Everyone who visits Poland knows the Main Market Square in Kraków. Few people know that Kraków has several other markets worth seeing!

A few steps from the Main Square, you can see a second market. A Small Market - Mały Rynek, which was created behind St. Mary's Church as a supporting market to the Main Market Square. The Small Market has not always had this name and over the centuries, the Small Market has had different purposes and its name has changed depending on its function. Probably from the beginning of its existence, this market had commercial functions. The first name of the square was probably forum antiquum, i.e. antique trade. Initially, old and second-hand items were sold on this square, after years, products that were too unrepresentative to have a place on the main market, such as fish and raw meat, began to be sold there. Trading there probably ceased only at the beginning of the 20th century, when a tram line to the Main Market Square was led through the Small Market square.

Rynek Kleparski (Stary Kleparz) is the oldest market in Kraków. This city square is located directly north of the Old Town, between Basztowa and St. Philip. Initially, the Kleparz market was the market of the city of Kleparz, since 1792 when Kleparz was incorporated into Krakow, this market has become one of Krakow's markets. In the old days, this market occupied a much larger area, similar in size to the Main Square. In the post-war years, and especially after 1980, Stary Kleparz was a very important point on the commercial map of Krakow. It was here that you could get once almost unavailable products such as veal or exotic fruits. To this day, this market performs commercial functions and has been operating continuously since the beginning of its existence, dating back to 1366.

Another Kraków market is Rynek Podgórski. The Podgórze market had a similar situation as the Kleparz market, which used to be the market of an independent city, in 1915 Podgórze and its market became a part of Krakow. A picturesque square with the magnificent Church of St. Joseph. During World War II, a ghetto for Jews was marked out right next to it, and on the square itself, there was a gate to it. Today, this square attracts with its beautiful appearance and tranquility. In winter, one of Kraków's Christmas fairs is held there.

Not far from Wawel, there is another market square, Rynek Dębnicki. Dębniki was a small village near Krakow. In 1910, the village was incorporated into Krakow and became one of the districts. Dębnicki square is a small market where trade fairs are held to this day, and it performs commercial functions as in the old days. It is worth going there not only for shopping but also to see the charming buildings and the surrounding tenement houses.

In addition to these markets, Plac Wolnica is also worth seeing. It is a square that is part of the original market square of the city of Kazimierz. In its heyday, it was as big as the Main Market Square. It is located in the center of the Kazimierz district, close to the former Jewish district. Currently, only the Town Hall has survived from later times.

And which one have you seen? Because all of them are worth visiting!

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