Rynek Underground Museum

Hidden beneath Rynek Główny, Kraków’s main square, is a subterranean history and archeology museum, based on early 21st-centry excavations. Read on to find out what to expect at Kraków’s remarkable Rynek Underground Museum.

Cemetery exhibits in the Rynek Underground Museum

From 2005, Kraków’s main square, Rynek Główny, underwent a huge excavation project, revealing foundations and artefacts dating back to the very beginning of the city’s history. These archeological digs uncovered the foundations of 13th- and 14th-century market stalls, medieval workshops, and a cemetery, as well as a wealth of period objects. Instead of relocating these, someone had the brilliant idea of building a museum in situ, underneath the square, around the found remains. First opened in 2010, the 4,000 sq.m area is now an imaginative and engaging state-of-the-art museum exploring Kraków’s history, directly beneath the pavement of Rynek Główny. It’s the ideal way to find out more about what you have just seen above ground.

Built around Kraków’s rich medieval past, the permanent exhibition focuses on the city’s place in a network of European trade, with a mix of recovered coins, tools, pottery, and other objects, as well as a passageway through the foundational remains of previous structures on the site. There are also reconstructions of the 11th-century burials from before the foundation of the city, and a settlement destroyed by a Tartar invasion. These are offset by informative touchscreens, films, interactive holograms, and more.

Taken together, Rynek Underground is not only the story of how and why Kraków came to be but also an examination of how many European cities developed through the medieval period.

Though the museum has a lot of modern media to help contextualise the exhibits, it is quite information dense. A guided tour is an excellent way to get the most out of a visit, as the guide will contextualise the most important material in an interesting and fun way. It’s definitely worth looking through the Rynek Underground tours offered on GetYourGuide. These are all rated by people who have taken the tours, so you know exactly what to expect.

Rynek Underground main hall

What to See in the Rynek Underground Museum

Built around extraordinary archeological excavations beneath the Renaissance main square, the architectural structure of the museum itself is something of a feat and perhaps one of the stars here. Aside from the small glass pyramid on Rynek Główny, there is absolutely no sign of the museum from the surface, and its strange to think what is above you as you walk through the exhibits.

The exhibition itself is a series of interesting details, rather than built around one or two showstoppers. However, the subterranean location is an atmospheric and evocative setting for understanding Kraków’s medieval past. There is also a good balance of original artefact, period recreation, and modern media to bring the period to life.

Whereas most history museums might focus on how the city developed, Rynek Underground gives a good account on why it developed in the way it did, particularly because of its location on trade routes, as well as the geological influences on Kraków’s development.

The highlight for many are the exhibits around the ancient cemetery and the ‘vampire burials’. It was believed that some could rise from the dead and wreak havoc on the living. Burial customs for suspected vampires included placing them in a fetal position and binding their hands, as well as cutting off their head and placing the skull beneath their feet.

The museum as a whole is a particularly good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Read more reviews on TripAdvisor.

Model of a water mill

What to Expect When Visiting the Rynek Underground Museum

Broadly speaking, the museum is split across three main areas: the main, open-plan hall with interactive historical displays; the original archeological remains; and a number of rooms showing documentary films. Further, the main section is subdivided into thematic areas around trade, transport, and recreations of an early Kraków settlement and cemetery.

Layout of the Rynek Underground Museum

You enter the museum through a small doorway in the side of the Cloth Hall (see below) and descending to a lower level. Initially it’s quite a cramped space, with room for some stairs and an elevator. There isn’t even room for a ticket office in this part of the building. There’s a cloakroom at the foot of the stairs and the entrance to the main exhibit hall.

The exhibition opens with cabinets of historical objects, recovered from the Rynek Główny excavations earlier this century, and touchscreens contextualising the importance of these objects and this immediate area in terms of trade in medieval Europe.

Handily, you’ll find a layout which offers options for a 45-, 60-, or 120-minute exploration of the museum.

Precious archeological objects on display

The objects on display include coins, jewellery, silk purses, and a knife with an intricately carved bone handle. These are testament to the wealth and craftsmanship available within the medieval market in Kraków and the vibrancy of the city as an internationally-connected commercial hub.

A medieval Kraków resident speaks

As you can see, the museum is nicely spaced out and atmospherically lit, allowing for a leisurely exploration of the displays. The archeological finds are well exhibited and supplemented with contextual information. There is some nifty interactive multimedia, including onscreen characters who talk to visitors, triggered by their presence.

Recreation of settlement and workshop

There are some examples of medieval paved roads and explanations about the geology of the area and how the urban foundations of Kraków changed over time, based on the recent excavations. There are also some examples of medieval means of transport and some trade technology, such as a huge set of scales and a water mill.

The back-half of the main display area is given over to recreations of some workshops and relics of a settlement destroyed by a Mongolian invasion in 1241.

There is also a dedicated space for children with games and a ‘mechanical theatre’ telling the legend of Prince Krak and the dragon. This is enclosed and away from the main exhibition area, so it’s a nice private world for kids.

All information is dual-language, so English-speaking visitors will always have a clear idea of what they’re looking at.

Part of the recreated cemetery

The Rynek excavations also revealed an 11th-century cemetery that once stood on the site. Portions of this are recreated in the museum, including examples of the legend that lead to so-called ‘vampire’ burials.

Understandably, this is one of the most popular sections of the museum and there may be a bit of a wait to look at everything properly. But there are also some interesting displays dotted around this area that plot the development of landmark Kraków buildings.

Scale model of medieval Kraków

Additionally, there is a scale model of medieval Kraków, which is fun to compare with how the city looks today. In some ways, it’s amazing how little has changed.

The model sits directly underneath the small glass pyramid you may have noticed at ground level on the main square.

History of Kraków panorama

The main exhibition hall concludes with a wide-screen panorama, tracing the development of Kraków through its history at breakneck speed. This is a great opportunity to sit for a while and regroup.

Although brief, the film is a pretty good thumbnail sketch of roughly 700 years, and a summary of what you have seen so far.

The original Rynek foundations

From here, the museum changes tone completely. The open-plan design of the previous area gives way to narrow gantries through the area’s excavated foundations. The floors are glass, so you can see below as well as what lies on either side. It’s as if you are walking back in time.

Luckily the space is wide enough for people to stop and look at things without too much congestion.

Artefacts from medieval locksmiths

You’ll pass through the cellars of the 14th-century stalls with relics from the various traders in the 13th century. These are themed with display areas for each of the different craftspeople plying their trade at the medieval market.

There are also other cultural artefacts, such as Bibles and paintings, as well are more contemporary display materials.

This section of the museum is deceptive and contains more than may be immediately apparent, so it’s worth slowing down and taking a second look. Though the foundations themselves seem a bit dull, there are some beautiful and unusual objects on display that can really bring the scene to life with a bit of imagination. There also some oddities, like the alleged burial of a horse in one section of the foundations.

One of the ‘time capsules’

Finally, there is a corridor of rooms, or ‘time capsules’ as the museum calls them. You are now in some of the rooms beneath the Cloth Hall. Each of these is showing a different documentary film, covering aspects of Kraków’s history in more detail. These are definitely worth a look, as the talking heads bring a lot of knowledge and colour to what you’ve just seen.

Finally, you’ll exit via the cafe and gift shop, and circle back around to the cloakroom where you first started. Ascend the stairs and emerge back onto Rynek Główny, with a whole new perspective on the square.

Entrance to the Rynek Underground Museum

How to Visit the Rynek Underground Museum

Rynek Underground Museum address: Rynek Główny 1, 31-042 Kraków, Poland

The entrance to the Rynek Underground Museum is just a small doorway with a small sign outside, and is easily missed. To make things even more confusing, the ticket office is in a different location to the museum itself. Luckily, it’s all quite simple to navigate if you know what you’re looking for.

Make your way to Rynek Główny – the main square in Kraków’s Old Town. The exhibition entrance is on the outside of the Cloth Hall building. Head to the northeastern corner of the Cloth Hall, opposite St. Mary’s Basilica. Look for the small glass pyramid and fountain to point you in the right direction. You’ll see the Muzeum Krakowa MK logo to the right of the door with the opening hours.

Rynek Underground ticket office

The ticket office is on the opposite side of the Cloth Hall. Simply follow the building around so that you’re on the same side of the Main Square as the Town Hall Tower. The ticket office is about halfway down the exterior of the building, under the covered walkway. It’s marked with a number 21 to the right of the doorway and has the Muzeum Krakowa MK logo on the door.

Rynek Underground Museum opening times are as follows:

• Mon: 10am-7pm
• Tue: 10am-2pm
• Wed: 10am-7pm
• Fri-Sat: 10am-8pm
• Sun: 10am-7pm

Last entry to the museum is 75 minutes before closing.

The museum is closed on the second Monday of each month, as well as on key public holidays, such as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Check with the
official Rynek Underground website for upcoming closures before you plan to visit.

You can either pay for tickets in advance from the online Muzeum Krakowa shop or reserve them from the same site and pay when you pick them up from the box office. Most forms of payment are accepted, including Apple and Google Pay, though there is a small booking fee if you buy online. You cannot book advance tickets on the day you wish to visit, only for dates in the future. If you want to book a place for today, you’ll have to go to the box office in person – see information on where to find it.

Scroll down until you see Rynek Underground and click the NEXT button to the right. You’ll then get a choice between groups and tickets for individuals. Decide which you want and click NEXT again.

Once you’ve chosen the date, you’ll be given a choice of time slots with the number of tickets available. There are also options for booking a paid tour in a choice of languages, though this should be done at least a week before you plan to visit.

The process of booking is fairly straightforward, with the information in English, although you’ll need to pay attention if you are buying a family ticket. You have to specify one ticket per family in the Family Ticket option but the number of additional people in the Family Counterfoil option underneath. So, a family of four would choose one ticket and three counterfoils. See below for more on family tickets.

You’ll need to verify your email address, so they can send the information to you.

Tickets are timed, to stop the exhibition space becoming overwhelmed with visitors, so make sure you turn up for your slot, otherwise you may not be allowed entry.

Entry is free every Tuesday, however, you cannot book in advance and can only pick up tickets from the box office on the day.

Otherwise, full-price tickets are 36zł, and reduced tickets for children over 7 and students under 26 are 32zł. Children under 7 can visit the museum for free. Tickets are also 32zł per person for groups of more than ten, with a concessionary rate of 26zł. A family ticket is available for 72zł – which can be a total of four people made up of 1-2 adults and 2-3 children under 16.

You can find information on official museum guides on the Muzeum Krakowa website.

Personally, I would consider taking part in a tour, which can be booked through GetYourGuide. They will take care of booking tickets and give you an insight into the museum that you won’t get if you visit alone. Tours can focus on Rynek Underground or also include other key Kraków attractions. Each tour listed includes customer reviews, so you can be sure you are getting exactly what you want.

Old Town District: The historic heart of Kraków is the Old Town, including the Old Quarter in the north, and the Okół, Stradom, and Wawel Quarters to the south. In addition to the rich mix of cafes, bars, museums, and churches, the Old Town highlights include the Market Square and St. Mary’s Basilica, as well as Wawel Castle and Cathedral. Restaurants include Michelin-listed Albertina and 14th-century Wierzynek. You’ll also find some grand and historical places to stay, including Hotel Copernicus and the Bonerowski Palace.

Rynek Underground cloakroom

Tips for Visiting the Rynek Underground Museum

• The museum offers three recommended routes of 45, 60, and 120 minutes each.
• Instead of audioguides, the museum has touchscreens throughout which give full context to the exhibits. You can also take part in an official guided tour and there are some excellent Rynek Underground tours available through GetYourGuide.
• The toilets are on the lowest floor, located down a staircase behind the panorama history of Kraków, towards the end of the main exhibition hall.
• The number of people is limited per time slot, so the main exhibition space feels spacious and comfortable. The main hall can be quite warm, so leave any coats in the cloakroom. If a school party is hogging a particular exhibit, go and look at something else and return to it once they’ve moved on. There are two main places to sit down if you need a rest: the widescreen panorama, towards the end of the main exhibition hall, and the ‘time capsule’ screening rooms, near the end of the museum.
• You are required to leave any bags in the (free) cloakroom. There are no lockers.
• As expected, photography is allowed but use of flash and tripods is prohibited.
• There are some fun interactive elements for kids and the whole museum is quite atmospheric. There is also a small playroom and theatre specifically designed for younger visitors. Some of the museum is perhaps a little dry for small children, though it will largely depend on their interest in history.
• Despite the challenges of its location, the museum is reasonably accessible. The main entrance has a lift to the exhibition space and much of the museum is flat, with ramps. However, the toilets only seemed accessible by stairs and the latter half of the museum could offer problems.
• There is a small cafe area at the end of the museum, for hot drinks and cakes.
• There is also a small shop selling copies of relics and medieval coins, as seen in the exhibition.
• The museum accepts Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, as well as contactless payments with Apple and Google Pay.