Pre-War & War Jewish Kraków & Schindler & Synagogue Entry

This combined route reveals both the rich pre-war heritage of Kazimierz and the wartime tragedy of the ghetto, blending culture, memory, and resilience in one moving experience. 

Highlights:

• Explore Krakow’s Jewish heritage with an expert local guide
• Visit the Remuh Synagogue
• Walk through the former ghetto and hear stories of survival
• Learn about Oskar Schindler and his workers at the Factory Museum.

Itinerary:

Old Synagogue  / 10min / Admission ticket not included
Discover Kraków’s Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter, on a guided walk with an expert local guide. The tour begins by the Old Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in Poland, and continues to the courtyard of the Popper Synagogue. See Helena Rubinstein’s birthplace and hear about the Jewish families who shaped the district.

Popper Syngagouge / 10min / Pass By

Remuh Synagogue  / 30 min / Admission Ticket Not included
The highlight is entry to the Remuh Synagogue, an important active house of prayer in Kraków. Next door is the historic Jewish cemetery, viewed from the outside while your guide explains its history and symbols, from old headstones to traditions of remembrance.

Isaac Synagogue / 10min / Pass By
From there the walk continues past the baroque Isaac Synagogue, the Kupa Synagogue, and the elegant Tempel Synagogue, once the center of reform Jewish life. Along the way your guide points out traces of Jewish heritage and stories of everyday life before the war—markets, crafts, and community life. You will also explore lively Nowy Square, the beating heart of modern Kazimierz with its cafés and street food.  

Kupa Synagogue /10min / Pass By

Tempel Synagogue  / 10 min / Pass By

Plac Nowy / 15min / Pass By

Spielberg Passage / 15min / Pass By
The route leads through Spielberg Passage, known from the film Schindler’s List, site of the stairway scene, before reaching the Gothic Corpus Christi Basilica, a reminder of Kazimierz’s Christian heritage.

Father Bernatek Footbridge / 20 min / Pass By
Cross the Vistula River. On the opposite bank lies Podgórze, site of the wartime ghetto.  The first stop is Józefińska 14, once home to the Judenrat, the Jewish Council under Nazi rule

Ghetto Heroes Square / 15 min / Admission Ticket Free
From there, you continue to Ghetto Heroes Square, the heart of the ghetto, where deportations to extermination camps took place. Today, the square is marked by the symbolic Chair Memorial, with each chair representing a life lost.

Eagle Pharmacy / 10min / Admission Ticket Not Included
Across the square stands the Under the Eagle Pharmacy, where Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff courageously aided ghetto residents, preserving medicine and hope. A short walk away is Józefińska 41, a building that housed the Jewish orphanage, a welfare office, and the ghetto hospital, all central to daily survival in this confined district.

Ghetto Walls / 10 min /  Admission Ticket free
Next are the remains of the Ghetto Walls, a stark reminder of the tight enclosure that once separated ghetto residents from the rest of the city.

Restaurant / 1h30min - 2h /  Admission Ticket Included
Then, enjoy a relaxing lunch at a nearby bistro.

Oskar Schindler’s Factory / 1h 30min / Admission Ticket Included
Afterwards, step into one of Kraków’s most visited museums — Schindler’s Enamel Factory, where history comes alive through powerful exhibitions and expert storytelling. This is not a simple biographical museum, but a comprehensive journey through the years of Nazi occupation, showing how war transformed the city and the lives of its people.
With a licensed expert guide, you’ll skip the long ticket lines and explore the exhibition “Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945.” Housed in the former enamel factory of Oskar Schindler, the museum focuses not only on his story, but above all on the daily experiences of Kraków’s Jewish and non-Jewish residents during the war. As you move through the galleries, you’ll encounter original artifacts, photographs, and immersive reconstructions. Much of the exhibition unfolds in a series of narrow, dimly lit rooms, deliberately designed to make visitors feel confined — echoing the fear, pressure, and uncertainty that dominated life under Nazi rule. The setting creates a visceral atmosphere that turns history into lived experience.   

Meeting point: Szeroka 24, 31-053 Krakow. Meet your guide on the steps of the Old Synagogue. They will hold an excursions.city sign (click to go to the Google maps).  

Endpoint: Lipowa 4, 30-702 Kraków