podtour
Krakow's Main Market Square
The Main Market Square looks like a postcard, but every corner holds a better story than the postcard.
Walls, Matejko and Kraków around 1900: audio walk in Kraków
Kraków's northern entrance in eleven stops: a craftsman who saved the city from the walls, a senator who saved the walls with an argument about rheumatism, a painter who broke with his city, a Leonardo that never stopped travelling, and a cabaret born in a pastry shop.
What this walk is about
Kings came through this gate to be crowned. This walk tells how it was defended (the Barbican, a brick machine designed to stop the enemy ever reaching the gate, and the braid-maker of 1768 with the button from his coat, which even then was only "another report"), how almost everything was pulled down and why this stretch survived, how the moat became a park, and how, around 1900, the area filled up with theatre, cabaret and monuments: the Grunwald Monument that Paderewski paid for, the theatre over which Matejko handed back his citizenship, the Lady with an Ermine, and the windowless café where the first Polish literary cabaret was born. Matejko turns up at almost every stop. All from the street; museums optional.
- Start
- The king who returned on horseback
- Finish
- The street chain and Liszt's hotel
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for Art and painting lovers. For anyone interested in nineteenth-century Polish history. Written for adults and teenagers.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The king who returned on horseback
- 2
The largest of three barbicans
- 3
The braid maker and the button
- 4
A park where the walls once stood
- 5
Matejko returns his honorary citizenship
- 6
The Gate of Glory
- 7
Saved by the wind, and the guilds
- 8
The Lady who kept travelling
- 9
The windowless cave
- 10
The city's executioner
- 11
The street chain and Liszt's hotel
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Kraków, before you go
The centre tempts you to keep walking from square to square. Mix stone streets with parks and a warm meal, leaving time to listen in neighbourhoods that deserve a quieter pace.
More walks nearby
From Grodzka to Kanonicza
You walk down from the square along Grodzka and Kanonicza, the Canons' Street, looking at the windows, past a stone lion that's been looking out over the street for centuries and a house the town council itself ended up buying.
Copernicus's University and the Friars' Quarter
Start at the professors' church and step into Poland's oldest university: the queen who paid for it after she'd died, Copernicus and his statues, and the manuscript the guides used to show off as the book of the sorcerer Twardowski.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.