Krakowska Street

This street has always been the main development axis of the City of Kazimierz since time immemorial. It is here that the most solid houses were built, and warehouses situated. Its course lay on a section of the so-called salt route, leading from the Grodzka Gate at the foot of Wawel Castle, via Stradom, and the Bridge over the Zakazimierka, a ramification of the Vistula replaced by today’s Dietla Street, towards Wieliczka, Myślenice, and further to Hungary. This trading route became more important in the 14th century, once new mine shafts allowed an increase in the production of salt. Krakowska began in the same place it does today – by the Bridge on the Old Vistula, which flowed in a river bed that was later filled in (in about 1880) and redeveloped into today’s Dietla Street. Even though today we call it “the Old Vistula”, geological and historical research has proved beyond doubt that the river had not made this shortcut until the 13th century. Over the following centuries, citizens laboriously strove to keep the waters of the Vistula in the new riverbed, as the proximity of the river was of crucial importance for the functioning and further development of the city.

Most of the façades of the houses in Krakowska Street come from the 19th century. Yet there are many much older interiors hidden behind them. The most interesting ones include:

No. 9 – dating back to the latter half of the 16th century, decorated with a stone Renaissance portal with a Latin inscription calling for mercy for the poor. A special feature of this house was the famous tavern “Pod Krzyżykiem” (“Under the Little Sign of the Cross”), known for its mead. It was established in 1570 and operated without a break until 1950.

No. 13 – a spacious house with a classicist façade known as “na Wolffowem”. The famous Thorn’s restaurant operated here from 1899 to 1939 specialising in serving specialities of Jewish cuisine.

No. 20 – the so-called Wojewodziński house, with three storeys and the character associated with a city residence. In 1773, the Archduke of Austria, Joseph II, stopped here for a night during an inspection of Galicia Province. Soon the neighbouring street was renamed Józefa Street; to this day many people mistakenly believe that the street is devoted to St Joseph.

No. 43 – a classicist building (dating from approx. 1838) which was associated with Brother Albert (Adam Chmielowski): artist painter and protector of the poor and homeless, who opened a refuge for them here.

No. 47 – dates back to the mid-18th century. It was built in the baroque style and the top of the roof has flowing lines, a rarity in Kraków.