I first visited Krakow in 2009 and it quickly became one of my favourite cities in Europe. The combination of its history, varied architecture and tasty gastronomy quickly stole my heart. It’s also the perfect place to visit on a budget as you can enjoy more luxurious accommodation and food for super reasonable prices. So I jumped at the opportunity to go back when I was invited by the Polish Tourism Board. Krakow is the second-largest city in Poland, as well as one of the oldest. From a photography perspective there are a number of unique angles to capture including lots of incredible historic buildings. Keep reading to find out the most instagrammable photo spots in Krakow as well as some photography tips.
A list of the Most Instagrammable Photo Spots in Krakow, Poland
- St Mary’s Basilica
- The Cloth Hall
- Old Market Square
- Metrum Restobistro
- St Florians Gate (Florianska Street)
- Wawel Royal Castle
- Kazimierz
- Saint Joseph’s church
- Mr Pancake Krakow
- Hire a vintage Trabant
- Zakrzowek
I’ve also pinned all these spots on this map to make it easier to see where all the instagrammable places in Krakow are.
Most Instagrammable Photo Spots in Krakow, Poland
1) St Mary’s Basilica
I of course have to start my list on the most instagrammable photo spots in Krakow with the iconic St Mary’s Basilica. Which is incidentally where I captured my favourite photo in Krakow. Built in the 14th Century, St Mary’s Basilica is a great example of Polish Gothic architecture. The two asymmetrical towers and red brick facade make for a beautiful photo spot. It’s also very easy to access as it’s located in the Old Town, adjacent to the main market square.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – Come at sunrise to enjoy the main square to yourself as well as a beautiful backlight for your photos.
2) The Cloth Hall
Just next to St Mary’s Basilica is another iconic landmark in Krakow, the Cloth Hall. Dating from the Renaissance it was once a major centre of international trade. Nowadays it’s home to a few cute local market shops where you can buy various items like gloves/hats, toys, jewellery etc…
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – The exterior has a number of arches making it a perfect photo subject if you wish to add some framing and depth to your photos.
3) Old Market Square (Rynek Glówny)
Whilst you’re capturing photos of St Mary’s Basilica and the Cloth Hall make sure to look around and take in the Old Market Square in its entirety. Known as the Rynek Glówny in Polish it has a real mixture of architecture so you will be able to admire gothic, art deco, renaissance and baroque style buildings side by side.
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4) Metrum Restobistro
Another great instagrammable place in Krakow is the Metrum Restobistro. This café has a rooftop terrace which gives you great views of Krakow’s city skyline, including St Mary’s Basilica. It isn’t the easiest place to find though as there isn’t a sign outside. You will need to head to Swietego Tomasza and take the door just opposite to the Hotel Campanile, then head up to the 6th floor.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – I went up for opening at 8:00am to enjoy soft morning light but I can imagine that it’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset too (when sunset is early as it usually closes at 6:00pm.
5) St Florians Gate / Florianska Street
A really unique way to capture St Mary’s Basilica is down Florianska Street. You can also stand close to the church and shoot St Florians Gate at the other end of the street.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – If you’re hoping to avoid having people in your shot then I recommend going early. Although personally I found the people to make my photos more dynamic.
6) Wawel Royal Castle
Located just outside Krakow’s Old Town is Wawel Royal Castle, one of Poland’s most historically and culturally important sites as well as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world! You can walk up onto Wawel Hill without a ticket but you will need a ticket to visit the Castle. Make sure to also stop by Wawel Cathedral for a photo, the unique architecture made me think of a Disney castle!
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7) Kazimierz
One of my favourite places to walk around in Krakow is the district of Kazimierz just south of the Old Town. Known as the historic Jewish quarter it is now a very trendy place to hang out thanks to its hip bars, vintage shops, and tasty restaurants. It’s also home to a number of instagrammable facades, so make sure to bring your camera whilst walking around.
Kazimierz is also a great place to stay in Krakow as you are within walking distance of the Old Town as well as near lots of nice bars and restaurants. I stayed at the Golden Tulip Kazimierz which I would recommend.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – Head to Holcer on Szeroka for the most instagrammable photo spot in Kazimierz. The vintage shop front make for a great photo opportunity.
8) Saint Joseph’s church
Just next to the Kazimierz district is the beautiful Saint Joseph’s church. The red facade and turquoise spires give off major Disney vibes, and make it one of the top instagrammable photo spots in Krakow.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – Go one/two hours after sunrise to capture some beautiful side/back lighting.
9) Mr Pancake Krakow
Mr Pancake is an American style chain restaurant in Poland. The super cute pink interior, paired with delicious instagrammable food, makes for a perfect photo spot where you can both eat and take a few snaps! Depending on what time/day you go you might want to consider reserving a table in advance.
10) Hire a vintage Trabant
A really fun way to explore Krakow is by hiring a vintage Trabant with Crazy Guides. This also makes for a really unique photo opportunity. I went on the tour of Nowa Huta, one of Krakow’s suburbs and one of only two planned socialist realist settlements ever built. It was build as a Utopian Ideal City and was super interesting to discover with a guide, especially in a vintage Trabrant! I felt like I’d stepped back in time. We even got to go down into the bunker under the steelworks factory which has existed since the 60s incase of a leak/air contamination. The old call phones were the perfect vintage-esque photo setup!
11) Zakrzowek
The Zakrzowek is a large body of water within a former quarry. The crystal water surrounded by rocks and trees make for a really unique instagrammable photo spot in Krakow. As it’s not in the centre of Krakow it is quite a hidden gem and mostly only frequented by locals. I only discovered it thanks to Krakow based couple @lostitalianos.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIP – Go at golden hour/sunset for the best light.
As you can see there are many incredible places to capture in Poland’s second largest city. I hope my list on the most instagrammable photo spots in Krakow as well as my photography tips help you to plan your itinerary and ensure you don’t miss any cool photo opportunities! Whilst in Krakow I also recommend organising a trip to both the nearby Salt Mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
If you love to take photos whilst travelling then make sure to check out more of my instagrammable photo spot guides.
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