Krakow: River Cruise and Guided Visit to Schindler’s Factory

Admire all the most important places in Krakow from the Vistula River. See Krakow from a new perspective as you follow the flow of the queen of Polish rivers. 

The Kościuszko Mound in Krakow, one of the five mounds located in Krakow, was erected in honor of Tadeusz Kościuszko - a great patriot and leader of the national uprising.

Fortified like a castle, this mighty monastery, founded in the 12th century, was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The most important Krakow traditions are also associated with it: here, on Monday after Easter, the annual Emmaus festival is celebrated. Hence, the Lajkonik procession - the most important symbol of Krakow - sets off every June

The limestone hill rising above the Vistula River is the former center of power, the legendary (associated with the mythical founder of Krakow and his descendants) and historical: princely, episcopal and royal. Wawel is a complex of castle and sacred buildings - a symbol of the city, but most of all a museum presenting the most valuable monuments of Polish material culture. Take a good look and you will also notice the silhouette of the famous Wawel dragon breathing fire towards onlookers.

The original, modern form of the building housing the museum of art and technology is perfectly seen from the river level. The wavy line of its roof is to refer directly to the waves of the Vistula River

The baroque church of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Stanislaus on Skałka rises above the boulevards, right on the Vistula River, on a small hill made of white Jurassic limestones. The basilica is also a national pantheon (many distinguished painters, musicians and poets are buried here) and a library with priceless documents, books and incunabula. 

After the cruise step into one of Kraków’s most visited museums — Schindler’s Enamel Factory, where history comes alive through powerful exhibitions and expert storytelling. This is not a simple biographical museum, but a comprehensive journey through the years of Nazi occupation, showing how war transformed the city and the lives of its people.
With a licensed expert guide, you’ll skip the long ticket lines and explore the exhibition “Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945.” Housed in the former enamel factory of Oskar Schindler, the museum focuses not only on his story, but above all on the daily experiences of Kraków’s Jewish and non-Jewish residents during the war.
As you move through the galleries, you’ll encounter original artifacts, photographs, and immersive reconstructions. Much of the exhibition unfolds in a series of narrow, dimly lit rooms, deliberately designed to make visitors feel confined — echoing the fear, pressure, and uncertainty that dominated life under Nazi rule.

The setting creates a visceral atmosphere that turns history into lived experience.
Within this broader narrative, you’ll also hear about Oskar Schindler and how his factory provided refuge to more than a thousand Jewish workers. His story is set against the wider backdrop of persecution, deportations, and the destruction of Kraków’s Jewish community, making clear both the scale of tragedy and the importance of individual acts of courage.