About This Location
Rynek Główny is the heart of Kraków’s Old Town, and Sukiennice - the Cloth Hall - sits right in the middle like the city’s old trading engine. The first version here was a line of stalls from the 13th century, then a larger Gothic hall was built in the 14th century. If the arcades on the shorter sides look older than the rest, that is a clue - traces of the medieval structure are still visible in them. Sukiennice looks Renaissance today for a dramatic reason: a major fire in 1555 destroyed it, and it was rebuilt between 1556 and 1559 in the fashionable style of the time. That mix of medieval function and Renaissance makeover is what makes the building feel both practical and grand. Upstairs is MNK Sukiennice - the National Museum’s Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art. The museum tradition here began after the 1875-1879 restoration of the Cloth Hall, and the National Museum in Kraków was founded in 1879, making this square not just a place of commerce, but also a key place for modern Polish culture and memory. For the biggest “hidden” surprise, go below ground. The Rynek Underground Museum sits several meters beneath the paving, built around archaeological discoveries made during works on the square. It opened on September 24, 2010, and lets visitors walk through preserved traces of medieval streets, trade stalls, and everyday objects - a reminder that the life of the square did not start at street level.