Krakow museums feature some of the great collections of Poland. There are numerous museums in Krakow, and one of the best things about them, is that there is one day a week when admission is free.

National Museum in Krakow

One of the richest museums in Poland is the National Museum in Krakow. The main building of the National Museum is situated on Maja Street, but there are several branches of the museum which are scattered in downtown Krakow. The Krakow’s National Museum was established in 1879, housing thousands of collections. The main building of has over 500 art works from the leading artists of Poland. The upper floor houses the Gallery of the 20th Century Polish Art focusing on modern art. This collection is the largest gallery in Poland. However, unlike other museums, the art pieces are arranged according to trend and school rather than chronologically.

You will find pieces on display starting from 1890s onwards until the modern times. There are 2 permanent exhibits in the main museum – decorative art exhibit and the exhibit on Polish army uniforms and arms called the Arms and Colours exhibition. Krakow’s National Museum is open every day except Monday. It is open from 10:00a.m. until 4:00p.m. every Sunday, but the rest of the week it is open from 10:00a.m. until 6:00p.m. You can visit the museum on Sunday when admission is free.

Palace of Bishop Erasmus Ciolek

The Palace of Bishop Erasmus Ciolek is another part of the National Museum of Krakow. This former palace was turned into a museum during the early 16th century to house some old art spanning the Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Baroque periods. On the ground floor, you will find the collection of the Orthodox church’s art representing the 15th century until the 20th. On the upper floor of the Palace of Bishop Erasmus Ciolek museum is an art collection of the medieval Polish church from the 15th century until the 16th.

You will also find in display at the museum some ancient village art and nobles’ portraits from the 16th until the 18th centuries. However, one of the greatest features of the Palace of Bishop Erasmus Ciolek is the 2 Gothic sculptures – Madonna of Kruzlowa from 1420 and Gethsemane from 1485 by Veit Stoss. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00a.m. until 6:00p.m., and is closed on Monday. On Sunday, when admission is free, the museum opens at 10:00a.m. and closes at 4:00p.m.