Kraków for Kids

Creative, smart, sustainable, open, these are all buzz words to describe a city. But what do they mean in practical, measurable terms? Kraków, as many other European cities, strives to obtain these titles. In fact, it is already part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, so we can scratch that one out. A city, if anything, must be liveable and enjoyable for everyone. So, what could be more creative, sustainable, smart, inclusive and cool than a city for kids. After all, they are the future.

Is Kraków a city for kids? We think it is. So, we have put together a list of recommendations of indoor and outdoor activities for families. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, a parent or a big kid, we hope that it will help you have a memorable experience of Kraków.

Check out our feature, Kraków with the Kids, for a full description of all the kinds of activities you can plan ahead with the family. 

OUTDOORS

• Bagry Lagoon ➔
  The most popular swimming, sailing, sunbathing and recreation destination within city limits.
  

• The Barbican ➔
  The showpiece of the city’s medieval defences. It can be visited as an outdoor museum from April until the end of October, where you’ll learn the history of Kraków’s defensive walls.
  

  

• Carriage Rides ➔
  These handsome vehicles are available to hire for a leisurely sightseeing trot around town. Routes and prices are individually determined with the driver, but the most popular route from the market square to Wawel Hill is generally 200zł (about 30mins).
  

  

• Dragon’s Den ➔
  As legend would have it, the craggy chambers beneath Wawel were once home to Smok Wawelski, or the Wawel Dragon.
  

  

• Dr. H. Jordan Park (Park Jordana) ➔
  A 22 hectare cultivated patch of grass next to the Błonia is a favourite among the locals, especially children.

  

• Kraków’s Zoo ➔
  A 20 hectare park offering visitors the chance to see nearly 1500 animals of almost 300 species. Most of the exhibits are outdoors in the natural setting of the surrounding Wolski Forest.
  

  

• Stanisław Lem Science Garden (Ogród Doświadczeń) ➔
  A fun, interactive, educational park for kids named after local sci-fi author Stanisław Lem.

  

• Park Krakowski ➔
  This 5.1 hectare (12.5 acres) park next to ‘the Aleja‘ actually dates all the way back to 1885. It has been recently refurbished and reopened.
  

  

INDOORS

• Obwarzanek Museum (Żywe Muzeum Obwarzanka) ➔
  The parboiled dough rings which have been produced and sold in Kraków for over 600 years, are synonymous with the city. Learn more about them at this interactive educational museum next to Stary Kleparz.

  

• Engineering Museum (Muzeum Inżynierii Miejskiej) ➔
  Inside a late-19th century tram depot, it features multiple permanent and temporary exhibits. Usually full of old trams and trolleys, you’ll currently find interactive educational exhibits full of math and logic puzzles, brainteasers, basic mechanics and future technologies like virtual reality.

  

• Groteska Theatre (Teatr Groteska) ➔
  Kraków’s premier puppet and children’s theatre. Organising some of the city’s best events (like the amazing annual Dragon Parade), this theatre dates back to 1945.

  

• HistoryLand ➔
  This pricey family attraction inside Kraków’s former main train station attempts to bring Polish history to life in a way that will appeal to kids – via multimedia displays with LEGO.

  

• Rynek Underground (Podziemia Rynku) ➔
  A hi-tech and popular museum takes visitors four metres under the surface of the market square to explore the recently excavated medieval merchant stalls that predate today’s Cloth Hall, and to experience the city’s history over the course of some 6,000 metres of multimedia exhibits.