Hotels in Kazimierz, Krakow, or a base in the Old Town?

Kazimierz is a district to live in for a few days, not just to visit. Since 1989 its old streets have filled with galleries, workshops, restaurants, pubs and clubs, little hotels, bed and breakfasts and hostels.¹ Hotels in Kazimierz, Krakow are part of that mix, and you will find many of them in old townhouses that look onto courtyards or narrow streets rather than grand squares.

The great advantage is being there at the quiet hours. Early in the morning, before the walking groups arrive, Szeroka Street and the cemeteries feel very different from the middle of the day. Stay in Kazimierz and the meeting point for our walk, the Old Synagogue, is only minutes from your bed. You can be at the umbrella with time to spare and still have had a slow breakfast.

The quarter is also where many people come to eat and drink in the evening, and that cuts both ways. You have dinner and a bar on your doorstep, but you also have the noise that comes with them. The rest of this page helps you decide whether that is the right trade for your trip. Remember too that this is a place of memory: the Remuh cemetery, the synagogues and the plaques are part of the streets you will walk home along, and a room here means living alongside them for a few days.

Across the river lies Podgorze, a town in its own right from 1784 and part of Krakow since 1915.^14,17 The Father Bernatek footbridge links it to Kazimierz in a few minutes on foot.³ It is calmer at night than the bar streets of Kazimierz, and closer to Ghetto Heroes Square, the Eagle Pharmacy and Schindler's Factory.¹⁵

Staying in Podgorze suits travelers who want quiet evenings and an early start at the memorials and museums. It also suits anyone who wants to visit the KL Plaszow Memorial Site, which the museum estimates at 2 to 3 hours.¹² The trade-off is a short walk back over the bridge for dinner in Kazimierz. The crossing itself is part of the pleasure: the 145-metre footbridge is lit from below at night and carries balancing sculptures by Jerzy Kedzior above the walkway.¹⁸

Be aware of what the district holds. Part of Podgorze was the ghetto, and living there for a few days means passing its memorials daily. For some visitors that deepens their understanding of the place; others prefer to keep a little distance and stay on the Kazimierz side. There is no right answer, and it is worth thinking about honestly before you book, especially with children in the group, or with a relative whose own family history runs through these streets.

Evenings in Kazimierz centre on Plac Nowy, with its round market hall in the middle of the district, and on the streets around it.¹ A room on those streets will hear late-night voices, especially at weekends, and the cobbles carry the sound of every passing group. A room on a courtyard, or on the quieter streets toward the river, sleeps better.

Each summer the Jewish Culture Festival takes over the quarter, closing with a concert on Szeroka Street on the first Saturday in July.^23,16 The quarter is at its liveliest then, and at its most crowded. Book early for those dates, and expect the streets to be lively late into the evening. Outside the festival, weekend nights are livelier than weekdays, so a midweek stay suits light sleepers who still want to be in the middle of the quarter.

If quiet matters most, ask the hotel directly which way the room faces and whether the windows open onto a bar street. If being in the middle of things matters most, Kazimierz in summer is hard to beat. Either way, ear plugs weigh nothing. Remember also that the working synagogues close on Saturday, so a weekend stay is better planned with the streets and museums first and the synagogue interiors on Sunday.²⁴

Start with what you are coming for. For the Jewish history of Krakow and the walk sold on this site, which starts on Szeroka Street, a base in Kazimierz or Podgorze keeps everything within walking distance. For a first visit to the city as a whole, the Old Town puts Wawel and the Main Market Square at your door.

Then think about sleep. Light sleepers should look at courtyard rooms, the streets toward the river, or Podgorze. Night owls will be happy close to Plac Nowy. Families may prefer an apartment with a kitchen, and the Galicia Jewish Museum, which lets children aged 6 and below in free, is an easy outing from any of these districts.²⁶

Last, check access. Many buildings in Kazimierz are old and have stairs and no lift. Need step-free access? Ask the hotel first; the walk itself carries a wheelchair-accessible label in its listing. We sell no hotels, so this page names none: compare them on a booking site you trust, then come back for the walk.