Kraków in Pictures: 32 Free Photos of Wawel, Kazimierz and Wieliczka
Kraków in 32 free photos, taken in winter: the royal hill of Wawel, the old town around the Market Square, the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, and the underground world of the Wieliczka Salt Mine just outside the city.
How to download: click a photo to see it large, then use Download. The originals are about 1200 × 800 pixels: right for blog posts, slides, social media, school projects and video call backgrounds.
Wawel and the old town
For five centuries Kraków was the capital of Poland, and its kings were crowned and buried in the cathedral on Wawel Hill, next to the castle. The old town below escaped destruction in the Second World War; its Main Market Square is one of the largest medieval squares in Europe, and from the tower of St Mary’s Basilica a trumpeter plays every hour. Above the door of the bishops’ palace, the window from which Pope John Paul II spoke to the crowds is still decorated with his portrait.
Kazimierz
Kazimierz was for centuries the Jewish town of Kraków. The small Remuh Synagogue and the old cemetery beside it, with gravestones from the 16th century and a wall made of broken tombstones, survived the war; today the quarter is also full of cafes and galleries.
The Wieliczka Salt Mine
Salt was mined at Wieliczka from the 13th century until 1996. Visitors walk down through wooden-propped tunnels past chambers where miners carved figures, altars and chandeliers from rock salt; the largest, the Chapel of St Kinga, lies about 100 metres underground. The mine is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
More free photos
- Poland pictures
- Planning a trip to Poland
- Riga pictures
- Prague pictures
- Free church pictures
- Free castle pictures
Questions about these photos
Can I use these Kraków pictures for free?
Yes, for personal and commercial projects. All we ask is a link back to BigFoto.com; the box at the top of the page has a credit link you can copy.
How do you get to the Wieliczka Salt Mine?
By train or bus from Kraków, about 30 minutes. Visits are by guided tour only, and the tour route takes about two to three hours with many steps down.
