Visiting Kazimierz Dolny. See the best attractions of this atmospheric town
Kazimierz Dolny captivates with its artistic atmosphere and Renaissance beauty. It is one of the most beautiful towns in Poland. Picturesquely located on the right bank of the Vistula, in the Lublin Voivodeship, in the tourist triangle of Puławy - Kazimierz Dolny - Nałęczów. There are few cities in Poland with such a specific climate, charming corners and a beautiful old town. She remembers distant times. As a result, Kazimierz Dolny became a famous Vistula resort, eagerly visited by ordinary and unusual people.
The unique urban, architectural and landscape complex of Kazimierz has been included in the highest class of monuments. That is why the city has been a Historic Monument since 1994. Valuable natural areas are protected by the Kazimierz Landscape Park with separate reserves. In recent years, the old town has been thoroughly renovated and now tempts with even more beautiful monuments. In addition, it is worth taking a walk along the romantic Vistula Boulevard to admire the vessels and monuments visible from here.
Experiences in Kazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny is extremely attractive, there are no typical family attractions here, but almost every building impresses here and makes you want to walk further and further. In addition, loess gorges are an inseparable element of the city, lying almost in the very center. Check out the best attractions of Kazimierz Dolny!
1. Market Square in Kazimierz Dolny
The main square of the city that the artists liked. It was here that painters and sculptors gathered and made Kazimierz so unique. Above the market square, there is a parish church, and on the square itself, you can admire the tenement houses of the Arrivals with extremely decorated facades. There are also arcaded houses, a historic well and some interesting pubs.
2. Arrival Tenement Houses
These two adjacent tenement houses standing at the Market Square are one of the symbols of the city. Their beautifully decorated facades make it impossible to pass them indifferently. Nowhere else in Poland have I seen as spectacular and richly decorated tenement houses as the two that squatted in the corner of the Kazimierz market square.
3. Ruins of the castle in Kazimierz Dolny
From the Market Square, head up to the ruins of the castle, behind the parish church. It is a former gothic stronghold, built here by King Casimir the Great. Above the ruins there is an even older tower, available as part of the same ticket as the castle. You can also park in the paid car park next to the castle.
4. Tower in Kazimierz Dolny
The tower is the so-called pillar from the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The building is available to tourists as part of one ticket with the castle (it must be purchased at the castle ticket office). The view from the tower is stunning, especially in the evening. The tower in Kazimierz Dolny is older than the castle itself. And did you know that it was once a river lighthouse? The stack burning at the top facilitated sailing on the Vistula River.
5. The Hill of Three Crosses
The hill of the Three Crosses towers above the city. The name comes from the fact that there are actually 3 wooden crosses here. You can come here from under the castle, the entrance to the very top is paid. There is a nice panorama of the city.
6. Nadwiślański Boulevard
The Vistula Boulevard is a romantic and picturesque route leading, as you can easily guess, on the Vistula River, which made Kazimierz Dolny once a rich city, because goods were shipped from here to Gdańsk. Today, it is worth taking a walk here, especially in the late afternoon, when Kazimierz monuments shine in the sun, clearly visible from here, e.g. the rectory, castle and tower. The sunsets themselves are also magical here. Street artists sometimes play on the Boulevard, painters paint. Ships sailing on a cruise are also moored.
7. Parish church in Kazimierz Dolny
The parish church is a magnificent Renaissance church of St. John the Baptist and St. Bartholomew. It stands above the Market Square and is actually the dominant feature of the city, visible from almost every point. This is an important symbol of Kazimierz Dolny next to the Przybył tenement houses.
8. Monument to the Dog Werniks
The sculpture of the mongrel Werniks has stood between the market square and the rectory since 2000. A 16-year-old dog named Werniks posed as a model for the monument. He was once taken in by a Kazimierz artist. Today, it is an indispensable element of the city, every tourist takes a picture with Verniss and strokes his face to return to Kazimierz one day.
9. Reformed Church and Monastery
The monastery church bears the call of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are winding stairs at the intersection of Klasztorna and Krakowska streets. The monastery with a large vortex was erected in 1645, but a temple was erected here much earlier. It is said that already in the Middle Ages it was a place of worship of the Virgin Mary. And even before that, it housed a pagan place of worship for the black rooster.
10. Small Market Square in Kazimierz Dolny
It is necessary to visit the Small Market Square, because it is close to the main market square, and it is very atmospheric. Tiny, but with stalls full of handicrafts and more. The development of this small square is also interesting, and a playground is waiting for children next to it.
11. Gdańsk tenement house
The Gdańsk tenement house stands on the Kazimierz market square. It was built in 1795 in the Baroque style, and in its present form it was rebuilt after World War II. It is one of the most interesting tenement houses in the city, so named in memory of the time when Kazimierz was called Little Gdańsk and had lively trade contacts with Gdańsk through the Vistula.
12. Celejowska tenement house
Walking from the Market Square towards the Vistula River, we will meet the beautiful Celejowska Tenement House, which today houses the Branch of the Vistula River Museumin Kazimierz Dolny. The tenement house was built before 1635, thanks to the merchant Bartłomiej Celej. This one of the most valuable tenement houses in Poland is considered to be the peak work in the development of the Polish bourgeois tenement house of the Mannerist period.
13. White Tenement House
The Biała tenement house dates back to the 17th century. Although its construction was inspired by the nearby Celej House, it is much less ornate, and actually the only sophisticated accent here is the impressive attic. In the tenement house there is a restaurant and guest rooms.
14. St. Anne's Church and Holy Spirit Hospital
St. Anne's Church is the so-called hospital church. A wooden temple certainly existed here in 1530. The brick church was built around 1670, as evidenced by the inscription on the rainbow beam. The church duplicates several elements of the Kazimierz rectory, e.g. a block and some ornaments.
15. Root Gorge Bottom
The Root Gorge is one of the characteristic loess gorges almost in the center of Kazimierz. It is about 0.5 km long and 2 km from the market. There is a paid car park at the entrance to the ravine.
16. Death Gorge
The Gorge of Death was named after the nearby cemetery and Cmentarna Street, which leads to it. Another name for the ravine is the Deep, but not from its great depth, but from the name of the former owner of this land. The length of the ravine is several hundred meters, a comfortable path leads through it. The arcade bridge attracts attention here.
17. Ulanowski granary
The Ulanowski granary, also called the Mikołaj Przybyły granary, is a historic building from 1591. This is the first of a series of Kazimierz granaries, which were rebuilt after the war according to the design of Karol Siciński. It is to him that we owe today's beautiful appearance of Kazimierz, referring to the historical city, destroyed during the Swedish Deluge. Currently, the Granary houses the Natural History Museum. From the front, the building is decorated with a two-storey loggia with arcades and arcades on the floors.
18. Feuerstein granary
The Feuerstein Granary is different from the Krzysztof Przybyła Granary. It dates back to the end of the 16th century, but in 1838 it was expanded for the needs of the tannery Mejer Wulf Feuerstein, hence its current name. The war spared the granary, but it required a general renovation. Today, it is the building next to the Vistula Museum, where a tapestry gallery is to be built.
19. "Pod Wianuszkami" granary
It is another Kazimierz granary on the Vistula, built at the end of the 17th century. In 1906-29, there was a tanning plant of Maurycy and Chaim Feuerstein. Destroyed during the war, it was rebuilt for the needs of a youth hostel, which is located here to this day.
20. Granary "King Casimir"
The granary "King Casimir" dates from the 17th century. It has mannerist roof gables modeled on the Kazimierz church of St. Anna. In the 19th century, the brewery was located here, and today it is the Hotel Król Kazimierz.
21. Granary "Pod Żurawiem"
The granary "Pod Żurawiem" was built before 1623, and from 1883 it served as a nail factory. Today, the "Granary Under the Crane" hotel is located here. The characteristic small room windows, unchanged for centuries, allow you to spend time here in a unique atmosphere.
22. Kobiałka granary
Kobiałka's granary is the last in the series of Kazimierz granaries preserved in their entirety. It was created in 1636, which is why the decoration of the summit is of a mannerist nature. In front of the building there is a wide loggia. Today, the historic granary houses the PTTK hotel.
23. Synagogue in Kazimierz Dolny
The synagogue in Kazimierz was built in the second half of the 18th century, from local limestone. It was completely devastated during World War II. It was in total ruin until 1953, when it was rebuilt and turned into a cinema. It stopped working in 2003 and since then the main hall of the synagogue has been empty. Some of the buildings are available to tourists in the form of guest rooms.
Kazimierz Dolny - map of attractions and a walk around the city
Below you will find a map of Kazimierz Dolny with selected attractions. I think this will help you plan your visit to this beautiful city.
I will also
Returning to the market, you can enter the parish church. It's time to climb the hill of the Three Crosses, which offers a nice panorama of the city. Through the forest you can descend to the ruins of the castle. Here you should also buy a ticket for the tower (ticket combined with the castle), to which we will go next. This is basically the end of the walk. You just have to go back to the market square and further to the parking lot, either through Podzamcze and Tyszkiewicz streets, or again through the picturesque Vistula boulevards.
Kazimierz Dolny - access
Of course, the easiest way to get to Kazimierz Dolny is by car. On the eastern side, there is the S17 and S12 expressway (about 25 kilometers), so you can easily get there from Warsaw, Lublin or Rzeszów. The situation is worse from the western directions, because there are no expressways here, and Kazimierz Dolny himself is flooding the Vistula from the west, on which there is no bridge (only a ferry crossing, which depends on the state of the Vistula waters). The nearest bridges are in Puławy and near Kamien. All car parks are paid here, and the center is covered by a paid parking zone (PLN 20-30 per day, PLN 5-6 per hour).
You will not get here by train, because there is no railway station here. There is a change from the train in Puławy and from there by bus to Kazimierz. Connections are quite frequent, the journey takes about 20 minutes and the price is not exorbitant. You can also get by bus from Lublin. Here you need to check the timetable, because it is quite irregular. Driving time is just over an hour.
See also Olomouc - a Czech gem, not very popular, but extremely attractive
Where to park in Kazimierz Dolny?
Parking here is paid, off-season rather hassle-free, but in summer it can be crowded. When entering Kazimierz Dolny, you will see parking lot owners calling. The price per hour is usually PLN 5-6, and for the whole day PLN 20-30. The latter is a much better choice. I recommend a large parking lot at the castle, at the foot of the Three Crosses Mountain. This is Zamkowa Street. From here, it is close to the main attractions of the city.
Where to eat in Kazimierz Dolny?
Kazimierz Dolny is a food Eldorado. There are so many restaurants here that you won't be able to get to know them even in a week. And they are so atmospheric that you can't leave here.The Teahouse at Dziwisz is already iconic in Kazimierz Dolny. It is located on Krakowska Street. Of course, not only teas are waiting here, but also delicious coffees and even hot chocolate.
An equally fantastic place is the Bajgiel Restaurant on Lubelska Street. If you like to have a solid brunch, this is the place for you, and Jeremy's original bagels are recommended here. It is very close to the Market Square and the Market Café, where you will taste a good cake with a beautiful view of the main square of the city.
Outside the center, you will eat in the wonderful scenery of the Przystanek Korzeniowa pub. It is located at Doły Street, at the entrance to the Korzeniowy Dół Gorge. This place is delicious.
Kazimierz Dolny - accommodation
Accommodation in Kazimierz Dolny is endless. It is enough to walk through the extremely picturesque and romantic Boulevard on the Vistula to see at least a few of them. They offer a wonderful view and proximity to the old town. It's one of the nicest places to stay in the city. And I can recommend here, for example, Pensjonat Kazimierski. The Apartments on the Market Square are also atmospheric, and if you want to relax in greater comfort, you can choose the excellent Hotel Kazimierzówka.
Why the name Kazimierz Dolny?
Although the Kazimierz castle was founded by King Casimir the Great, don't let it fool you. It was not in his honor that the town was so named. This happened even earlier, in the 12th century, when Prince Casimir the Righteous handed over these lands to the Norbertines. And his name was immortalized in the name of Kazimierz. And why Dolny? Because it lies in the lower part of the Vistula River. In the upper one, right next to Krakow, there was another Kazimierz - today it is his famous Jewish district.
Events in the city
In the spring and summer season, Kazimierz Dolny hosts many events, such as the Film Festival, the National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers, the Summer Music Evenings in Kazimierz Fara, the Old Cars Rally. If you have not yet visited this amazing corner of Poland - you must definitely stay here. After all, the artists loved this city, so there must be something magical about it.
A film about Kazimierz Dolny
Being nearby, we could not refuse to walk through the atmospheric streets of Kazimierz. Check out our walk on our video.
