From Kraków’s Main Market Square to Wawel on foot

Give the streets between the landmarks some time

Kraków appeals to our interest in old buildings at almost every turn of this walk. We’d begin at the Main Market Square and head south along Grodzka Street toward Wawel Hill, leaving room to pause at a facade or step into an open church. The route passes the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Planty, the green belt around the Old Town, gives you another way back north when you want a little time among the trees.

Choose what you want to see inside Wawel

For us, a castle visit is easier to enjoy when there is time to pay attention to the rooms we have chosen. Wawel Royal Castle has separate exhibitions, visitor limits and entry times. Look at the official booking page before travelling and decide which interior interests you most. A castle ticket does not automatically include every exhibition or the cathedral.

The hill has stairs and uneven stone paths, which are worth considering when planning the visit. Castle exhibitions and the cathedral have separate entry rules. Check both schedules if you want to see each, and leave room between bookings for the walk and any queue.

Let the walk become an afternoon

The distance itself is short, but a church visit, a café stop and museum queues can fill an afternoon. We’d allow for those pauses from the start. Arrive early if you want to see the square before tour groups gather, and take care on the paving around Wawel after rain. A return through Planty gives the walk a different ending from the way you arrived.

• Reserve Wawel exhibitions through the official castle website.
• Check cathedral and castle schedules separately.
• Use Planty for a shaded return walk.