Touring Kazimierz – Krakow’s Jewish District
May 20, 2015, Updated Aug 29, 2020
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Krakow’s Kazimierz, or Jewish District, is one of the most interesting areas in Krakow. Impossibly cool shops and cafes, synagogues and churches, and tourists zipping through on golf cart tours make touring Kazimierz- Krakow’s Jewish District– perfect for visitors.
To start off our day walking around Kaziemierz, the Jewish District of Krakow, my husband and I visited Cheder Cafe for some Israeli coffee in traditional finjan coffee pots. Israeli coffee, much like Turkish coffee, is made in a copper pot- but also adorned with a blend of cardamom and cinnamon that gave it an almost chicory-like flavor.
I found a few glowing reviews of Cheder online, and quickly wanted to try it out. It’s not always easy to find coffee and breakfast in Krakow- most Cracovians eschew breakfast altogether- but Cheder was open and inviting when we needed to start being functional for the day.
We were the only two people in the large cafe-and-library, and enjoyed leafing through Cheder’s spectacular selection of well known literature and Hebrew texts. I sat reading Kafka, while my husband browsed through some work emails. When on vacation for so long with someone you love (but don’t usually spend every second of the day with), it was nice to have some downtime and relax in such an inviting atmosphere.
After coffee, we decided to tour around the Hebrew schools, synagogues and past the kosher cafes.
The art on this building opposite a Synagogue was amazing!
This small area near the Stara Synagogue was so cute! I love the colors of the cafes and the warm, friendly cafes spilling out onto the sidewalks.
After touring for a while, we decided to stop in for some tea, shisha, and some hummus and pita at a lovely tea shop, Czajownia (ul. Józefa 25 31-056 Kraków). The woman at the counter spoke just enough English to help us pick a tea and cherry tobacco to try, and was very nice. Since we were there so early on a weekday, we had the entire back room to ourselves, which was lovely for us.
Afterwards, we walked around the Jewish District some more to take in all of the lovely side streets and small squares we could find.
We finished with drinks and dinner at Plac Nowy 1- one of our favorite spots in Krakow. We ended up at Plac Nowy 1 3 times during our trip- they have good prices, great beer, delicious food (including a fantastic breakfast) and a really gorgeous interior.
Right outside Plac Nowy 1 is the Plac Nowy square- where a flea market runs every day. Each day has a different theme- but the days we walked past, we saw a wide variety of furs, memorabilia, antiques, and even tables set up with batteries, shampoo, and random household supplies.
Also right next to the Plac Nowy square is an awesome looking cafe with sewing tables- the Singer Cafe. We didn’t get to stop in to try it out, but how cute are these tables?
There are also lots of free walking tours that you can catch from Plac Nowy and other spots around Kazimierz (and the rest of Krakow)- just hop into the group and leave a tip at the end!
We loved exploring the Jewish District- it is full of great food, interesting buildings, and tons of character! Even old buildings that are being renovated are awesome to check out. I hope I can make it back to Kazimierz soon!
