About This Location
Szpitalna Street is a short Old Town route with a surprisingly dense history. Its name comes from a medieval hospital and monastery run here by the Order of the Holy Spirit (known in Kraków as the duchacy). That whole complex once stood near today’s Plac św. Ducha, but it was demolished in the late 19th century when the city built the Municipal Theatre - now the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre - which opened in 1893 and was designed with the Paris Opéra as a model. A few steps away is another clue to the street’s “hospital” past - the Church of the Holy Cross. In 1244 the church was given to the Order of the Holy Spirit, who were tasked with running a parish and a hospital here, tying this corner of Kraków to early medieval care for the sick and poor. Szpitalna also has a more recent cultural identity. Before World War II, the area around this street became known for book trade and antiquarian shops, many connected with Jewish families and businesses. Even today it is remembered as a classic stop for bibliophiles, linked to Kraków’s long second-hand and rare-book tradition.