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In today´s post we´re going to talk about one of the most famous districts in Krakow, located in the walled-in area of what makes up the medieval city: Kazimierz, the Jewish district of Krakow.
The typical thing about Kazimierz are its narrow streets, its temples and its synagogues, with clear references and marks of the Second World War, undoubtedly a clearly tragic time due to the consequences that the Jewish population suffered during this period.
Cultural and nightlife aspects stand out in this district these days, especially since the mid-80s, thanks to the proliferation of restaurants, cafés and other establishments that make Kazimierz a referent in terms of leisure and making it a really interesting place, not just for tourists.
Today it is considered a neuralgic spot that everyone who visits Krakow must go to, since the commercial atmosphere of great tourist charm makes it a must that nobody should miss.
Origins of the Jewish district of Kazimierz
The origins of Kazimierz, the most famous Jewish district in Krakow, date back to the 14th century, a time when the King Kazimierz the Great facilitated the creation of a little big city that was located next to the walled area of Krakow, which belonged to its medieval times.
More specifically, they built it close to Wawel hill, and it takes its name from the Polish version of Casimir. From the beginning, they gave this place a commercial function which grew independently, also having two gothic churches that were built as important landmarks, St Catherine and Corpus Christi.
It was approximately since 1495 when part of the citizens and Jewish population who lived in Krakow moved to Kazimierz, which started to configure itself as what today is known as a Jewish district, with Jewish customs, style and population.
Due to this coming of Jewish people, Jewish customs and routines in this district have their maximum reflection in the construction of Synagogues.
Perhaps the most important synagogue, due to its history (the oldest in Poland from back in the 15th century) is the Old Synagogue.
The Old Synagogue is located right next to Market Square, perhaps another of the neuralgic spots of Kazimierz.
What is undoubtedly true is that, after the Second World War, this district was left practically deserted, but it has rebuilt itself since then and it´s now a part of the city that nobody should miss. It appears in almost all guides and online recommendations, not only for its history and synagogues but also for the Jewish cemeteries, a tourist and historical attraction that, although a bit crude for its meaning, is still worth it.
This area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO back in 1978, and it has interesting monuments such as:
- Wolnica
- St Stanislaus Church
- Remuh Synagogue
- Remuh Cemetery
- Isaac Synagogue
- Kupah Synagogue
- Tempel Synagogue
- Yiddle and his Fiddle (Yidl Mitn Fidl (1936)
- Schindler´s List (Spielberg, 1993)
Having said that, we fervently recommend booking accommodation in Krakow close to Kazimierz, where you can enjoy and breathe an intellectual environment as well as enjoy the art there, an enriching travelling experience.
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