World War Two in Kraków: A Jewish Quarter and Ghetto Walking Tour

Krakow’s Jewish Quarter was once home to one of Europe’s largest Jewish communities, but the devastation of World War Two brought tragedy on an unprecedented scale.

On this fascinating audio tour, you’ll find out about the German Army’s invasion of Poland in September 1939, and hear how World War Two irrevocably changed the Polish landscape forever. You’ll also delve into the exact reasons why the Nazis targeted Jews.

The tour starts outside Hamsa Restaurant. As you walk you’ll hear about the history of Kazimierz, from its roots as an independent Royal city in 1334 to the Nazi occupation of 1939. You’ll also learn how Poland was once home to half of the world’s Jewish population.

You’ll visit the Kraków ghetto where Jews were imprisoned during the Second World War, and hear how those tragic years transformed this vibrant quarter from a thriving centre of Jewish life into a site of wartime tragedy.

You’ll see filming locations from Steven Spielberg’s wartime Schindler’s List, and learn about the devastating impact of the Holocaust on Poland’s Jewish population. The tour ends at the Guard Station in Ghetto Heroes Square.

On this two-hour tour, you’ll also have a chance to:

• See the Old Synagogue, the Oldest Jewish building in Poland
• Listen to stories about famous residents like cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubenstein
• Visit Szeroka and Plac Nowy, the areas that are the beating heart of Kazimierz
• Hear tales of heroes like resistance fighter Jan Karski, who risked everything to alert the Allies to the Holocaust
• See the Empty Chairs Memorial and Eagle Pharmacy at the heart of the Kraków ghetto
• Touch the remains of the ghetto wall

No trip to Krakow is complete without a visit to the truly unique Jewish Quarter and, by the end of this tour, you’ll have a sense of its complexities.