Arguably the city's most prestigious burial ground and the final resting place of several notable Poles, including Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012), the 1996 Nobel prize winner for literature. Stroll through the grounds to admire the beautifully crafted tombstones, many of which are works of art in their own right.

The cemetery really comes alive, so to speak, on All Saints' and All Souls' days (1 and 2 November), when Poles honour the dead with cemetery visits and graveside ceremonies.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Museum of Polish Army AK

0.33 MILES

This museum aims to tell the story of the Polish 'Home Army'. This was an underground force that defended the Polish state during WWII, at a time when the…

2. Celestat

0.58 MILES

Possibly the oddest branch of the Kraków Historical Museum, the permanent exhibition here tells the story of the Fowler Brotherhood of Kraków, a medieval…

3. Botanical Gardens

0.68 MILES

The botanical gardens of Jagiellonian University comprise nearly ten hectares of green and flowery loveliness. Besides the fresh air and beautiful blooms,…

4. HistoryLand

0.69 MILES

Modern, kid-oriented historical exhibition that uses both LEGO building blocks and virtual-reality technology to tell key stories of Poland's national…

5. St Florian’s Church

0.7 MILES

This 12th-century church’s location was chosen by the oxen that carried the remains of St Florian from Rome. When the beasts would go no further, it was…

6. Grunwald Monument

0.8 MILES

This imposing monument celebrates the epic 1410 Battle of Grunwald, when a joint army of Poles and Lithuanians defeated the Teutonic Knights. This statue…

7. Barbican

0.84 MILES

The most intriguing remnant of Kraków's medieval fortifications, the Barbican is a powerful, circular bastion adorned with seven turrets. There are 130…

8. City Defence Walls

0.85 MILES

This small museum includes entry to both the Florian Gate and Barbican, among the few surviving remnants of the city's medieval defence walls. The Florian…