Jewish Quarter - Kazimierz district

Kazimierz was founded in 1335 by king Kazimierz III and from the 14th century until the beginnings of the 19th century it was a separate city south of Cracow and very close to it. The town was built on a typical medieval urban plan: with the central square and regular streets around it. Today's Wolnica Square was a part of the old market square. In 1495 John Albert decided that all the Jews who lived in Cracow were to be moved to Kazimierz. This led to the creation of the Jewish district, separate from the one inhabited by Christians. The Jewish part of Kazimierz developed autonomously: many synagogues were built (7 have lasted until today), schools and cemeteries were created. The district was full of beautiful houses of the rich Jewish merchants and bankers. Due to all these, Kazimierz quickly became an important centre of the Jewish culture not only in Poland but also on a world scale.
Kazimierz is a district of great traditions and great monuments, including the churches: The Corpus Christi Church, St. Catherine Church, the Pauline Fathers' Church at Skałka, which not only is St. Stanistlaus Sanctuary, but it also serves as a National Pantheon; The Town Hall in Wolnica Square, and Św. Wawrzyńca Street are also worth seeing. In 1866-1918 the Vistula River's bed was filled up and Dietla Street was created, also called the Dietl's Planty.
Today, Kazimierz is a district full of life. It will charm you with its unique climate and numerous attractions like the synagogues, the ethnographic museum, The Szeroka Street, where the Spielberg's "Schindler's List" was filmed and a number of galleries and traditional Jewish restaurants.