Jewish Quarter & Ghetto Tour

The complete tour of the Jewish Quarter and Ghetto is not a walk to get to know a part of the city, it is rather a unique opportunity to discover many details of history, humanity, war, peace, culture, architecture and much more.

Many interrogations on the subject

Did you know that Krakow was a very important place when it came to the settlement of Jews?

Can you imagine being able to discover a whole legacy in the old Polish capital: various synagogues and two community cemeteries?

How was life in this place founded in the 14th century by King Casimir the Great and which we will reach in just 15 minutes on foot?

Does the expression “Righteous Among the Nations” sound familiar to you?

Have you ever heard that “Schindler’s List”, an acclaimed film directed by Steven Spielberg, was filmed in Krakow?

Where was the ghetto located during the Nazi occupation?

In a documentary or travel article, did you watch and read about “The square of chairs” and “The museum of Schindler’s Factory”?

Poland and the Jews

To speak of the Jews in Poland is to cite a long presence of almost a thousand years, largely motivated by the openness and religious tolerance of this country. With the problem of persecutions in different European nations as a backdrop, it was here that they found a good place to start from scratch and prosper economically.

On this tour to the Kazimierz and Podgórze neighborhoods we encourage you to get to know first-hand an unmissable date with history since the Middle Ages. A visit to what was once a city and two worlds, in the first case; and prelude to deportations to concentration camps in the second.

We will deal with various aspects such as the professions that characterized this large group that lived in what was an independent city of Krakow; complicated chapters they had to live through, even long before the outbreak of World War II; also a review of some of its gastronomic norms, as well as memorials that do not leave one indifferent, and a long etcetera.

Diversity in the content of the Jewish Quarter & Ghetto full tour

In the Complete Tour of the Jewish Quarter and Ghetto; we’ll make a nod to the Spielberg movie; commenting on the occasional scene recorded in a neighborhood where the director found the essence of what he was looking for. We leave the word staircase as a clue.

We will mark the physical space that delimited another area of the small metropolis where the inhabitants of the Catholic faith resided. They had their market there; its town hall and where the church was not lacking. This is currently one of the jewels in terms of religious architecture. And a few steps away is the Vistula River; Once we cross the Father Bernatek Bridge, it will be time to open the history book for one of the most dramatic chapters that we have yet to know – the isolation of Jews in the ghetto.

What criteria did the German high command use in 1941 to choose this other neighborhood as the location for the crowded area?

Strolling through what is a purely residential district; Although reality shows us that in recent years it has been developing an important urban and business growth; We will get to know where the most significant institutions of the ghetto were located, where the entrance and exit doors were, the wall that delimited and other points of interest where the Pharmacy Under the Eagle and the old enameled manufacturing plant.

In short, a route on foot where we will go through different eras, starting almost a millennium ago until episodes of the 20th century. And there will even be some reference to the present time of Kazimierz and Podgórze in terms of interesting options where to eat or enjoy nightlife.

What are we going to see during the Jewish Quarter & Ghetto Tour?

During the walk, once we reach Szeroka, we will travel back in time to learn about the circumstances under which the Jewish people would reside for several centuries in the picturesque Kazimierz district. There we are going to discover synagogues, such as Remuh, unique houses like the one where Helena Rubinstein was born, and also a monument dedicated to a witness to the horror.

Next, we will pass through an area of ​​narrow and cobbled streets where current events in the form of alternative food truck spaces are combined with postcards that remind us of the movie “Schindler’s List”, and more buildings that make up the heritage of a declared neighborhood World Heritage.

The New Squareis a reference in Kazimierz, the meeting place of local people and also non-residents, where they enjoy a rich zapiekanka. Here is a market that is open in the morning hours, but it is also the nerve center in terms of evening entertainment. Kazimierz invites you to explore its narrow streets, to be part of its legacy and why not to have a drink at any time of the day.

Almost without realizing it we are already in a property where the most cinephiles will get an exclamation. There we are going to review what happened in one of the most tense moments of the film.

After admiring the beautiful Corpus Christi church and giving a hint about Plaza Wolnica; an open space where Krakowians usually go to one of its ice cream parlors; one of the products undoubtedly most in demand almost all year round, strange as it sounds, it’s time to go through the “Bridge of Lovers” and reach the district of Podgórze.

The Ghetto

It is here, in what was a ghetto from 1941 to 1943; where we will stroll along with those places where there were notable institutions such as the Judenrat, the Hospital, the Employment Office….

One of the most photographed spots that arouses the interest of our visiting friends is the The Heroes of the Ghetto Square or “Square of Chairs” as it is popularly known.

A memorial loaded with symbols and where, by the way, Tadeusz Pankiewicz’s pharmacy is located; he of Polish nationality; he lived those dark times in the first person and was recognized as Righteous among the nations.

To finish, in a few minutes, we will arrive at the “Schindler’s Factory Museum”. What kind of exhibition is there in this highly renovated building? Of this and more, like the biographical passages of Oskar Schindler, we will deal with what will be the culmination of a very complete tour of the Jewish quarter and the ghetto.

Keep in mind

The complete tour of the Jewish quarter and the Ghetto is an essential appointment; If you visit Krakow and do not visit its Jewish quarter and old ghetto then it could be said that you have not known the city.

Therefore, we encourage you to participate with us in a fundamental experience that will help you to have a greater vision.

The visit does not include entry to the “Schindler’s Factory Museum”.

Return to the center

Once we finish the visit on Lipowa Street; next to the Schindler Factory Museum; we will approach the Plaza de los Héroes del Ghetto where there is a tram stop.

If you prefer to visit the historical museum on the Nazi occupation and / or the MOCAK (Museum of Contemporary Art); It is a good opportunity since both are exactly at the point where we finished the route. Of course, it is highly recommended that in the case of the first (Schindler’s Factory) you book your ticket in advance and bear in mind that there is one day a week with very short hours (approximate closing on that reduced day at 2:00 p.m. ).

You can consult us on the way back to the center both by public transport and on foot (estimated 10-minute journey and if you prefer to walk to the Market Square for half an hour; leaving the Kazimierz neighborhood 15 minutes on foot).

In case you prefer to return to your accommodation or the place you want as quickly as possible, keep in mind that a taxi has usually parked next to the museums.

The price of the tram ticket is not included. Before going up to this one; You can purchase the ticket with the help of the guide, who will give you all the directions.

Recommendation

We recommend combining the Jewish Quarter & Ghetto Tour with our main proposals to enjoy your trip to Poland.

For any questions you have, contact us via the channel that you prefer and we will respond as soon as possible.

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