Kraków Jewish Ghetto: A 3-Hour Historical Walking Itinerary
Kraków’s district of Podgórze holds some of the most important and moving historical sites connected to World War II and the Holocaust.
This 3-hour travel block leads you through the key locations of the Kraków Jewish Ghetto, established by Nazi Germany in 1941 and liquidated in 1943.
This short, walkable route gives you a clear, meaningful understanding of the area’s history while visiting the most significant surviving landmarks.
1. Ghetto Heroes Square (Plac Bohaterów Getta) — Memorial to Kraków’s Jews
Begin at Plac Bohaterów Getta, once the central square of the Jewish Ghetto. During the war, it functioned as a gathering point where thousands of Jewish residents were forced to assemble during deportations to concentration and extermination camps.
Today, an installation of 70 empty metal chairs (33 large ones and 37 smaller ones) stands across the square, each representing 1000 of the last 7000 victims that had remained in the ghetto until its liquidation in March 1943.
This square is one of the most important Holocaust memorials in Kraków and a starting point for understanding the tragic history of Podgórze.
2. Apteka pod Orłem (Pharmacy Under the Eagle)
On the corner of the square stands the legendary Apteka pod Orłem, the only pharmacy permitted to operate within the Kraków Ghetto. Owned by Polish pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz, the pharmacy became a centre of resistance, support, and humanitarian aid.
Inside, you can explore:
- Preserved pharmacy interiors
- Artefacts used by Pankiewicz and his team
- Testimonies of those who received help
- Exhibitions on daily life inside the ghetto
The museum provides intimate, personal insight into ghetto life — a vital complement to the more well-known sites nearby.
3. Ghetto Wall Remains — Lwowska Street
A short walk brings you to one of the few surviving fragments of the Kraków Ghetto wall, located along Lwowska Street. Built in 1941, the wall intentionally resembled Jewish tombstones, reinforcing Nazi propaganda and psychological intimidation.
This preserved section stands as a stark reminder of the physical and emotional confinement experienced by the ghetto’s residents. It is one of the most important historical relics in Podgórze and an essential stop for any visitor exploring Kraków’s WWII history.
4. Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory — Lipowa Street
End your itinerary at Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory, the site made globally known by Schindler’s List. The museum inside is one of Kraków’s most impressive and immersive exhibitions on the Nazi occupation of the city.
What to expect:
- Multimedia exhibitions about daily life in occupied Kraków
- Rooms recreating wartime streets, homes, and workplaces
- Stories of Jewish workers saved by Oskar Schindler
- Historical documents and personal accounts
Allow at least 1.5–2 hours for this stop. It is the emotional and educational culmination of this travel block, grounding the wider history of the ghetto in real human stories.
A Compact, Powerful Look at Kraków’s WWII History
This 3-hour walking block provides a focused and meaningful introduction to the history of the Kraków Jewish Ghetto, covering the most important surviving sites in Podgórze.
If you’d like more Kraków itineraries, city guides, and historically informed travel blocks, explore our full collection on the site — each designed to help you experience cities in clear, manageable, 3-hour explorations.