Krakow by bike – 11 places not to miss

Discovering Krakow, the city of kings, is as rewarding as a generous gift from a ruler, but doing it by bike is like gaining a whole principality for your own. We would like to offer you tips on 10 places where your two-wheeler will give you the princely advantage and which are absolutely not to miss.

Start by having a look on our “Krakow by bike” Google map. You will find there all of the top 10 laid out in one place and inviting to design a route of your own or take on of our guided Krakow bike tours.

Now, the first five spots in Krakow for biking will be for those who love to stroll and embrace a slow tempo.

This top recreational area of the city, for cycling or running, lures with the views on offer and guarantees a calm easy ride. The Wisla Boulevards were built in 1905-1909 and have proven an effective way to protect the city from floods plus a joy for mothers with prams. You can ride through Krakow all the way along the Wisla River and mind that it is via here that the famous European EuroVelo 4 trail runs to Kiev. Buy us an ice-cream on the way back and maybe a #wislaboulevards photo?

Krakow is inseparably bound with the history of the Austrian Empire. Nowhere are the traces of Viennese rulers more palpable than in the once independent burgh of Podgórze. It was founded in 1784 by emperor Joseph’s II charter, which established it as a special destination for German craftsmen-colonists. Reunited administratively with Krakow in 1915, Podgórze also served as the ghetto for Jews during the 2^nd World War. It is very relevantly commemorated on the famous (cyclable!) Plac Bohaterów Getta as well as in the Schindler factory, which is a famous museum. Ask our guide on a Krakow bike tour for its story moving story. Nowadays you can cycle freely along its quaint little alleys, enjoy the boulevard part of it, and raise a pint of beer to this historically distinguished cracovian district. For a bath in the open air head to the Bagry pond – it is a favourite of the inhabitants for summer free-time.

Who was Krakus that his name sounds so similar to the name of the city? A reasonable question. It is actually the legendary king Krakus himself that gave his name to the glorious settlement that hosts you on bike today (find mentions of him Wincenty Kadłubek’s and Jan Długosz’s chronicles). Numerous theories have been proposed to explain the origins of the mound dated for between 500 BC to 9^th century AD. It was said to be Lusatian, Celtic, or Avar. Together with the Wanda Mound it will add mistery and viewpoints to your trip – and it is located in Podgórze to make it two attractions in one.

Whatever we write under the section about the Old Town, it will be insufficient. Getting around this medieval pearl of a city can be much faster on bikes and offer you quick access to numerous churches, museums, and bars. There are plenty bike rental opportunities (try ours here) and without any trouble you will rent an e-bike. Watch out to lock your bike carefully, it is a busy place.

The other mound of our three mentioned here is the Kosciuszko Mound. We all know well it was built in 1823 to commemorate Tadeusz Kościuszko, the 1794 uprising leader and a general in the US War for Independence. The mound is a perfect viewpoint and is surrounded by picturesque forts, chapels, and alleys (approach from the Wisla boulevards for a wonderful peaceful ascent along Waszyngtona Street). And then – what a downhill ride to central Krakow!

In the next 5 places not to miss when in Krakow by bike you will get a chance to release your more adventurous spirit. Expect hills, longer rides and greenery.

Hills west from Krakow are covered with mysterious oak and beech forest which has been used as a recreational area of the city for at least a century. Among many picturesque gorges and Jurassic rocks there lie meadows for picnics and routes for cycling. The Krakow Zoo is the main attraction whilst it may be worth a while having a look at the Luftwaffe castle from the 40s in Przegorzały and the neighbouring modernist Donjon Villa. And yes, you will find another mound to climb – the Piłsudski’s Mound of 35 m height.

If you are looking for a day-ride outside of Krakow there is plenty of opportunity south from the city. The salt mines in Wieliczka have an unrelenting allure of beautiful craft in salt crystal hidden tens of meters underground and when getting there you will feel the happy charm of a bicycle ride over hills and across villages. Expect a relatively crowded location, which nevertheless remains one of the artistically most precious highlights of Krakow by bike. Just have a look at the photos – years of mining and craft tradition in one place. And keep the #wieliczkabybike in mind ;-).

Featuring in many of our TOP10 juxtapositions (like here), Ojcow National Park simply cannot be missed when taking a series of bicycle rides around Krakow. You enter this smallest national park of Poland through calcite gates of rocks and cycle among greenery, salong treams, and turning your head up to see scenery-dominating castles of Pieskowa Skała and Ojców. It is honestly at the door of Krakow, so you will not have to worry about the distance to be covered or supporting infrastructure. Ojców is perfect for a one-day escape.

We all love peaceful moments of relaxation in natural environments. Poland’s surface is made up of 30% woods and some of them are the primeval forests where our kings used to hunt for deer and bison. Niepołomice Forest, east from Krakow, is one of them, although in vast areas it has been replanted with pine in the 19^th century. Expect here a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, with birds singing their spring song and streams humming universal peace into your ears. For a dip into history, there will be monuments like the royal castle in Niepołomice and the Benedictine nun’s monastery in Staniątki.

Finally, just at the hand’s reach from Krakow, there lies Nowa Huta. It is an industrial district from the communist period of Polish history but it offer an interesting ecological spot called the Nowa Huta meadows. Stretching between the district and Wisla river, the area is home to rare species of birds (e.g. little bittern and red-backed shrike) and butterflies (the scarce large blue) and its habitat is partly covered in high grass or reed. It’s a walk or a bike ride with nature right outside Krakow that will remind you of Poland’s ecological diversity. Feel invited!

For BikeTrip nothing can rival this easy yet beautiful bike ride. We add it as cream of the crop and invite you to join us on our guided tours to enjoy the Wisla Boulevards, forests of Zakrzówek, and finally the Benedictine Abbey of Tyniec. The ride is not long, runs calmly along the river with a possible diversion to beech forests and a flooded quarry on the right bank and we write about it extensively (as well as provide a map) in our “Tyniec – how to get to?” article. Enjoy.

Without doubt Krakow is a city friendly for all kinds of bikers. As you’ve seen, there is plenty of ride opportunities available for MTB, trekking, and simple city-bikes. Our BikeTrip team offers guided tours all around Krakow and information for the independent cyclists who want to set off on their own. We will be covering many more Krakow by bike attractions in more detailed articles, so stay tuned with us on social media.

Cheerio, do zobaczenia!

Tomasz, Kraków

Photos on CC BY SA license by Marek Szczepanek, Antonios Tsaknakis, Andrzej Otrębski, Mach240390, Martyna Zambrzycka, and Łukasz Zosiak.