Museums and New Year.
/2017-12-27/ Krakow Museums close for January 1st. As regards
December 31st, 2017 two exhibitions at the Krakow Royal Castle
- State Rooms and The Crown Treasury and
Armory - will be open from 10 am to 5 pm (free admission, limited
number of tickets) also
Gallery of the 19th-Century Polish Art in the Cloth Hall open 10 am to 4
pm, while most branches of the Historical Museum of the City of
Krakow, including
Schindler's Factory and the Rynek
Underground, stay open from 10 am to 3 pm.
Muse
Krakow companion guide
Wawel Royal Castle on Xmas.
/2017-12-20/ Every exhibition at the Krakow Royal Castle will
stay closed December 24th and December 25th, 2017. Yet on December
26th its two exhibitions, State Rooms and The Crown Treasury and
Armory, will be open from 10 am to 5 pm.
Muse
Krakow museums at Yuletide cont.
/2017-12-19/ All branches of the National Museum in Krakow
stay closed December 24th and December 25th, 2017. On December 26th
only The Bishop Erazm Ciolek Palace and Gallery of the 19th-Century
Polish Art in the Cloth Hall plus three temporary exhibitions -
#heritage, Wyspianski, and Szymborska's Draw - stay open 10 am to 4
pm.
Muse
Museums at Christmastide.
/2017-12-18/ All branches of the Historical Museum of the
City of Krakow close for December 25th and most of them, including
Schindler's Factory and the Rynek
Underground, will keep shorter hours on December 26th, i.e. from 10
am to 4 pm. On December 24th, 2017 only the two above mentioned
branches are open, namely from 10 am to 2 pm.
Muse
Nativity scenes scattered across the city.
/2017-12-12/ Ten purpose-built oversized
Krakow szopka traditional Nativity scenes adorn the city's
squares. At the same time 27 authentic szopka exhibits from the
collection of the City of Krakow Historic Museum have been displayed
in shop windows at Rynek Glowny central square and in Kazimierz
district.
Thom
Krakow
Christmas guide
Central skating rink.
/2017-12-08/ An 800-square-metre ice rink has opened in Plac
Wolnica square in the Kazimierz downtown area and it will
last till February 25th. The 45-minutes skating costs five
zlotys. The rate for renting skates or a helmet is also
5 PLN.
Kasia
Szopka exhibit opens December 11th in new place.
/2017-12-04/ The exhibition of the
Nativity scenes entered for 75th Krakow Szopka contest has been
temporarily moved to Celestat building at 16 Lubicz street because
the traditional venue, the Historical Museum at the central square,
is under renovation. The exhibition opens December 11, 2017 to end
on February 25th, 2018.
Muse
Santa Claus pageant December 6th.
/2017-12-02/ A parade of 142 Santas or rather Saint
Nicholases takes place in Krakow's Rynek Glowny
central square on Wednesday, December 6th at 3 pm.
In Poland the feast day of Saint Nicholas is
traditionally a day for children to be showered with
presents and sweet things.
Barbara
Nativity scenes paraded on December 7th.
/2017-11-23/ The 75th festival of the
Krakow Szopka nativity scenes takes place in the Rynek Glowny central
square at noon on Thursday, December 7th, 2017.
Thoma
Krakow Christmas guide.
/2017-11-20/ A brand-new
guidebook to
Christmas Krakow, published this November, is now available as
an ebook from Amazon online bookstore.
Mark
Museum
open day.
/2017-11-13/ This year open day at Krakow museums
falls on Sunday, November 19th, from 10 am to 4 pm (some museums may
keep longer hours). That day
23 museums in the city admit visitors free of charge and many of
them organize special attractions such as film screenings, lectures,
shows, concerts. etc.
Muse
2018 Easter music festival.
/2017-11-09/ Next year the Misteria Paschalia
Krakow Easter
festival of classical music takes place in Krakow
throughout Holy Week and beyond. It starts on Monday, March 26th
and is to last through Monday, April 2nd 2018. The festival features Europe's
top early music ensembles and soloists. For every day there
are two concerts planned except Good Friday, Easter Sunday
and Easter Monday when one concert will take place each
night at 8 pm.
Thoma
Opera Rara festival January/February 2018.
/2017-11-07/ Next year's edition of Krakow's festival Opera Rara
starts on January 18th to end on February 13th,
2018. Its program consists of concerts
and recitals of classical music, mostly
operatic and mostly
of the
Baroque period. The organizers have managed to line
up
a number of top European soloists and ensembles.
Barbara
Free shows at the Krakow National Museum.
/2017-11-03/ Commemorating the Independence Day the
National
Museum in Krakow makes exhibitions in its main building at 1. 3 Maja
street accessible free of charge on the next weekend, i.e. Friday,
November 10th through Sunday, November 12th, 2017. Except Leonardo
da Vinci's painting Lady with an Ermine can be seen for free solely
on Saturday, November 11th, the Independence Day.
Muse
Krakow
Royal Castle for free.
/2017-11-02/ Admission to the permanent exhibitions of
the Krakow Wawel Royal Castle is free of charge this
November. Free tickets are available at the box office unless the
number of visitors reached the daily limit.
Barbara
Deep Purple farewell in Krakow.
/2017-10-30/ England's veteran rock band, Deep Purple,
will perform its farewell concert, The Long Goodbye Tour, in
Krakow at Tauron Arena, 7 Lema street, on Sunday, July 1st 2018 at 8
pm, Tickets on sale online from November 3rd, 2017.
Thoma
Conrad Festival of literature.
/2017-10-23/ Conrad Festival, named after English writer
Joseph Conrad born Jozef Korzeniowski in Poland and educated in
Krakow, goes on this week from today through Sunday, October 29th.
Devoted to literature, the festival largely consists in meeting
varied writers.
Muse
Krakow Book Fair.
/2017-10-20/ Krakow Book Fair 2017 starts Thursday,
October 26th and ends Sunday, October 29th. Its main venue is EXPO
Krakow at 9 Galicyjska street in the Nowa
Huta district. A one-day ticket costs 8 zlotys (PLN). Opening
hours 10 am to 5 pm on Thursday and Sunday, and to 7 pm on Friday
and Saturday.
Kasia
New express to Prague may be soon.
/2017-10-14/ The Czech Republic's carrier LEO Express is to
launch an everyday direct train service between Prague and Krakow.
According to plans one train will leave Prague for Krakow at 4.10 pm
to reach its destination at 11.10 pm. The train for Prague will
depart from Krakow Glowny central train
station at 4.44 am and will arrive to the Czech capital at 11.39
am. The service may start in mid-December this year, fingers crossed.
Mark
Market in Maly Rynek square October 6th to October 10th.
/2017-10-09/ So called 'Cultural Borderlands Market' goes on in Maly
Rynek square, situated one block east of the Rynek Glowny
central square, through Sunday, October 15th. The stalls sell
village arts and crafts such as cloths, pottery, and metalwork. Also
traditional foods such as breads, cheeses, cured meats, and sweets
are available. Plus Open-air musical gigs which start at 4 pm.
Kasia
Krakow piano music festival.
/2017-10-04/ The 9th International Royal Cracow Piano
Festival (Miedzynarodowy Festiwal Pianistyczny
Krolewskiego Miasta Krakow), a yearly
Krakow festival of
piano music, starts on Sunday, October 8th. Its
program consists of seven piano recitals, one every
two or three days - the last one on Sunday, October
22nd, 2017.
Barbara
Free Jazz Autumn in Krakow.
/2017-10-02/ The 12th Krakow Jazz
Autumn festival (Krakowska Jesien Jazzowa) starts October 9th,
2017. The festival features mostly free jazz and its principal
venue is Alchemia club at 5 Estery street in the Krakow Kazimierz
historic area.
Muse
Saint Michael market till October 1st.
/2017-09-25/ The Saint Michael market takes place in Maly
Rynek square, one block east from the Rynek Glowny
central square, through Sunday, October 1st. Its stalls sell the
village arts crafts from cloths to pottery to sculpture. Also
traditional foods such as breads, cheeses, cured meats, and sweets.
Kasia
Buses and trams for free.
/2017-09-21/ Tomorrow, September 22nd everybody may travel
free of charge on the Krakow municipal public
transport, that is the MPK buses and trams, owing to the World
Car Free Day.
Thoma
All Souls jazz.
/2017-09-20/ This year the 62nd All Souls Krakow
jazz festival (Krakowskie Zaduszki Jazzowe) takes place somewhat
later than usual. It starts on November 3rd, one day after the All
Souls Day, and ends
November 9th.
Mark
Krakow Musical Autumn.
/2017-09-16/ The 4th Krakow
Musical Autumn is a four-day festival of
classical music organized in the Filharmonia
Krakowska concert hall at 1 Zwierzyniecka street,
next to the Old Town central historic district, from
Sunday, October 1st through Wednesday, October 4th.
Its program consists in four concerts which feature
Sweden’s pianists Peter Jablonski and Patrik
Jablonski on Sunday, Poland’s BUKOLIKA piano
trio on Monday,
Latvia’s pianist Ilja
Domnins on Tuesaday, and lastly Poland’s clarinetist
Barbara Borowicz and pianist Anna Miernik-Sobula on
Wednesday.
Barbara
Festival of organ music.
/2017-09-15/ The 51st Organ Music Days, an autumnal
Krakow festival of organ music takes place
September 16th through September 21st, 2017 with daily concerts in
Filharmonia Krakowska concert hall and a couple of Krakow's
historic churches. Except the concert on Wednesday, September 20th
is in a church in the city of Biecz, some 140 kilometers east of
Krakow.
Muse
Xmas market
in Krakow
starts November 24.
/2017-09-09/ In 2017 the
Krakow Christmas market opens in Rynek Glowny central
square on Friday, November 24th. The official closing day is December 26th.
Kasia
When sausage dogs march.
/2017-09-06/ This year's
famed
Krakow parade of dachshunds
(aka “sausage dogs”) takes place on Sunday, September
10th. At noon it starts next to Barbakan (a barbican) behind the Brama Florianska gate
at the end of Florianska street. Next the dogs plus their
masters will march down the Florianska street
to Rynek Glowny central square. Yet the whole event
next to the Barbakan begins at 11.45 am.
Thoma
Sheep grazing in central Krakow.
/2017-09-02/
A small flock of sheep graze the Krakow
Blonia downtown meadow till September 10th, an
advertisement for the colorful herding traditions of
Poland's Podhale highlands region. The sheep and their
shepherds, clad in folk costumes, expect visitors from 6 am
to 8 pm.
Mark
Honey fest.
/2017-01-01/ Krakow Honey Harvest, the bee-keeping festival
takes place in Plac Wolnica square from Friday, September 1st
through Sunday, September 3rd. Opening hours 9 am
to 8 pm Friday and Saturday, and to 7 pm on Sunday. Local
producers sell various kinds of honey, beeswax, and other
apiculture products. Also live performances, contests, etc.
Thoma
New season at the Krakow Opera.
/2017-08-21/ Krakow Opera company
opens its new season Sunday, September 17th with a concert of
operetta arias and duets. See list of all
opera performances in Krakow.
Muse
Pop fest to rock Krakow August 18th & 19th.
/2017-08-08/ The
Krakow Live Festival features an array of rap, rock,
and pop acts on the grounds of the Polish Aviation
Museum at 39 Jana Pawla II avenue on August 18th and
August
19th. The lineup includes Ellie Goulding, Lana Del
Rey, alt-J, Wiz Khalifa, and Birdy
Kasia
Krakow Philharmonics new season.
/2017-08-02/ The Krakow Philharmonic society has published
its concert program for autumn 2017 and early 2018.
See the calendar of
philharmonic
concerts in Krakow.
Barbara
Contemporary classics in late September.
/2017-07-26/ In 2017 Sacrum
Profanum Krakow festival of contemporary classical music takes
place in the last week of September, namely from Tuesday, September
26th through Sunday, October 1st. It's program consists of twenty
concerts which feature internationally recognized ensembles and
soloists performing modern music.
Muse
Up to date Krakow guidebook.
/2017-07-18/ The updated edition of
The
Marvels of Krakow 2017 guidebook is available online from Amazon.
It's
reasonably priced and, given its rich contents, offers good value for
money.
Kasia
National Museum shuts modern art, for now.
/2017-07-12/ National Museum in Krakow closes its permanent
exhibition of modern art on July 16th, 2017. The
Gallery of the 20th-century Polish Art situated in
the museum's main building at 1, 3 Maja street will
not reopen before 2019 if at all as the planned
revamping of the show may be accompanied by the
change of the name.
Muse
Europe's volleyball championship.
/2017-07-08/ EuroVolley Poland 2017, men’s volleyball
championship of Europe, starts August 24th and ends
September 3rd, with its most important events taking place
in Krakow which hosts the final, both semifinals, and two
quarterfinals. They are scheduled for September 3rd,
September 2nd, and August 31st respectively. The venue -
Tauron Arena Krakow at Lema
street.
Thoma
Krakow makes football history.
/2017-06-28/
This year's Euro U-21 football championship for players aged
21 and under climaxes with the final Germany vs. Spain in
Krakow on Friday, June 30th. The match at Stadion Cracovia
stadium at Kaluzy street, two blocks west of the Old Town
historic center, starts at 8.45 pm.
Mark
Street theatres galore.
/2017-06-26/ The 30th International
Street Theatre
Festival in Krakow
starts
on Wednesday, July 5th to end on Sunday,
July 9th or actually Monday as the final show called
F451-Krakow is planned to last 24 hours.
The Krakow Rynek Glowny central square
remains the principal venue for the festival's numerous
performances. Also
two
neighboring squares, Maly Rynek and Plac Szczepanski, will serve as
the festival stages every afternoon and evening with four to seven
shows back to back.
Thoma
Sinfonietta class fest.
/2017-06-20/ This year Sinfonietta Festival of classic music
goes on in
Krakow
from June 30th through July 4th. Concerts take place
every day. The program for
Saturday, July 1st
looks hectic indeed, with 13 free concerts on that
evening.
Barbara
Krakow Summer Jazz Fest.
/2017-06-12/ The 22nd Summer
Jazz
Festival in Krakow takes place from June 18th
to July 29th, 2017 though it gets in full swing throughout
July. The main venue is the Piwnica Pod
Baranami cellar club at 27 Rynek Glowny (Grand Square) where
jazz concerts are scheduled every night at 9 pm from July
3rd through July 29th. The culmination falls on July 15th,
aka Jazz Night, with numerous free concerts - in
Krakow clubs as well as
alfresco.
Muse
The UNESCO World Heritage talks.
/2017-06-07/
The 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee
takes place in Krakow from July 2nd through July 12th, 2017.
After the opening at the Wawel Royal
Castle the delegates will take up the
ICE conference center. The
main conference is to be accompanied by a number of side
events.
Mark
Science festival in central square.
/2017-05-24/ Science Festival takes place in Rynek Glowny
central square from Thursday, May 25th through
Saturday, May 27th. A showcase for Krakow
universities, it enables visitors to watch and
participate in various experiments. Free admission.
Barbara
Leonardo's Lady in new place.
/2017-05-18/
Leonardo da Vinci's Krakow
masterpiece,
Lady with an Ermine, has been moved from the Wawel
Royal Castle to the
National Museum
in Krakow. The
picture is placed in an upstairs room of the museum's main
hall (Gmach Glowny) at 1, 3 Maja street. Initially free of
charge, from June 23rd, 2017 the regular ticket is to cost 10 zloty
(PLN). Opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Kasia
Museum Night.
/2017-05-06/ In 2017 the Museum Night takes place in Krakow
on Friday, May
19th. Krakow museums will keep long
hours, admit free of charge, and offer special attractions. Visitors
need to purchase a token for one zloty that will allow to access the
museums and travel for free on trams and city buses from 5 pm to 2
am.
Muse
Best of Krakow 2017 guide is available as an
ebook.
/2017-05-02/ The
Best of Krakow
guide, the updated edition for 2017, is available a Kindle ebook at Amazon
online store. Published as recently as April 19th, 2017.
Muse
Get the 2017
Krakow companion guide
Leonardo's at the Royal Castle somewhat longer.
/2017-04-28/
The exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine in the Wawel Royal Castle
has been extended for a week. It closes permanently on May
7th, 2017 rather than April 30th as originally planned.
Mark
Euro 2017 U21 Championship in Krakow.
/2017-04-26/
Five matches of Euro 2017 U-21 are scheduled to take place
in Krakow in the second half of June.
It co-hosts the European
football youth championship together with five other
Polish cities. Apart from Poland eleven national teams
qualified, all players aged 21 years or younger.
Krakow's Stadion Cracovia stadium, situated just
a ten minutes’ walk from the central square, is
the venue for the final on June 30th, 2017 as well as one of
semifinals on June 27th. Earlier – on June 18th, June 21st,
and June 24th – it is to host matches of Group C consisting
of Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Italy.
Thoma
2017 Folk Art Fair.
/2017-04-24/ The 41st Cepelia Folk Art Fair in
Krakow takes place this
summer in Rynek Glowny central square from August 10th through
August 27th, 2017. As usual, visitors may expect rows
of stalls selling
assorted traditional village crafts and arts, that is embroidery,
pottery, woodcarving, painting, iron, metalwork, etc. There are also
varied special attractions and entertainments such as gigs by acts
performing traditional village tunes and songs..
Kasia
Student revelries peak in May.
/2017-04-20/
This year Krakow's Juwenalia traditional student festival
takes place from May 9th through May 14th. It culminates in a wild and colorful pageant
in Rynek Glowny central square, scheduled for
Friday, May 12th. Expect the parade of Krakow
students to reach the square at noon or so.
Mark
Summer opera festival in Krakow.
/2017-04-18/ The 2017 Krakow Opera
Summer Festival starts June 9th and ends July
2nd. Three events take place in the courtyard of the
Wawel Royal Castle but otherwise the venue is the
Opera House at Lubicz street.
Barbara
The Czartoryski Museum in brief.
/2017-04-07/ An exhibition called “Most Valuable. The
Princes Czartoryski Collection.” has opened today in
Arsenal building at 8 Pijarska street to go on till
April 8th, 2018. It displays roughly 350 exhibits,
including some of the most valuable items of
Krakow’s famed Czartoryski Museum, such gems among
them as Rembrandt’s ‘Landscape with the Good
Samaritan’ and Lucas Cranach’s portraits of Polish
royalty. At the same time the museum’s crown jewel,
namely Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine’,
is to be exhibited separately in the main hall of the
Krakow National Museum at 3 Maja street from May 19th,
2017. Meant as a cross-section of the Czartoryski
collections, the Arsenal show contains not only works of
art but also antiquities, memorabilia connected with
great men and Polish history, documents, and ancient
functional art.
Muse
Cracovia, Poland's hockey champ
/2017-04-03/
The ComArch Cracovia aka Cracovia Krakow,
the city’s ice hockey team, has won Poland’s
championship for season 2016/2017. It is the second
time in row. Thus the club has held twelve
titles since 1937 when it prevailed for the first
time.
Thoma
Krakow, a budget break.
/2017-03-25/ A budget city break in
Krakow costs 160.55
British pounds in 2017 according to the annual Post Office Travel
Money City Costs Barometer. It’s 21.50 pounds less than a cheap
break in Prague. The report states that Krakow is the 6th least
expensive among popular city break destinations in Europe. The
cheapest comes Paphos in Cyprus with costs amounting to 138.40
pounds. Stockholm in Sweden and Reykjavik in Iceland remain the most
expensive places for frugal tourists..
Kasia
Metallica to perform in Krakow in April 2018.
/2017-03-16/ Next year
Metallica,
the USA's famed rock band, will give a concert in Krakow. The gig,
part of the WorldWired Tour, is planned for Saturday, April 28th,
2018. Venue Tauron Arena Krakow at 7
Lema street. Tickets on sale from March 21st, 2017.
Muse
2017 Easter market in Krakow.
/2017-03-10/ This year Easter
market in Krakow starts in the city's central square on Friday,
April 7th to last through Monday, April 17th. Expect traditional
Easter decorations, foods, and village handicrafts will be on sale.
Kasia
Baroque music for free.
/2017-03-02/ Krakow festival of Bach
music, 22nd Bach Days, take place from Monday,
March 13th through Sunday, March 19th with at least
one concert every day in Aula Florianka at 8
Basztowa street. All concerts are free.
Barbara
Leonardo's masterpiece to leave Royal Castle.
/2017-02-17/
It's all clear now. Leonardo's famous picture
Lady with an Ermine is to stay on
show in the Wawel Royal Castle to the end of April. From May
19th, 2017 the marvelous portrait of Cecilia Gallerani
will be displayed in the main building of the National
Museum in Krakow at 1. 3 Maja street.
Mark
Shanties festival in Krakow.
/2017-02-01/ This year's edition of
Shanties Krakow festival of sailor songs takes place from
Thursday, February 23rd through Sunday, February 26th. The main
festival venues are Zaczek club at 5, 3 Maja street and
Kijow.Centrum playhouse at 34 Slowackiego avenue.
Muse
Commemorating victims of KL Plaszow.
/2017-01-25/ Municipality of Krakow,
the Jewish Religious Community of Krakow, and the
City of Krakow Historical Museum have signed an
agreement that paves the way for the creation of the
Museum Memorial Site commemorating victims of
KL Plaszow, the Nazi
concentration camp situated in Krakow during World War
II. The new museum is to open before 2021 if
everything goes well.
Barbara
Government has got the Lady.
/2017-01-02/ On December 29th the Polish government has
bought Leonardo da Vinci's 'Lady with an Ermine' as well as the rest
of The Princes Czartoryski Museum and The
Czartoryski Library for euro 100,000,000. The museum, however,
will not reopen before 2019 anyway, probably. Nevertheless,
Leonardo's famous painting is to be transferred from the
Wawel Royal Castle, where it's exhibited
now, probably to the Krakow National Museum's
branch at the Cloth Hall in the Rynek
Glowny square.
Kasia
