Yes — Kraków has many outdoor memorials and traces of World War II that tell of the tragedies and acts of courage of those years. For many visitors, a walk around Podgórze and Płaszów is enough to feel the gravity of events from 1939–1945; others prefer a longer route through forts, former camps and execution sites that lie beyond the strict city centre.
This guide gives route suggestions from a short one‑hour walk visiting outdoor memorials to a half‑day trip linking Podgórze, the Płaszów post‑camp area and the suburbs — all planned so you can see the most important traces without buying museum tickets.
Start: Ghetto Heroes Square (Plac Bohaterów Getta, formerly Plac Zgody). This place is highly symbolic — one of the ghetto gates stood here and residents were gathered here before deportations and transports. A short walk around the square reveals memorial plaques, fragments of the old ghetto layout and a topographical context that no map can fully convey.
From Ghetto Heroes Square head toward Zabłocie — the neighbourhood contains commemorative plaques, and the streets themselves recall the transformations of prewar Podgórze. Although Oskar Schindler's Factory is a museum, the Zabłocie area and Lipowa Street tell the story of the industrial Podgórze and social relations during the occupation — simply stop by former workshops and take in the panorama.
If you have exactly one hour and want to limit yourself to outdoor traces, plan 30–40 minutes for Ghetto Heroes Square and Zabłocie, and use the remaining 20–30 minutes for a relaxed walk along the Vistula or a short stop at a nearby café.
Start: Ghetto Heroes Square. After a short walk through Zabłocie you can walk or take public transport to the former Płaszów camp area (Płaszów district / ul. Kamieńskiego). The post‑camp grounds and the monuments standing there, including the distinctive Monument to the Victims of Fascism, are spaces that ask for a moment of silence and reflection.
The former Płaszów site today is arranged and accessible for outdoor visits; it is a place where hardened history meets local memory. Even a short visit — 20–30 minutes — makes a strong impression: monuments, the memorial space and, if present, outdoor displays or information panels recount the fates of camp prisoners.
Pay attention to signs and restrictions — the area is a historical site and a place of rest for victims. Take time to read inscriptions and reflect on the topography: where barracks once stood, where executions took place, and where transport routes ran.
This route shows the different ways the war touched the city: places of arrest and interrogation, execution sites, and peripheral areas where mass crimes took place.
Start: ul. Montelupich — the Montelupich prison, often referred to simply as “Monte”. From the outside you can see the historic building, and a walk along the wall and nearby streets helps reconstruct the context of arrests and deportations. Montelupich is a symbolic point: tens of thousands passed through it during the war; many were later sent to camps or executed.
Next stop: Fort 49 Krzesławice (on Kraków’s eastern outskirts). This is a site of executions and later exhumations — on the outer embankment of the fort there is a mass grave and a monument commemorating the victims. Kraków’s fortress forts are scattered and not all are accessible, but Fort 49 is one of the more recognizable traces of repression in the landscape.
Final stage: Nowa Huta — walk through former villages, cemeteries, memorial sites and graves of victims. The district often hosts themed walks tracing World War II sites — even without entering museums, field memorials and graves tell much about residents’ fates. This route requires transport between points (tram/car); plan breaks and bring water.
Walks through memorial sites require respect: dress modestly, avoid loud conversations and follow on‑site instructions. Photograph thoughtfully — not all memorials are suited to casual photos, and taking selfies by monuments to victims can be seen as disrespectful.
Check tram and bus timetables when planning — many sites outside the centre are often easier to reach by public transport than by car. Travel time from the centre to Płaszów or Krzesławice can vary depending on the time of day.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a raincoat — some memorials are outdoors and windy weather affects comfort. On the outskirts you may encounter unpaved sections and uneven surfaces.
If you later decide to enter the most popular museum branches, book tickets in advance and pick timed entries to avoid queues. This guide, however, focuses on what is available outdoors.
Kazimierz — an excellent area for a break: cafés like Mleczarnia or Alchemia have a fitting atmosphere after a serious walk. Kazimierz also offers many highly rated restaurants if you want a longer meal.
Podgórze / Zabłocie — on the riverfront you can visit Forum Przestrzenie (a popular spot recommended by locals) or one of the modern cafés around Zabłocie. These are good places to rest with a view of the river.
Nowa Huta — after exploring peripheral memorials, a local café or restaurant serving home‑style food works well; choose places with positive reviews and friendly service.
Remember that after a reflective walk it’s good to sit somewhere calm — pick a venue with space and a discreet atmosphere so you can quietly process what you’ve seen.
Not all memorial traces are obvious — many wartime traces hide in street names, fragments of walls and old gates that now form part of the urban landscape. With some attention you can find details that tell the stories of particular families or institutions.
Around Płaszów and in the suburbs there are graves and exhumation sites whose stories are often expanded through local archives and studies. Even without entering museums, informational panels and outdoor monuments carry a great deal of reliable knowledge.
Kraków’s forts were used in different periods — from World War I, through World War II, to the postwar era; their adaptations and decay also tell how memory was shaped over subsequent decades.
Mistake: treating memorial sites like entertainment. Avoid loud behaviour, be dignified and show respect — these are places of rest for many people.
Mistake: assuming “you can see everything from the street.” Some information and meanings are hidden in archival context; if you want deeper understanding, note names and dates and then consult reliable sources or ask a guide.
Mistake: inadequate clothing and footwear. Not all memorials have paved paths; bring comfortable shoes and layered clothing.
Do I have to pay to visit outdoor memorial sites? — Most monuments and memorial grounds are free to access; some separate museum buildings require tickets, but that’s outside the scope of this “without museums” route.
Are places like Płaszów safe in the evening? — It is best to visit during daytime. The post‑camp areas are publicly accessible, but after dark some zones may be poorly lit; for your comfort plan visits in daylight hours.
Can I take photos? — Yes, unless a sign states otherwise. Photograph respectfully and avoid staged, decorative photos posing by elements that commemorate victims.
Are routes suitable for families with children? — Yes, most sites are accessible, although some content may be emotionally heavy for younger children. Choose routes according to children’s age and sensitivity.
Kraków offers memory‑historical experiences outside museum halls — monuments, squares, forts and former factories form a network of traces that help understand how the war affected the city and its inhabitants. Walking with sensitivity gives you a meaningful contact with the past.
If you liked this guide, share it with friends or on social media — the more people pay attention to memorial sites, the stronger our collective memory becomes.
If you’d like to explore with a local guide, I invite you to use the private guiding services of Małgorzata Kasprowicz. On zwiedzaniekrakowa.com you can find contact details, available routes and the option to book a personalised tour. I will gladly prepare a route tailored to your time and interests.
