Photo courtesy of Jeremy Barnett 

Poland is a country rich with history, and if you can experience it for free—all the better! Here’s a guide to a week of free museums. No need to spend a zloty to experience a wealth of Krakow’s art and history. 

Monday: Old Synagogue
24 Szeroka Street in Kazimierz

One of Europe’s most historic Jewish places of worship, the Old Synagogue is located in Krakow’s Jewish district, Kazimierz. It is an extension of the City of Krakow’s Historical Museum, and is considered the quintessential Jewish monument of Krakow. As such, it’s filled with relics of Kazimerz’s past including religious items, historic photos, and documents.

Tuesday: Museum of Municipal Engineering
15 Sw. Wawrzynca Street in Kazimierz

If you’re into gizmos and gadgets, then this museum is for you. The space feels like a virtual time machine into innovations past. Take in the old vehicles and other means of public transportation that date back to the early 1900s and explore technology’s impact on everyday life over the last two centuries.

Wednesday: Tourism Board

There’s a reason they call it “hump” day, folks. Take a break from museum wandering and check out Krakow’s tourism board web site for listings of free events. On the way, pick up a few paczki (pronounced poonch-keys). What a difference a day, and a doughnut, make!
                                                                                                                                                                          

Thursday: Czartoryski Palace Museum
19 Sw. Jana Street in Nowy Swiat

The Czartoryski is Krakow’s treasure trove of exhibitions. Founded in 1796 by Princess Isabella (credited with the motto “The Past to the Future”) the museum is most famous for housing Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Lady With An Ermine” along with Rembrandt’s “Landscape with the Good Samaritan”, and many more artifacts from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Friday: Dom Slaski (aka The Silesian House)
2 Pomorska Street just outside of Nowy Swiat

This museum is free everyday of the week (bonus!), but after all your other museum-hopping, you only have Friday left! First used as a Gestapo police headquarters, the Dom now hosts exhibits about World War II martyrdom and anti-nazi resistance. Admission itself is free, but it’ll cost a little extra if you want to take pictures.

Saturday: City of Krakow History Museum
35 Rynek Glowny in the Old Quarter

A patriotic little building proudly boasting the history of Krakow and its citizens, the History Museum has a compilation of old maps, documents, pictures, and city stamps. Its most appealing feature is a collection of colorful and intricate Krakow Christmas Cribs or szopkas.

Sunday: Archeology and Ethnography Museum
3 Poselska Street in the Old Quarter

Once used as a prison in medieval times, the Archeology and Ethnography Museum is home to the only known representation of a Slovanic deity, a four-faced 8-foot stone idol of Swiatowit. In addition, the museum always has a number of permanent and temporary displays.

Bonus Sunday: Museum of History of Photography
16 Jozefitów Street just outside of Nowy Swiat

Filled with exhibitions of present and past photography, daguerreotypes, cameras, and photo equipment, the Museum of History of Photography is a must-see for the still image artist-at-heart.

A view of the old Barbican gate

Although Krakow isn’t among the priciest European cities, we always love to save when we can. Here are our picks for stuff that won’t cost you a złoty!

Take a trip to St. Mary’s Basilica
Mariacki Square, 5

Arguably the most famous of Poland’s churches, St. Mary’s Basilica is home to the illustrious Gothic altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss, a German sculptor. Admission to the main basilica is free, although you’ll only be able to waltz about halfway down the main aisle. For a closer look at the altar, visitors can pay 6 PLN (about €1.75).

Consider climbing up one of St. Mary’s two towers (a cost of 5 PLN or about €1.50) for a panoramic view of the city. The towers are open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from May 1 to August 31.

Tour the main market square (”Rynek Glowny”)
in the Old Quarter

Take a stroll around Krakow’s biggest medieval city square, a place surrounded by historic buildings and architecture. Rynek Glowny’s main landmarks are St. Mary’s Basilica, St. Adalbert’s Church (one of Poland’s oldest stone churches, dating back to 1000), and the old Cloth Hall (”Sukiennice”).  This old hall, formerly the city’s center of international trade, is filled with interesting small shops and vendors, and worthy of a stroll.

The quarter often hosts free outdoor concerts and festivals. Check Krakow’s tourism board for schedules and times.

Walk up Wawel Hill

Take a stroll around the most famous spot in Poland, home to Wawel Castle (built during the Renaissance) and Wawel Cathedral (sometimes referred to as Krakow Cathedral). While admission to the castle and cathedral isn’t free, looking at them from a distance is priceless! Plus, you’ll love the gorgeous views of the city and the Vistula River.

Bonus: Visit the castle on Monday, as there’s typically a free public concert.

Stroll down Ulica Kanonicza

Arguably Krakow’s most picturesque street, Ulica (”ul.” for short) Kanonicza is home to some of Krakow’s oldest and most beautiful homes, dating back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Ulica was once prime real estate for prominent nobles who lived there and it served as the residence for Father Karol Wojtyla from 1951-1963 before he became known to the world as Pope John Paul II in 1978.

Visit the Barbakan
on Ul. Basztowa in the Old Quarter

Once one of eight fortified entrances, the Barbakan is the only part of the wall still standing. The city still takes pride in the fact that this particular gateway, once resplendent with moats and still sporting turrets (see photo above), never got captured during medieval battles. The architecture of the gate and its massive size are a sight to behold. Free concerts and exhibitions are typically held throughout the summertime.

When we think Hostelling International, we think ping-pong tables and bunk beds. But during a recent research jam session, we also found a range of HI hostels with adultish, cheap double rooms. The best of these deserve a plug or two, so keep readin’.

South of the Wista River on Grochowa Street—a bit of a (beautiful) walk from the sights pictured above—Krakow’s Hostel Szkolne Schronisko Młodzieżowe has 20 basic private doubles for PLN80 (€20.50, $27). The hostel boasts a spacious guest kitchen, and on-site laundry facilities make living out of your suitcase a fresh affair.

Långholmen Hostel, located on a small island in the middle of Stockholm, has a jaw-dropping 79 private doubles for SEK520 (€60, $74). Housed within a stately 19th-century building, Långholmen is also easier on the eyes than some of HI’s big box hostels. Also on the premises: a boutique, beach, garden, and museum that chronicles the building’s unromantic past—it was once a prison.

The Zurich City Hostel in Wollishofen has 16 private doubles starting at CHF116 (€72, $95). Wollishofen is a quiet suburb—15 minutes by tram to the city center—and there’s on-site cycle rental, perfect for a short ride to the banks of Lake Zurich.

Proof positive that HI hostels aren’t just for whipper snappers with nothing but a rucksack and a dream.