The route, stop by stop
One way, north to south, about 2.6 km (1.6 miles). It starts at the round brick Barbican on the edge of the Planty, the park that rings the Old Town where the city walls used to be, and ends on Wawel Hill above the river. Google Maps puts it at 35 minutes without stopping; with the Cloth Hall and Wawel, it took us about an hour. The film opens with a short intro, and the walk begins at 1:28. Tap a time to jump to that moment.
- The BarbicanA round brick fortress from the end of the 1400s, built to guard the city gate. The walk starts on the Planty path beside it.▶ 1:28
- Jan Matejko MonumentKraków’s great painter of Polish history, honoured at the edge of the Planty. He was born on Floriańska, the street you’re about to walk.▶ 2:30
- St Florian’s GateThe 14th-century gate tower, the only one of the Old Town’s medieval gates still standing. Look for the shrine inside.▶ 3:45
- Floriańska StreetThe first stretch of the Royal Route: shops, cafés, the Kraków Wax Museum, and St Mary’s towers at the far end.▶ 6:11
- Plac MariackiThe small square beside St Mary’s Basilica, a quieter way into the Main Market Square.▶ 14:55
- The Main Market Square (Rynek Główny)One of the largest medieval squares in Europe, with horse carriages, café terraces and the Cloth Hall in the middle.▶ 17:08
- St Mary’s BasilicaThe two unequal brick towers. A trumpeter plays the hejnał from the taller one every hour.▶ 17:36
- Adam Mickiewicz Monument and the Cloth HallPoland’s national poet, the square’s favourite meeting point, then the long Renaissance market hall behind him.▶ 18:24
- Inside the Cloth HallThe vaulted market arcade of amber, lace and souvenir stalls. We walked it end to end.▶ 21:10
- Town Hall TowerAll that remains of the old town hall, on the west side of the square. Grodzka starts here.▶ 27:36
- Holy Trinity Basilica (the Dominican church)A brick Gothic church just off Grodzka on Plac Dominikański.▶ 32:24
- Saints Peter and Paul ChurchA Baroque church on Grodzka with stone statues of the twelve apostles along its fence.▶ 37:50
- St Mary Magdalene Square and KanoniczaThe small square opposite, then Kanonicza, the quietest and oldest-feeling street of the walk.▶ 38:49
- Bishop Erazm Ciołek PalaceA branch of the National Museum on Kanonicza, at the foot of Wawel Hill.▶ 42:16
- Up to Wawel CathedralThe ramp up the hill between brick walls, through the gate to the cathedral where Polish kings were crowned and buried.▶ 43:56
- Wawel HillThe castle courtyards and gardens on top of the hill, open to walk through without a ticket.▶ 52:52
- The VistulaThe terrace over the river, then the path down along the walls. The film ends at 1:04:05.▶ 56:34
Open this route in Google MapsWalking directions from Barbakan through the main landmarks. Our film takes a few extra turns.
Why it’s called the Royal Route
For centuries, Polish kings were crowned in Wawel Cathedral, and the coronation procession came into the city through St Florian’s Gate, down Floriańska to the Main Market Square, and along Grodzka up to the castle. Royal funerals took the same road. This walk follows it almost exactly.
St Florian’s Gate is the only one of the Old Town’s medieval gates still standing; the Barbican in front of it was built to defend it. Walk through and look right: set into the wall inside the gate there’s a small shrine, and on our walk it had fresh flowers. ▶ watch at 4:10
Inside St Florian’s Gate, looking down Floriańska.
What the camera doesn’t tell you
It had rained just before we started. The paths through the Planty were still wet, the sky stayed low and grey all afternoon, and Kraków didn’t care at all: it was a July Sunday and the Old Town was full. ▶ watch at 1:40
The Barbican and the Planty, where the walk begins.
Floriańska is the busiest stretch, all shops, cafés and people stopping to photograph St Mary’s towers at the far end. Then the street opens into the Main Market Square, and the scale catches you off guard. It’s one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, and the Cloth Hall sits right in the middle of it. What we remember most is the long line of horse-drawn carriages waiting along the edge for passengers.
We went inside. The Cloth Hall has been a market since the Middle Ages, and it still is. Walking through feels like going down a narrow passage from another century, with a stall or a doorway opening on almost every side: amber, lace, carved boxes and Polska football scarves, under painted coats of arms and old lamps. We spent about six minutes walking it end to end. ▶ watch at 21:10
Inside the Cloth Hall arcade.
Out the other side, the Town Hall Tower is all that’s left of the old town hall, and from there Grodzka runs south toward the castle. The crowds thin out the further you go. By the time you cross the little square by Saints Peter and Paul, with the stone apostles along its fence, and turn onto Kanonicza, it’s the quietest street of the walk. ▶ watch at 38:49
The ramp up to Wawel and the gate into the castle grounds.
The ramp up Wawel Hill runs between brick walls to the castle gate, and at the top the cathedral and the castle courtyards open up, with rose beds in full bloom when we were there. We didn’t buy a ticket for anything: the hill and the outer courtyards are open to walk through. ▶ watch at 52:52
The courtyards on top of Wawel Hill.
The walk ends on the terrace over the Vistula, then down the path along the old walls toward the river. ▶ watch at 56:34
Afterwards we walked back up Grodzka and stopped for pierogi at Pierogarnia Góralska on Plac Dominikański, by the Dominican church we’d filmed an hour earlier. We ordered the mixed plate, potato, vegetable, and spinach with cheese, with two glasses of kompot, and liked them so much we had pierogi a couple more times before we left Poland. If you try one thing in Kraków, make it that.
Our mixed plate at Pierogarnia Góralska.
Then get lody, Polish ice cream, from one of the counters on Grodzka, and an obwarzanek, the twisted ring of bread sold from little carts all over the Old Town. We ended up back on the Main Market Square for the rest of the afternoon.
Back on the Main Market Square later that afternoon. Our own photo.
How to walk Kraków’s Old Town
- Walk it north to south.Starting at the Barbican and finishing at Wawel follows the old coronation route, and it ends with the best view, over the Vistula.
- Be on the square on the hour.The hejnał, a short trumpet call, is played from St Mary’s taller tower every hour. It stops mid-note, in memory of a trumpeter said to have been shot by an arrow while sounding the alarm.
- Check St Mary’s Sunday hours.Tourists can visit the basilica Monday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 6 pm, but on Sundays only from 2 to 6 pm. We walked on a Sunday.
- You don’t need a ticket for Wawel Hill.The ramp, the outer courtyards and the river terrace are free to walk. Tickets are only for the cathedral’s tombs and bell, and the castle’s rooms and treasury.
- Leave the car behind.The Old Town is largely closed to traffic. Park once, or come on foot from Kazimierz, which is a short walk from Wawel.
- Bring a rain layer, even in July.It rained just before we started and stayed grey all afternoon. The cobbles get slippery when wet.
What it costs
| This walk: the gate, the streets, the square and Wawel Hill | Free |
|---|---|
| The Cloth Hall arcade | Free |
| Pierogi for us at Pierogarnia Góralska, Plac Dominikański | 36 zł for the mixed plate, plus 16 zł for two kompots |
| Lody (ice cream) on Grodzka | 13 zł a cone |
| St Mary’s Basilica, if you go in | 20 zł (10 zł reduced) |
| Wawel Cathedral: royal tombs, Sigismund Bell, museum | 26 zł (18 zł reduced) |
| Our apartment in Kazimierz, three nights | $82.09 a night |
Ticket prices are from the official sites, checked October 2026, and can change. Dollar amounts are what our card was charged.
Where to stay for this walk
We stayed three nights in an apartment in Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter just south of the Old Town: $82.09 a night all in, after a discount and fees. From there Wawel is a short walk, so you can do this route in either direction. Good bases:
Worth paying to go inside
- St Mary’s BasilicaThe interior, with Veit Stoss’s carved wooden altarpiece. 20 zł, 10 zł reduced. The tower climb is another 20 zł and is closed from November to April.Official site ↗
- Wawel CathedralOne ticket covers the royal tombs, the Sigismund Bell, the Cathedral Museum and the Archdiocesan Museum. 26 zł, 18 zł reduced.Official site ↗
- Wawel Royal Castle: the State RoomsThe castle’s grand ceremonial rooms. 57 zł, 43 zł reduced, or 95 zł for both floors. Some routes are free on certain days; check wawel.krakow.pl.Official site ↗
Questions people ask
How long does it take to walk the Royal Route in Kraków?
About 2.6 km (1.6 miles) from the Barbican to Wawel. Google Maps says 35 minutes without stopping. With the Cloth Hall and Wawel Hill it took us about an hour, and you could easily spend a day if you go inside.
Is Wawel Hill free to visit?
Yes, walking up the hill and through the outer courtyards is free; we didn’t buy a ticket. You pay for the cathedral’s tombs and bell (26 zł) and for the castle’s rooms and treasury.
When can tourists visit St Mary’s Basilica?
Monday to Saturday from 11:30 am to 6 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 2 to 6 pm. The interior is 20 zł, 10 zł reduced.
What is the trumpet call from St Mary’s tower?
The hejnał mariacki, played every hour from the taller tower. It breaks off mid-note, in memory of a medieval trumpeter said to have been shot while warning the city.
Is Kazimierz a good place to stay?
We liked it. It’s a short walk from Wawel and the Old Town, with plenty of places to eat, and it was cheaper than staying inside the Planty.
Is Kraków’s Old Town worth walking in the rain?
We did it on a grey, damp afternoon and it was still full of life. The Cloth Hall is covered, and the wet cobbles look good on camera. Wear shoes with grip.
Facts and prices checked October 2026. Opening hours and ticket prices change, so check official sites before you go.
