Krakow Synagogues 

Synagogues of the Kazimierz historic district in Krakow 

All of Krakow’s seven synagogues are situated in the former Jewish quarter of the town of Kazimierz that developed from a tiny corner that King Jan I Olbracht had earmarked in 1495 for Jews transferred from the historic Krakow (i.e. today’s Old Town) a kilometer or so away. 

Two of the Kazimierz synagogues, Kupa at 27 Miodowa street and Remuh at 40 Szeroka street, still serve Krakow’s miniscule Jewish community as the venues for religious ceremonies. 

Synagogue is ‘synagoga’ or ‘boznica’ in Polish. 

Old Synagogue

The Polish name: Stara Boznica. Address: 24 Szeroka street. 
Poland’s oldest synagogue and arguably Krakow’s grandest one. It was built in the early 16th century next to the 14th-century city walls. Destroyed by fire in 1557, the brick building has acquired a Renaissance outer form during the ensuing reconstruction, when the interior is basically Gothic. The Nazis damaged it and turned to a warehouse, they also executed 30 Polish hostages at its wall in 1943. The synagogue has been restored in the years 1955-1957. Since 1961 the Old Synagogue serves as a museum of Jewish history, culture, and tradition. 
Opening hours are 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Mondays, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on weekends, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Fridays. Admission 8 zloties (PLN).

See more about the Old Synagogue in Krakow

Remuh Synagogue 

The Polish name: Synagoga Remuh. Address: 40 Szeroka street. 
The smallest yet maybe the busiest of the Kazimierz synagogues, and arguably also the most authentic one. The unassuming Renaissance building was erected in 1558 by the Jewish cemetery of the same name, established in 1533 and closed in 1800. Its name commemorates saintly rabbi Moses Isserles Auerbach (born circa 1520, died 1572) a.k.a. Remuh (RaMa), religious writer-philosopher of international fame, acknowledged miracle maker, and son of the synagogue’s founder. His tomb in the adjacent Remuh Cemetery still attracts pilgrimages of pious Jews. The synagogue and the cemetery, both devastated under the Nazi rule, have been restored in years 1958-1968 and 1956-1960 respectively. The synagogue is the venue for religious services of orthodox Jews in Krakow. Its interior boasts the original Aron Hakodesh, a Renaissance stone cabinet for the Torah. 
The Remuh Synagogue is the venue for religious services on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.
Opening hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. except Saturdays and Jewish holidays when the synagogue is closed to tourists. Admission 5 zloties (PLN). Visitors should wear a skullcap or other headgear is required. 

Tempel (Temple) Synagogue

The Polish name: Synagoga Tempel. Address: 24 Miodowa street at Podbrzezie street. 
The neo-Romanesque building dates back to 1862 and was enlarged in 1868, 1893, and 1924. It’s famous for its rich interior lavishly decorated with ornate, gilded ‘Moorish’ woodwork. Founded by Krakow’s Jewish progressives, it was traditionally the venue for religious services attended by the reformed Jews. Today it's the place where major events of the Krakow Jewish community usually take place. The Tempel Synagogue often doubles as a concert hall resounding with Jewish and classical music. There is a mikveh for men on the premises, with the entry at 1 Podbrzezie street,
Opening hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. except Saturdays and Jewish holidays when the synagogue is closed to tourists. Admission 10 zloties (PLN). Visitors should wear a skullcap or other headgear is required. 

Isaac's Synagogue 

The Polish name: Synagoga Izaaka or Boznica Ajzyka. Address: 16 Kupa street at Izaaka street. 
Funded by a fabulously rich local banker Isaac reb Yekele the stately baroque structure dates back to 1644. It had undergone a major refurbishment in 1857 and was completely damaged by the Nazis during German occupation of Krakow in the WWII. The synagogue has been reconstructed in the 1970s and the 1980s.  
Isaac's Synagogue remains closed until further notice.  

Kupa Synagogue

The Polish name: Boznica Kupa. Address: 27 Miodowa street. 
The Kazimierz Jewish Town’s kehilla (kahal), a municipality, founded the modest synagogue for the poor in 1643. The building underwent many alternations in the ensuing centuries and recently it has been meticulously restored. Its north side adjoins the remnants of the medieval city walls of Kazimerz while its southern flank is fully exposed at Warchauera street. The Kupa Synagogue is the place where currently the Krakow Jews gather for regular religious services on Sabbath and other Jewish holidays.
The colorful interior of the Kupa Synagogue serves occasionally as the venue for musical events. 
Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Saturdays when the synagogue is closed. Admission is 5 PLN. 

High Synagogue (also known in the past as New Synagogue)

The Polish name: Synagoga Wysoka or Nowa Boznica. Address: 38 Jozefa street. 
The upper floor of a late-Gothic building was turned into a public place of worship in 1563 while everyday secular life went on downstairs. The only authentic parts of the historic synagogue are the front wall and its Renaissance portal, and the remnants of the Aron Hakodesh in the former men’s prayer hall. The building houses a photography exhibition called ‘Two Faces of the Cracow Jews’ that shows the city’s prewar Jewish community. 
Opening hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission 9 zloties (PLN). 

Popper’s Synagogue

The Polish name: Synagoga Popera. Address: 16 Szeroka street. 
One has the best view of the outer shape of that squat building with thick walls at Dajwor street. Its architecture is of the Baroque period but austere. It dates back to 1620 and bears the name of the founder of the synagogue, one Wolf Popper a.k.a. Wolf Bocian (‘Stork’), a wealthy Jewish merchant. Popper’s Synagogue was famous for its lavish furnishings but nothing has survived till now. Its building houses a local youth culture center. 

Kazimierz Town

Map of Krakow's Kazimierz historic district

Stroll through Krakow's Kazimierz District

Watch Jewish sites in Krakow on video online

Old Synagogue

Jewish Quarter 

The Kazimierz Jewish quarter was the safe haven for Jews from every corner of Europe till the 20th c. and a major center of the Diaspora.