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1000 Years of Jewish History in Cracow - Middle Ages to WW2
In its long history, the city of Cracow has been a home to many Jewish people - merchants, rabbis, poets, politicians... Still in 1939, the Jews consituted 25% of Cracow's population. The great majority of them perished in the Holocaust after the German invasion of Poland. Give the Jewish history the time it deserves and spend a whole day with a guide, exploring the historical sites in the Jewish district, the former ghetto from the war time, and the grounds of the concentration camp.
Meeting Point
The Old Synagogue
The Old Synagogue, Szeroka st.
We start the tour by the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland, in the heart of the historical Jewish district, a cosy, charming neighborhood called Kazimierz. We spend ca. 2 hours wandering around the area. We visit two synagogues and an old Jewish cemetery. This part of the tour gives you a proper insight into the history of Polish Jews, who till 1939 constituted the largest Jewish community in the world.
Plac Wolnica (Wolnica Square)
On our way from the historical Jewish district to the former ghetto, we stop at what used to be a market square in the medieval Christian town. We visit a gothic church and then take a break for lunch & refreshment. After a break, we cross the Vistula river to arrive to the ghetto (10-15 minutes walking distance).
The Former Jewish Ghetto (1941-1943)
We are now going to explore a small area, to which 15-20 thousand of Jews were confined and spent 2 years in terrible living conditions, with unsufficient food rations and hard labor, before (in most cases) being deported to death and concentration camps. You learn more about everyday life in the ghetto (food, hospitals, Jewish orphanage...) and hear the stories of individual people who lived here.
The Former Concentration Camp KL Plaszow
We travel from the ghetto by tram (ca. 15 minutes travel time) to visit the grounds of the concentration camp, which had been built on the grounds of two destroyed Jewish cemeteries. The prisoners were the Jews from the liquidated Cracow Ghetto as well as Jews from other places and Polish political prisoners. Even though the camp infrastructure was destroyed by fleeing Germans before the end of the war, the area is an important memorial place to the thousands who lost their lives here due to unhuman treatment, executions, and starvation.
Ending Point
The guide will accompany you from the grounds of KL Plaszow to your chosen destination in the city.
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Inclusions & Exclusions
Tickets for the public transport (a single ticket = ca. 1 USD). Lunch and refreshments. Entrance tickets to the synagogues (each of them ca. 3 USD).
Tour Important Information
Please note that a visit to synagogues and a cemetery will not be possible if the tour takes place on Saturday or another Jewish holiday.
If you arrive in the hot season, please remember to have an elbow- and knee-covering clothing in order to enter the synagogues.
In any case, dress accordingly to the weather, as we are going to spend a great deal of time outside.
There are possibilities of customising the tour, e.g. we can visit the Schindler's Factory Museum instead of the Plaszow camp. If you wish to visit more synagogues or a museum in the ghetto, this is possible as well. Please contact me directly to adjust the details and bear in mind that the museum tickets may need to be book in advance, especially in the high season.
Important message from the guide
Other days possible depending on availability.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
