Discover Local Kraków: What to Do Around Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto

At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Kraków, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?

Kraków in 5 picks

Stary Kleparz

Kraków's oldest continuously operating market, trading since the 14th century, open daily except Sunday. Look for oscypek, the smoked sheep's cheese from the Tatra mountains, and stalls run by the same families for generations.

Kazimierz

The former Jewish quarter, now full of bars, galleries and food stalls — head to the rotunda at Plac Nowy, a former kosher slaughterhouse, for zapiekanki, Kraków’s answer to street-food comfort food.

Main Market Square & Florian Gate

The historic core of the Old Town, about 15 minutes on foot from the hotel — come early or late to see it without the midday crowds.

Podgórze

Across the Vistula from Kazimierz, this district carries the city’s wartime history and a quieter, more residential feel than the Old Town.

Planty Park

The green ring that traces the old city walls around the Old Town — a easy, shaded loop for walking or cycling between sights.

Where to eat
Start with the basics: pierogi, smoked oscypek cheese, and zapiekanki, the open-faced baguette that's Kraków's late-night staple. Stary Kleparz is the place for ingredients and produce; Plac Nowy in Kazimierz is where to eat street food standing up, the way locals do.
Old Town to Kazimierz on foot
The Old Town and Kazimierz sit close enough to walk between in around 20 minutes, but they feel distinct — one grand and medieval, the other layered with Jewish history and a livelier, more bohemian nightlife. Doing both on foot gives you the clearest sense of the city.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto sits opposite Galeria Krakowska and the main railway station. Stary Kleparz market is a short walk away, and the Florian Gate and Main Square are about 15 minutes on foot.
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FAQ

Daily except Sunday, with the freshest produce and the least crowding earlier in the morning.

Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto is about a 15-minute walk from the Florian Gate and Main Market Square.

Yes — it's roughly a 20-minute walk from the hotel through the Old Town, or a short tram ride if you'd rather not walk both ways.

Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Kraków, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in Kraków, all within reach of these picks

View hotels