Quick answerKraków is a city in Poland, with 816,614 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 1.5 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Main Market Square, the Wawel Castle and St Mary's Basilica. Its official language is Polish, and its currency is the Polish złoty.
Kraków is Poland's second-largest city, with about 817,000 people (816,614 at 31 December 2025). It stands on the Vistula River in southern Poland and was the country's capital until 1596.
Key facts
| Country | Poland |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 816,614 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 1,498,499 (2025) · Kraków metropolitan area |
| Time zone | Europe/Warsaw |
| Language | Polish |
| Currency | Polish złoty (PLN, zł) |
| Coordinates | 50.06139° N, 19.93722° E |
Overview
Kraków is the second-largest city of Poland, on the Vistula River in the south of the country, at the foot of the Carpathian foothills. The city proper had 816,614 residents at 31 December 2025, while the metropolitan area held about 1.5 million people, and the city sits between 187 and 383 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Lesser Poland Voivodeship and one of Poland's main cultural and university centres.
Kraków was Poland's capital from 1038 until 1596, and its Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Its landmarks include the Main Market Square - one of the largest medieval squares in Europe - St Mary's Basilica with its hourly trumpet call, Wawel Castle and Cathedral, where Polish kings were crowned and buried, and the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, one of the oldest universities in Europe. The Old Town and the Wieliczka Salt Mine were among the first sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.
Today Kraków is a major tourist destination and a centre of science, technology and business services, with a large student population. It is known for its cafés and Old Town nightlife, for the Kazimierz district, the historic Jewish quarter, and for its museums, including the former Schindler's Factory. The nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, about an hour away, is visited by millions of people each year.
What Kraków is known for
- Main Market Square
- Wawel Castle
- St Mary's Basilica
- Jagiellonian University
- Kazimierz district
- Old Town (UNESCO)
Landmarks
- Main Market Square
- St Mary's Basilica
- Wawel Castle
- Wawel Cathedral
- Jagiellonian University
- Kazimierz district
- Cloth Hall
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kraków?
About 817,000 people live in Kraków (816,614 at 31 December 2025). The wider metropolitan area had about 1.5 million people (1,498,499 in the infobox figure). That makes Kraków the second-largest city in Poland.
What is Kraków famous for?
Kraków is famous as Poland's former capital and for its medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Main Market Square, St Mary's Basilica and Wawel Castle. It is also known for the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, and for the Kazimierz district.
Where is Kraków located?
Kraków is in southern Poland, on the Vistula River, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Its coordinates are 50.06° N, 19.94° E, and its time zone is Central European Time.
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Keep exploring
- Poland — the country Kraków is in
- Warsaw — another city in Poland
- Wrocław — another city in Poland
- Łódź — another city in Poland
- All cities in Poland
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.