Literary walk: Old Town

Means of transport

Kraków, UNESCO City of Literature, has plenty of attractions associated with famous writers, books, and what is broadly construed as literary life on offer. A trip into the literary city centre is not only an option for avid readers and investigators of ties between the worlds of books and reality, although such enthusiasts will certainly not be disappointed.

Why don’t you start from a walk along Planty, the garden ring that not only leads you to most of the streets in the city centre, but also holds many literary surprises (also interactive ones). Only two sites from our list lie outside the ring; they are Massolit American bookshop and the Museum of Emeryk Hutten-Czapski presenting the treasure trove of a Kraków collector of antiques, old prints, coins and banknotes. Don’t forget to visit a few Polish bookshops, with at least one second-hand bookshop among them. You will find interactive exhibitions for the whole family (MICET) in Szczepański Square. Walking in the footsteps of the Nobel Prize winner Szymborska you are welcome to visit Collegium Maius where legendary Doctor Faustus was allegedly traced by Goethe himself (as commemorated by a plaque in the Main Market Square). Bracka Street teeming with literary impressions (mind the poems on the walls!) takes you down to a place commemorating another great figure of world literature: Joseph Conrad (plaque in ul. Poselska). During your trip you are more than welcome to make repeated stops in cult cafés such as Jama Michalika (Michalik’s Den), Piwnica Pod Baranami (The Cellars under the Rams), and Nowa Prowincja. They will make certain that the joy of reading (and visiting) stays with you!

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