Old Synagogue Krakow

Old Synagogue Krakow is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue situated in the Kazimierz district of Krakow, Poland.
The Old Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue situated in the Kazimierz district of Krakow. It is the oldest synagogue building in Poland, and one of the most known landmarks of Jewish architecture in Europe.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Krakow
Town Hall Tower
This colossal 13th century Gothic tower is the focal point of Main Square.
Kazimierz Jewish Quarter
A historic district that was formerly the Jewish centre of Kraków.
Schindler's List Passage, Jozefa Street
Small passage that was used for the filming of Schindler's List.
Tempel Synagogue
Tempel Synagogue is one of the first built landmark in Kazimierz district in Krakow.
Old Jewish Cemetery
Old Jewish Cemetery is the oldest municipal cemetery in Krakow.
Remuh Synagogue
The Remah Synagogue is the smallest 16th-century Jewish temple.

Related Tours

Explore Krakow in a Day: Private Full-Day Walking Tour

Previously Poland’s capital, Krakow is one of Europe’s hubs for history and culture. On this full-day highlights tour, you will dig up that history as you explore the best of Krakow, including the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter.

On your private tour, you will:

  • Have the personal attention of a private, licensed tour guide accompanying you throughout your day;
  • Visit Wawel Castle, which was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world (tickets included);
  • Admire the rich decoration of the State Rooms, the medieval residence of Polish kings;
  • See the Wawel Cathedral, Poland's national sanctuary and former coronation site (tickets included);
  • Tour Krakow’s Old Town, where you will see many of its highlights, including the Royal Road, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and St Andrew’s Church among others;
  • Wander around Market Square, and admire the Cloth Hall, the Town Hall Tower and other medieval monuments; 
  • Visit St. Mary's Basilica with tickets included, and like in the old days, you may hear the legendary St Mary’s Trumpet Call played from its towers;
  • Enjoy a lunch break in the Old Town at a café recommended by your guide (Lunch not included);
  • In the afternoon, visit the courtyards of the Jagiellonian University, one of the world’s oldest universities whose alumni include the Renaissance polymath Nicolaus Copernicus;
  • Explore Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter while learning about the Jewish history in Poland;
  • Enter the Old Synagogue, one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Europe, built in the 15th century (tickets included);
  • Walk through several of the filming sites used in Spielberg’s Schindler's List, including the iconic passageway;
  • Finish your tour at a café, where your guide will happily share recommendations for you on how to best spend the rest of your time in Poland. 


Your full-day tour is the perfect way to see the city in a day, where you will learn about the country’s medieval history and Jewish history, see all of its highlights, and visit several historic sites, including Wawel Castle, the Old Synagogue, and Jagiellonian University. Your tour begins at one of Krakow's most renowned locations: Wawel Castle, the massive structure sits upon Wawel Hill, overlooking the Vistula River.

The castle served as the royal and political centre of Krakow for centuries, dating back to the eleventh century. Before becoming a museum in 1930, the castle was also a hospital, a military barracks, and a governmental residence.

After your tour of the castle, follow in the footsteps of the kings of Poland as you explore the famous Royal Route from Wawel Hill to the Old Town. Here at Market Square, you will see some of the finest examples of medieval architecture now filled full of shops, bars, and cafes.

Then your guide will take you into St Mary’s Basilica, where you’ll see one of the finest examples of Polish Gothic architecture and see the spectacularly ornate, multicolour altarpiece which dominates the front of the church. Next, enjoy a lunch break in the Market Square, at a local establishment recommended by your expert local guide.

After lunch, pass by the Jagiellonian University, one of the world’s oldest universities, which has been operating since the eleventh century. Then, your private guide will take you to the Jewish District, where you will walk through Schindler’s Passage and visit the Old Synagogue—now a museum, which is the oldest still standing in Poland, having been built in the 15th century. While there, your guide will share with you the Jewish experience after the German invasion of 1939, and what the synagogue now means to Jewish people in Poland.

Your tour ends at a traditional Jewish café, where your guide will give you recommendations about the best local bites before departing with you.

Discover Krakow's Jewish Heritage: Private Half-Day Guided Tour

This historic tour takes you through the Jewish story in Krakow, dating back centuries in the city’s Jewish quarter through life under the Nazi regime.

On your private tour, you will:

  • Visit Kazimierz Jewish District with a private guide and learn about its historical significance;
  • Walk through several of the filming sites used in Spielberg’s Schindler's List, including the iconic passageway;
  • See two of Krakow’s notable synagogues with tickets included for each;
  • Enter the Old Synagogue, one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Europe, built in the 15th century;
  • Visit the 16th-century Remuh Synagogue, one of the smallest and most charming synagogues in the city;
  • See the Old Jewish Ghetto remains, built during the German occupation, and visit the old Jewish Cemetery (tickets included);
  • Learn the story of Oskar Schindler, and his work to save the lives of the Jewish people who worked at his enamel factory;
  • Visit Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum on a guided tour, with your private guide, to hear the story of the ‘Schindler’s List’. 


On your private tour, you will visit Kazimierz, a district that flourished with Jewish culture as early as the 15th century. Here, you will explore many of the areas that you might have seen in the Oscar-Award-Winning Schindler’s List film. Our journey will end at Oscar Schindler’s Factory, after which your guide can make some fabulous dinner recommendations.

After learning several centuries of the history of the Jewish people in Krakow, your guide will tell you the history of the Nazi occupation of Poland and the devastation experienced by the Jewish people in the country.

You will be taken through the famed ‘Schindler’s Passage’ and visit the Old Synagogue —now a museum, which is the oldest still standing in Poland, having been built in the 15th century. While there, your guide will share with you the Jewish experience after the German invasion of 1939, and what the synagogue now means to Jewish people in Poland.

After, you will visit the Remuh Synagogue and Cemetery – a small sixteenth-century synagogue, and enjoy a small coffee break before continuing on your tour. From there, your guide will take you to Oskar Schindler’s enamel factory, where your guide will take you on a tour. Here, you will learn of the German industrialist’s efforts to save Jewish people in Krakow from the local ghetto, concentration camps, and death.

After your tour, you will be driven back to central Krakow and dropped off at your hotel or a central location of your choosing. 

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