How to feel inspired and energized through creative walks.
I landed in Krakow for a short stay. The city was new to me. There were loads of references to see. I intentionally focused on the creative hub scene and avoided the most traditional places. Once I go next time, I will take you to the Tatras.
Are you ready? Then let’s get into it.
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It was a quiet and warm Friday morning, and the city was covered in bright red and yellow autumn leaves. My route was defined with a curious mind, discovering and capturing the cool scenery of the colourful graffiti and the visual culture scene. I added some serendipity to feel the sense of the place through wonder eyes.
There is a tonne of quirky and exciting street art. The districts of Kazimierz and Podgórze in Kraków host some of the most beautiful and distinct murals in Poland to me.
These areas unravelled stories about the uniqueness and identity of the place, and I thought I was at the right time.
I started with Kazimierz. One of my favourite things about this district is every café has its unique vibe, making it one of the special places to visit in Krakow.
The Jewish District or Jewish Quarter was the centre of Jewish life in Krakow for over 500 years. While I was walking, I encountered old synagogues. I wandered down Szeroka Street and saw the monument dedicated to Jan Karski. Shortly after, a passageway served as the backdrop for many scenes from Schindler’s List.
I went to the Poster Museum to see some cool graphic artwork by Krakow artists. Also, the city council has sponsored some of the larger murals you can find in this southern area.
Here are some street art places I found notable:
The Art Nouveau piece you see above was created by an Israeli group of street artists called Broken Fingaz in 2014 to honour the memory of the Bosak Family, who lived in the area for 400 years before it was transformed into the Jewish Ghetto in 1941. You can find it at Plac Bawół 3.
Another mural which caught my attention was the one made by Piotr Janowczyk. It’s been outside the Pub Wręga since the autumn of 2015 as part of the Kazimierz Historical Murals (Kazimierskie murale historyczne) project.
The wall features five portraits of Polish historical figures — namely, (from left to right) Emperor Józef Hapsburg II, Helena Rubinstein (born in the district), Karol Knaus (local architect, artist, and conservator), Esterka (the lover of King Kazimierz the Great), and the King Kazimierz.
The information on each can be found in English beside the work.
Also, the stencil of the iconic image of Gene Kelly singin’ in the rain (“I’m happy again!”) has graced this corner since the spring of 2014. You can find it at ul. Bożego Ciała 18, Kazimierz. It was made by Kuba, Krakow’s version of Banksy, as he paints intriguing black stencils around the city.
The abundance of beautiful, colourful, and thought-provoking murals inspired me with a fresh mind about visual elements and styles. The ones on this brief are just a few examples of the beautiful displays Kraków has to offer.
Other districts also host murals sponsored by independent festivals, the 101 Murals for Kraków project, and other initiatives. I could not cover every mural Kraków has in store due to my short time there, but hopefully, my example inspires your self-motivated exploration of Kraków’s street art scene or how to define your creative walks in other cities.
