Krakow Guide for Art Lovers

Everything You Need to Know about Krakow's Cultural Life

Art comes in many shapes and sizes, but Krakow has them all. If you’re planning to travel to Krakow, you should know that you’re about to visit a perfect place for art lovers. If you can't imagine visiting a city without finding out about its cultural side - this guide is for you!

It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in the history of fine arts, architecture or theatre – Krakow has it all to make your stay unforgettable. Check which places are particularly worth visiting and follow in the footsteps of famous painters, sculptors, poets and other artists who are important to Krakow.

What will you find in this post?

First of all - lots of valuable knowledge! If you want to get to know museums or art galleries, but you don't know where to start, let yourself be guided through this cultural map of Krakow. Thanks to this guide you will learn:

•  what are the the most important contemporary art galleries in Krakow
• where to find the only da Vinci’s painting in Poland
• who is Jan Matejko?
• which modern Polish poets received Nobel prizes in literature
• where you can currently listen to some good jazz surrounded by the historic walls of the city
• and many, many more…

Here you have it: a comprehensive Krakow guide for art lovers.

Fine arts and architecture in Krakow

If you’re interested in the art of the Middle Ages, Krakow is the best place for you. Masterpieces created during that period today grace the city’s churches, and many have been relocated to museums. Because of this, while visiting Krakow, you can experience double cultural delights - on the one hand, you will see local monuments and on the other be able to admire the works of art assembled there.

During the late XV century, Krakow was home to Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz), one of the most famous sculptors of the Gothic era. You can admire his majestic altarpiece in the Basilica of Virgin Mary. This extraordinary church is one of the most famous monuments in Krakow and even in all of Poland. It has become the symbol of this city. It was built at the turn of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and proudly reigns over the Main Market Square at St. Mary's Square. It is impressive both on the outside,  because of the 82 meters high towers, as well as on the inside. In addition to the aforementioned Main Altar, the Crucifix created by the same artist and numerous chapels  also deserve special attention.

 

Those who love the Renaissance art and architecture will be delighted to visit the Wawel Royal Hill and its golden-domed Sigismund Chapel. 

The Wawel Castle has been renovated and rebuilt many times, which is why it no longer has its original shape. Still, it makes a huge impression. Inside the numerous chambers and towers, there are currently several permanent as well as temporary exhibitions that tourists from all over the world can admire.

 

It is also worth visiting the Royal Gardens, which are one of the oldest castle gardens in Poland. Additionally, under the rock on which the Royal Castle stands, according to legend there is a cave inhabited by the Wawel Dragon. Next to the cave there is a fire-breathing metal image of  this mythical reptile.

When it comes to architecture, Krakow boasts some breathtaking Baroque churches and palaces built in the XVII and XVIII century that are all worth your attention. Many of the buildings are still  associated with the Catholic faith and have religious functions to this day. Others have become museums and art galleries, while yet others have been transformed into theaters, university buildings or even buildings which house state offices. Wherever you turn - the history of Krakow awaits you.

Krakow’s painting tradition

Krakow is a city of artists, a city in which many famous Polish painters have lived. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the painter Piotr Michałowski rose to fame as the first Polish artist of the highest European format. His masterpieces were considered as equal to the works produced by the greatest French artists like Eugene Delacroix or Teodor Gericault. To this day, Michałowski is considered one of the most important representatives of the Romantic period and animal worship in art.  His paintings presenting battle scenes such as the "Battle of Somosierra" from 1837 are particularly valued. You can admire this piece of art at the National Museum of Krakow.

 

The latter part of the century saw the emergence of historical painting, in particular, Jan Matejko who has been capturing the key moments in Poland’s tragic history in his remarkable works and established the Polish tradition of historical-patriotic painting later exemplified in the works of Wojciech Kossak. While Matejko is recognized worldwide, Kossak has not gained such popularity.  The works of his father can also be seen at the permanent exhibition of the Krakow museum.

 

But Krakow is a real treat for those who love modern art as well. In the late 1890s, Krakow exploded with talent and attracted an amazing group of painters, poets, sculptors, and writers united by the Young Poland movement that was related to the Art Nouveau.

Following this period  was the era of symbolism. Jacek Malczewski, born in 1854, whose numerous paintings can be admired at the National Museum in Krakow became popular at that time. Inspired by these paintings, Jacek Kaczmarski, the famous Polish poet, musician and composer, wrote lyrics to his songs. One of such paintings was "Christmas Eve in Siberia", which you can see among the Krakow museum collections.

You simply need to see Stanisław Wyspiański‘s majestic stained-glass windows and frescoes at the Church of St Francis! It is also worth visiting the entire monastery complex, which contains paintings of the Passion of Józef Mehoffer as well as numerous monuments and sculptures. Particular attention should be paid to the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, where the miraculous Image of Smętna Dobrodziejka of Krakow, or Our Lady of Sorrows can be seen. It is assumed that it was created in the 16th century.

You can admire the collection of Krakow’s 20th-century art in the main gallery of the Krakow National Museum. The facility currently has 11 branches in which you can admire the works of Jan Matejko, Karol Szymanowski and others. In addition, a department of the Czartoryski’s Family Library is also devoted to history and literature.

 

Famous paintings in Krakow

Krakow’s numerous museums and art galleries are full of beautiful creations, but what are the most well-known paintings that you can admire here?

Well, there is an obvious front-runner in this category – da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine takes the cake for sure! The gallery in the Krakow art museum is visited mostly because of this painting. We encourage you to visit this gallery as well, because it is the only museum collection in Poland where  da Vinci’s work can be found.

 

Painted in 1489-1490 by master Leonardo, today it belongs to the National Museum in Krakow (link to Google Maps).

The fascinating beauty and interesting symbolism behind the lady (and the ermine!) stops everyone in their tracks. Today, this image is considered a symbol of the extraordinary love that secretly connected the model, Cecilia Gallerani, and Ludovico Sforza, represented here in the form of an ermine. It is worth adding that the specific location of the animal also had a more practical reason - it hid the information that the model was bearing an illegitimate child. The background of the painting, now black, was originally of a blue-gray color.

A must-see for sure!

But what else is there to discover? What other famous Polish paintings are worth seeing during a visit to Krakow?

You can explore the works of art created by Jan Matejko.

One of the most famous Polish artists – born and raised in Krakow – painted several masterpieces in his lifetime. He was involved in painting throughout his life and he also taught and helped create future generations of famous Polish artists. In Krakow most of his works can be seen at the House of Jan Matejko.

You can find some of them scattered around in various local institutions: Prussian Homage and Wernyhora in Sukiennice and Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God in Collegium Novum (Jagiellonian University).