museums, visit our What's On section. To get all this content OFFLINE, order our Kraków IYP guidebook.
The Top 10 Best Museums in Kraków
1. 19th Century Polish Art Gallery
One of Kraków's oldest museums (and also our favourite), the 19th Century Polish Art Gallery has been a mainstay inside Kraków's Cloth Hall since 1883 and the grandeur of the exhibits effectively transport visitors 150 years into the past. In our opinion this is Kraków's Louvre, but on a much smaller scale and without the hurdles of visiting created by the popularity of Paris' most famous museum. Filled with Romantic period portraits and enormous historical paintings, the 19th Century Polish Art Gallery is essentially an art history course on the role of art in the Polish national consciousness. Eliciting pangs of patrioticism in every Pole, even those visitors previously unfamiliar with these famous works by Polish masters like Matejko, Malczewski and Chełmoński will be moved by their sheer scope and size (not to mention their beautiful frames).
For us this museum takes the top spot for its perfect market square location, grand setting, incredible artwork and manageable size. Comprising only four rooms (of which two really command the bulk of a visitors attention), a visit only takes one hour, allowing you to fit in into any itinerary. For foreigners to really get the most out of a visit, we recommend buying the supplemental audio guide, which offers valuable context and background on the most important works in the collection.
2. The Main Building of the Kraków National Museum
What's inside? We can't really say, but it's worth it.
3. Schindler's Factory
4. Kraków Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK)
5. Wawel Castle State Rooms
Essentially the Polish Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey rolled into one, we'd be remiss to not mention Wawel on such a list. The entire castle complex is basically a huge museum dedicated to the history of the Polish nation, broken into a series of many exhibits which offer access to different parts of the castle. As such, knowing what to visit can be a bit overwhelming, and it's easy to overdo it.
For us the highlight of Wawel is a simple admission-free stroll through the inner courtyards, but if pressed to choose one ticketed exhibit we'd have to go with the State Rooms. In the State Rooms you get the full grandeur of the royal residence in terms of art, furnishings and architecture, you even see the Polish throne(!) and you can visit at your own pace. The recent lifting of restrictions on photography means a visit is more worthwhile than ever. Make sure you reserve tickets in advance or get there very early, and that you have at least 40mins for your visit of the State Rooms, plus at least 20mins to wander around the rest of the castle complex.
6. Rynek Underground
A modern, multimedia museum in what is essentially an archaeological site located four metres under the surface of the market square, this popular museum unearthes Kraków's medieval history as a European centre for trade and culture. The incredible result of years of archaeological studies, the treasures on display - ancient coins, tools, ceramics and tradable goods - were largely excavated from the very space they are displayed in, which has been fashioned to recreate the atmosphere of a medieval marketplace. See how high the surface of the market square has risen over the years, and even ancient 'vampire prevention burials' (really). Full of touchscreens, projections, holograms and some excellent documentary films, this one is great for kids and even features a kids' zone where mechanical characters tell Cracovian legends. Timed tickets should be bought in advance and the visiting time is over two hours for most.
7. Eagle Pharmacy
8. Nowa Huta Museum
9. Czartoryski Princes Museum
Reopened in December 2019, the Czartoryski Princes Museum displays one of the most valuable art collections in Europe, the origins of which date back to Princess Izabela Czartoryska who opened Poland's first museum at the Czartoryski family estate in Puławy (eastern PL) back in 1786 as a tribute to her homeland during the time of the Polish partitions. Moved to Kraków in 1878, it was the city's first museum, and includes a bit of everything: European painting, sculpture, applied arts, Egyptian artefacts, Far Eastern art and Polish historical memorabilia. Home to Kraków's most famous work of art - Leonardo da Vinci's 'Lady With an Ermine', visitors will also see works by Rembrandt, trophies from King Sobieski's victory at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, Chopin's death mask, and separate urns containing the remains of Copernicus and Polish poet Jan Kochanowski.
Many would argue we should have this one higher up on the list, but the randomness of the works result in no narrative thread for the visitor, and the displays themselves fail to provide important context that would help them resonate with viewers. As such, we recommend paying for the audioguide. Though iconic, seeing Leonardo's Lady firsthand primarily emphasises how small the painting is, which also suffers from having been altered over the centuries. Visiting takes about one hour and your best bet is to buy tickets online beforehand.
10. Collegium Maius
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